NBA Playoffs: Charlotte Bobcats Have Made History, But Can They Beat Orlando?

The Charlotte Bobcats ushered in a new chapter in their history by clinching their first playoff berth, but will the young team be content to rest on the laurels of their achievement, or will they strive for greater things?

Conventional wisdom says the Bobcats will likely be satisfied with making the postseason and succumbing in the first round, but coach Larry Brown brings a different element to the equation.

Brown has been to the pinnacle of the NBA mountain, and he has based his success on the principles of discipline and tough defense, both qualities which his Charlotte team thrive by.

Although Charlotte still has a chance to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference, if the season ended today their opponent would be the defending conference champion Orlando Magic.

The Bobcats actually match-up pretty well with the Magic until you reach the center position where the conversation begins and ends with the dominance of Dwight Howard.

Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin provide an effective counter to Jameer Nelson and Jason Williams, and Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson can match any of Orlando's wing players in most aspects of the game.

Boris Diaw is one of the more underrated power forwards in the league considering his versatility and uncanny court vision which makes him a primary passing option in the offense.

But Howard is the one player Charlotte can not match in terms of size, speed, athleticism, or sheer physical force, although they do have a plethora of players who would take their turns defending Howard.

Center Tyson Chandler is taller than Howard and just as quick, but he would get punished in the paint because he is nowhere near strong enough to provide ample resistance.

Nazr Mohammed and Theo Ratliff are more of the physical types of players, but they lack the athleticism and quickness to keep up with Howard in the paint and would likely garner a litany of quick fouls in their defense.

But the chances of the Bobcats scoring an unlikely upset lies in a combination of all three post players playing Howard tough and the perimeter players being disciplined in their defense of Orlando's perimeter players.

The Magic offensive scheme is simple but effective, and it revolves around the idea of placing Howard in the post and surrounding him with players who can score form the perimeter.

Orlando is most efficient when opponents choose to double-team Howard in the post and he is able to pick between players like Vince Carter, Nelson, or J.J. Redick, and all are deadly from behind the three point arc.

The Magic rarely stray from this formula and in order for Charlotte to be successful, they will have to rely on the abilities of their post players to play solid man-to-man defense on Howard.

That's easier said than done, and there is the experience factor and the hunger of Orlando to capture the championship which eluded them last season, and that definitely plays as an advantage to the Magic.

But the NBA postseason is the stuff of dreams, at least until the games start, and you can't blame fans of the Bobcats for having hope in their newly historic team, however wistful those aspirations may be.

Charlotte may not be able to stop Orlando's march to the Eastern Conference Finals, but should they meet in the first round, the Bobcats may be able to add to their newly found legacy by winning a couple of games.