Why The Knicks and Magic Aren't Contenders

The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic are two of the most exciting teams to watch. The Knicks' Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are a fantastic trio and have proved, since the mega-trade, that they work extremely well together. The Magic, boasting the best defender of the league, and best center in the league, are electrifying. Filled with scorers, they have found a way to work together and are trying to make a run for the championship.

So if everything is so perfect for both teams, what's keeping them from going all the way in the East? Four words: Celtics, Heat, and Bulls. These three teams are exceeding expectations. They are unstoppable. These three teams will make the Eastern Semi-Finals. The question now becomes, who will join them? Will it be the Knicks or the Magic? The Hawks are not performing as well as they should have since January and they are not a serious contender, despite their incredible record (37-24).

The Magic (39-22) and Knicks (31-28) are 4th and 6th respectively. It is important to note that the Knicks trio have only played a few games together and their record is only going to get better. As good as these teams are, they will not make it to the finals. Even if one of these teams makes the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference and upsets one of the three favorites, the odds are against them in the Conference Finals.

The Heat, Celtics, and Bulls are playing too good right now to allow an upset. Dwayne Wade and Lebron James are playing well together; D-Rose is leading his team to more wins than was expected of them; and the Celtics, as usual, are playing their game and controlling the tempo. All three of these teams have made a stand and proved their worthiness. So what's left for the Magic and Knicks, looking in from behind? The future looks bright for both the Magic and Knicks; long-term, that is. It is almost impossible for either of these teams to make a run to the Finals.