Odin

He'd only have a year left on his contract though. He might be movable.

Would love if that happened. How long would we be stuck with Hayward (if he isn't able to regain prior form)? Edit: 2 years, and he would be off the books.

This is just so crazy to me. 1) by all accounts Gordon wanted to go 2) he has been on the select team before, so it isn't like he hasn't been around team USA 3) He plays a position that they need 4) he is better than most of the players on the team

Don’t we still have one more normal roster spot? I thought Jefferies was in play for that spot.

Yeah, don't think that the projection is perfect, but it is trying to get the "average season". While they mess around with their CARMELO ratings every year, their model does do a good job of predicting on average what is going to happen with individual players.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/our-way-too-early-projections-for-the-2019-20-nba-season/ FiveThirtyEight has us projected at 42-40 next season and the 6th team in the East.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27125793/these-kids-ticking-bombs-threat-youth-basketball Interesting article that might explain the rise in injuries recently, especially of big injuries with rookies. This goes beyond the "young players are soft" thinking. To sum up: 1. Over-specialization. Kids are getting too much wear and tear on their bodies at a young age by really only playing one sport (in this case basketball). This creates excessive wear on the body from doing similar movements over and over again. 2. Little down time. One of the examples used was how older players back in the 90s and before didn't do as much off season training as today. This helped protect their bodies from extra wear and tear as well. A lot of youth players and NBA players are going 8 months or more with lots of games. 3. Lack of focus on basics. Lots of young players focus on being able to pull off highlight type plays (think dunks), but not on everything else around it- for example, how to land. 4. Too much too soon. Many young players do too much before their bodies have fully developed and are ready to take on more strenuous activity.

Because you still need a 3rd center? We are only paying him about double the vet minimum- which is not that much money. At 3 million a year, he is also very tradeable. This is not a short-sighted move at all. It gives us a great insurance back-up for whenever we want to or need to sit either Vuch or Bamba, and keeps us with a very tradeable asset.

Guys. Very few 2nd year players play all summer league games. Especially if they are high draft picks. In fact, many first year players don't play all summer league games. This isn't about babying. What is the point of playing them more summer league games (besides that the fans want to see them)? Don't get yourselves worked up over nothing.

Everyone does remember that Isaac only played like 2 summer league games last year, right? We saw some good stuff from Bamba, and some stuff that he still needs to improve. We already have a good idea of what he can and cannot do. Why create extra risk of injury if it is not needed? He is just coming back from a leg fracture as a 7 footer. (Am I crazy or something?)

Yes, it ignores intelligent positioning. Two areas I think it misses most. 1) incredibly intelligent player who is very good positionally and who, therefore, doesn't get as many shots as expected put up against. For example, think of a Marc Gasol type. His defensive stats are not that amazing, either here or counting stat wise. But he always makes the teams he is with better defensively through his positioning. 2) the chasers/ out of positioners. These are the guys that gamble for example on blocks or who are often out of position, thus no longer being the closest defender. In these situations, their teammates are "punished" trying to cover for them when defending against a more "open" shot. E.G., Player A jumps out to block a shot (lets say around the free-throw line and gets off his feet. The opposing player either drives around this player or passes to a now open player closer to the basket. Player B is now forced to rotate to the player that is suddenly open. Player B is credited as being the closest defender, even though it is Player A who played the poor defense that allowed the opposing team to get good positioning.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-better-way-to-evaluate-nba-defense/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app An interesting different measurement of defense that tries to put the NBA tracking stats into context. It still isn't perfect, but helps paint another picture of defense.

Then why do it? That would be a bad trade to move most of your young assets for a player that will decline sooner rather than later, who will swallow up any cap space, and who hasn't shown an ability to get his team to a home court advantage or even to the second round as the main guy. (I am not saying Gordon is better than Westbrook, but 24 year old Gordon on less than 20 a year is better than 31 year old Westbrook at 40+ per year).

They also had to give away 2 second rounders. Is that worth it for a back up?

Or that. Even if Mozgov is the third center (or either of those two) though, I don't think they are likely to get many minutes.

Birch wants to play and resigning him would probably push us over the cap. Love the guy, but, even if we don't sign anyone else, we have options. Always can use Isaac, Gordon, or Aminu as a 3rd center for small minutes and could resign Amile Jefferson for cheap/on a two-way for that final spot.

Because we were more looking for a Martin upgrade and replacement. Lamb is more of a 2-3. At least that is how I see it.

So, my thoughts with the team being basically set going forward. (Not that they are much different than anyone elses) 1) Ouch that Vuch contract. Not very trade-able if we need to move him. We are paying him almost Jokic money, which makes sense if you look at it through the lens of they are both big Eastern European centers who are offensive specialists who centered playoff teams. But doesn't make sense when one is a generational talent offensively who still potentially has room to grow and brought his team to the 4th best record in the league and almost to the conference finals, while the other has reached his ceiling and was a non-entity in the playoffs. 2) Like that we brought back Ross. I think the money is fair. I have read a few arguments online that we are overpaying for a contract year performance, but we are basically giving him the same money as he was making before, and he was effective (just not scoring-wise) in the 2018 season before being injured. 3) Bah on the Aminu signing. Not that big on it, but it is whatever. 4) Tradeable contracts. Besides Vuch, I think just about every one of our contracts are pretty trade-able at this time- and I am talking more about the non-rookie contracts here (rookie contracts are basically always tradeable). Ross at 13.5 per year for four years is perfect for his type of player, and the contract will only get better as time goes on. Aminu at 9 per year is digestible for any team needing a "3" and D type of player close to the deadline, which there always are. Gordon's contract has always been trade-able if needed- I think that there are very few teams that he wouldn't fit into as well. DJ for one more year at 9 is perfect for a back up sweet shooting point guard- in fact he might have the most tradeable contract if not for him being expiring after this year. Fournier's contract is not that onerous anymore, with 2 years left at 17 million (After this off-season, I think it will barely be a top 100 contract in money per year.). Mozgov is pretty tradeable for anyone looking to get rid of money next year. I assume MCW and Birch (if brought back) will not have contracts that are that big. Basically, the only "bad" contract we will have on the books is Vuch's.

I pray this doesn’t go through. Would be a terrible decision. If we couldn’t trade Vuch on a 12 per year contract, he is never going anywhere on a 20+ year contract. He slows the team down and keeps the team from playing the way every other player on our team suggests we should play. And, his production is replaceable. of all of his comparables, none are making big contracts. That should tell everyone something.

No one is saying much of anything different, but from Fivethirtyeight.com (Interesting Fits) Chuma Okeke, No. 16, Orlando Magic Our model: 17th-highest upside Okeke won’t contribute much next year as he recovers from a torn ACL. But Kevin Pelton’s No. 2 overall prospect in the class is a strong perimeter shooter, having scorched the nets on at least 38 percent of his 3-point attempts in both of his college seasons at Auburn. His passing ability is well above average, and he knows when to attack the rim with or without the ball. Should the Magic deal Aaron Gordon or disassemble the frontcourt logjam in place, Okeke can subsidize Orlando on both ends of the floor.

It isn’t about the player, it is about the idea of the player. You can only have so many players on your team. Plus, draft picks are kind of non-depreciate-able assets. A second round pick is basically always worth a second round pick (at least until set in stone. The 60th pick is unlikely to get much). However, a player in the second round has much less value- especially initially. With an extra 2nd rounder, you can always use it as a throw in for a trade where you just need a little more, for another second rounder, or, of course, actually use it if you see a player you like.

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2019/6/20/18693649/2019-nba-draft-grades-zion-williamson 16. Orlando Magic: Chuma Okeke, F, Auburn Okeke, who could miss his entire rookie season after tearing his ACL in the NCAA tournament, is an interesting value pick for the Magic. He has a great combination of size (6-foot-8, 230 pounds), athleticism, and 3-point shooting ability, as well as one of the highest basketball IQs in this draft. Orlando has needed 3-point shooting for years. Okeke, who shot 38.7 percent from 3 on 3.7 attempts per game this season, can help fill that role—whenever he returns from injury. Grade: B

I think he meant Indiana.

I think the lowest we can go is probably 4/50- and that seems unlikely.

Isaac is beasting!