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Wilbur

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Posts posted by Wilbur

  1. Posted · Report reply

    13 hours ago, Luke_FfS said:

    I haven't really believed that theory at any point, but as other members already pointed out in the past, I really don't get the point of all this story (and mistery) if you've no intentions to even listen to a deal, and you've made the call of the pick in the start of the 5 minutes period, without even waiting for last minutes offer. To me, seem like time and occasion wasted... to a lesser extent, it's like when we trade the usual second round pick without even waiting to see if some player slip down, or if that pick could be useful to make a move to trade up and pick a player worth the move.

    It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic started with the presumption Jabari, Chet and Paolo were interchangeable and wanted to judge the value of moving down. 

    It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic started with the presumption they wanted Paolo, but wanted a chance to get him at 3.

    It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic had no idea who they were going to draft.

    It blew up in their faces.  Jabari thought he was going 1 and was clearly upset on draft night.  Paolo was so convinced he wasn't going 1 he canceled his trip to Orlando.

       

  2. Posted · Report reply

    That's how I read it.  Undoubtedly, there were early discussions, but Houston has content to get their guy at 3.  When they got wind he wasn't going to be there at 3, they asked about the cost and quickly realized the Magic had decided Paolo was better than Jabari.

    I happened into a telephone call yesterday with an NBA agent on behalf of a client.  The client told me the agent was purportedly in the final list for Paolo.  I said "I'm guessing Mike Miller is pretty smooth."  Response: "Mike's a good guy.  A really good guy.  Orlando is going to love Paolo."   

  3. Posted · Report reply

    As he currently exists, I like Anthony in that change of pace uber aggressive scorer coming off the bench.  If he learns how to consistently involve others in the offense, then there is reason to consider playing him with the starters.  I expect Suggs to be the most improved player on the Magic next year.  That said, if we aren't in tank mode, the starter at SG should be Harris until Suggs takes it away.  I want Okeke/Hampton/Bol as the main back-ups to Franz.  Ross has been great but he needs a new venue.  I expect Bol to get abused defensively, but he will either get better or follow Ross out the door.  We need to know sooner than later if he has a future.  

    That four man big rotation is pretty good.  Assuming he can stay on the floor, I'd really like to see how Paolo and Isaac can play together.  That seems like a matchup nightmare for other teams.  Most fours can't handle them.  A traditional 5 doesn't stand a chance.  Do you try to put a 3 on them?

  5. Posted · Report reply

    47 minutes ago, JJZFL said:

    This is hindsight though.  At the time most thought that Fournier was the correct one to keep.  

    Those same dolts probably wanted Chet.  VIC had way more upside... but we were building around a traditional C when other teams were moving to small ball and Fournier was Vuc's buddy.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Oladipo and Harris wouldn't have been all that rebuild version would've had going for it.

    Whatever trades of Vuc and Fournier produced plus whatever the draft produced. 

    I agree a tank has many things that can go wrong.  That said, our 10 year tank isn't on the tank its on the scouting/development folks that spent the assets unwisely. 

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Someone on here brought up the young guns.  Of those 5 guys 2 proved good role players in the NBA (Harkless and O'Quinn) and two turned into good NBA players for other teams (Oladipo and Harris).  

    The Magic chose to build around Vuc and Fournier.  They made the playoffs, but don't you sort of wonder what if they'd chosen to build around Oladipo and Harris?

    The problem hasn't been the tank, it was the failure to back the right horses.  Hoping they saddle up the right ones currently in the barn and sell the rest when they are at peak value. 

    • Upvote 1

  11. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, hootie249 said:

    Yes that is still on the table since we have his bird rights.

    I was more thinking Mo's market being less than TPE, Mo could pick a destination, we could take on equal or more salary and get picks.  Other team still have full MLE.

    If we had QO, does that limit us to teams that submit offers?

  13. Posted · Report reply

    2 hours ago, ball junkie said:

    https://mobile.twitter.com/khobi_price/status/1541086588632981505?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet
    If you want to use Wagner and the number 1 pick in the NBA draft whom is your future star and who the offense is supposed to run through as rotation players then I totally agree …link is what Mo Bamba has been up to lately 

    That’s an awful lot of bigs to rotate …

    Why's Mo playing a team of umpa loompas?

    Franz is going to play the 3 and get his minutes.  Paolo is in a 4 man rotation at the 4/5.  He gets force fed minutes and the ability to earn more at the expense of others.  If you bring Mo back and have a 5th big man in need of minutes, JI and Okeke can handle some minutes at 3.  Franz won't play 48 a game.  This of course assumes everyone stays healthy... which they won't.  Mo Wagner and Bol Bol are depth at this point, but with big upside.

    If the Magic resign Bamba it has to be with the expectation that either he or Carter are going to be trade bait in the future.  Which is not a bad thing.  Letting talent walk for no return is the bad thing. 

    • Upvote 1

  14. Posted · Report reply

    JI being back healthy is absolutely the best thing that could happen to Paolo. 

    Everyday in practice he is going against one of the best defenders in the NBA.  That will make him that much more effective on offense and should jump start the effort on defense.  No one wants to be shown up in practice.

    I don't see a log jam.  Carter, JI, Okeke and Paolo are a pretty solid 4 man rotation assuming you can pencil JI in as part of it.  A decision needs to be made on Bamba, but Bol and Wagner make pretty good 5 men for cheap.  Since JI and Okeke can also give minutes at the 3, keeping Bamba doesn't really screw up the four man rotation.  

    • Like 2

  16. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, JJZFL said:

    It’s the same message though.  Yes, Orlando succeeded in misleading the other teams.   It provides no explanation as to why that mattered or how it helped us.  We had the first pick, after all.  We didn’t need all the stealth unless it was going to get us something, which it obviously didn’t.  We could have been telling the whole world we were taking Banchero for the past month and it would have changed nothing.  We still would have taken him.  
     

    Regarding the poker analogy, everyone knew we had the first pick.   In poker it would be like everyone knowing we had a royal flush at the start of the game.  

    I'm still stunned Paolo was our guy all along.  When he was drafted I was sure he was off to Houston. 

    That said I don't think it is that difficult to understand why the Magic want teams in the dark.  For over a month the story was Smith's shot and defense. Just about every expert was praising him.  If you convince OKC or HOU they have to draft the guy, you get assets plus the guy you want.  Apparently neither met the Magic's price or wanted Paolo so the Magic just drafted the guy they wanted.  What was gained was the prospect of turning #1 into more than Paolo.  It didn't work, but kudos to them for at least trying.

    • Upvote 1

  19. Posted · Report reply

    I agree with the premise a trade with Houston was on the table and Houston refused our price.  So we took their guy.  

    From Houston's perspective, they traded a big that got 18/10 while shooting 39% from 3.  They drafted a big whose calling card is shooting the 3.  Did they get any better?

    Maybe Houston does fold and the Magic keep Paolo.  My guess is Houston will regret it more than Orlando. 

     

     

  23. Posted · Report reply

    7 hours ago, ball junkie said:

    When Jay Bilas went to watch Kentucky practice, a player who did not log a single minute for the Wildcats all season captured his attention.

    While the team ran through drills and played five-on-five, Bilas kept glancing over at Shaedon Sharpe, a graceful wing who was working out off to the side with an assistant coach.

    “I was supposed to be watching the team,” Bilas, the longtime ESPN basketball analyst, said. “My eyes kept going over to Sharpe when he was working out with one of the coaches. He’s hard to keep your eyes off of. He is amazingly talented.”

    In April, The Athletic reported that Sharpe’s mentor, Dwayne Washington, “intervened” when Kentucky coach John Calipari attempted to play Sharpe. The belief in NBA circles is that Washington acted this way to eliminate any risk of Sharpe’s NBA stock getting damaged.

    Bilas said he has no concerns about Sharpe declining to play at Kentucky.

    “I don’t think there is any concern over that,” Bilas said. “He reclassified to go to Kentucky. He was ranked No. 1 in his high school class. If he stayed at Kentucky for another year or stayed at his high school and gone to Kentucky, we would be talking about him as the No. 1 pick for the 2023 draft. That’s how talented he is.”

    “He’s another guy that has not only size as a wing but really long arms," Bilas said. "He’s got a near 7-foot wingspan. Really athletic. And he can really shoot it. He’s a quiet, unassuming young man off the floor. But on the floor, he knows how good he is.”

    Sharpe has worked out for several teams with lottery picks, including the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets. 
    https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_99648322-f1a4-11ec-be2b-c74723f5a479.html

    Tick …Tick …Tick …Tick 

    If the 2023 draft class is epic, why is arguably the best player in that class not a legitimate threat to be picked at #1 in a draft being described as average?

    • Upvote 2

  24. Posted · Report reply

    What's Ivey got that Suggs doesn't?  If the Magic deviate from the top 3 it better be Sharpe.  Better length and shot than our current guards.

    I'd do Carter plus to Sac if they are willing.  He's good, but replaceable.  Remember when we traded our all-star center and still had a good center to plug in.  Same thing here.

    For me, Franz is the only untouchable on the roster right now.  Put Sharpe at 2 and Smith/Chet/Paolo at 4 from this draft and roll with Suggs at PG.  Would be fun to watch the kids grow together.

  25. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, CTMagicUK said:

    It's Jake Fischer he's hardly the most "inside" of insiders but:

    "One early candidate to fall in the lottery: Shaedon Sharpe. After not playing at Kentucky, Sharpe has been said to underwhelm multiple teams in pre-draft workouts. His range may begin with the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 8, but Sharpe could also feasibly be the target for any team that trades with Portland for the No. 7 pick."

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038916-latest-nba-intel-sources-say-james-harden-will-sign-short-term-extension-with-sixers

     

     

    So if I understand the above, the news is Sharpe could fall to 7 or 8, from 4 or 5?  OK. 

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