Just a regular Magic fan

Just watched the game. Even though we weren't playing well (stats don't tell the whole story), it was a nice win. Thank God for Ross. We sure needed his offense to help us regain control in the 3rd. Interesting that MCW was in late in the 4th to help close out the game. He was in with Augustine at the same time. It looked like we needed his energy. I wonder if Isaac is hurt. Glad he is trying to play through his injury (looks like a shoulder to me), but it looks like it is starting to take a toll. On a side note, has anyone heard anything about Bamba and if he will return to the team this year? Just curious...

IMO, the lack of team depth really showed last night against the Raptors. I know Fultz and Bamba are injured and we really don't know what we have, but even if they are healthy, are they enough? Since we need to give up assets to get assets, how do we continue to build our team depth?

Wow! I am all for rewarding guys, and I like Vooch, but I am not sure about paying him the max. How about you?

I think if MCW keeps playing like he is, and he builds trust by showing that he can take care of the ball, he may supplant Augustine during the crunch. I have been pleasantly surprised in Augustine this year, but MCW is bring some new energy, which our team desperately needs right now. These guys are tired and it shows because a lot of times they are standing around flat footed and not moving when they don't have the ball. They are making it easy on the defense and when our shots aren't falling, then we get what we got the other day. A butt whoopin.

More playing time is helping Birch. He seems to be getting better as we go along. Do you think it's time to move on from Vooch?

Are there stats kept for bounce-back games? I am curious to see how we rate. I know this is a tough one, but I would like to think that we will come back strong and win this one. We seem much more resilient this year.

Well...it was bound to happen. Our team was scorching hot. We were bound to cool off or in this case go completely cold. Games like this happen to every team; however, I am confident in our locker room and HC. We will bounce back because we are not the Magic of old. This team has grit. They will solve the issue with our slow starts.

I share your concerns, too. Isn't it nice to see our team be so supportive of one another? I think the honest and straight forward coaching style of Clifford, and the support and encouragement from their teammates are really helping our guys grow. I think that Weltman/Hammond will be careful about who they bring on board. Good team chemistry can be elusive.

I know we will need one eventually, but I love that the Magic don't have a legitimate superstar. Our team is so much fun to watch! This is another big game. I hope we are up to the challenge and impose our will like we have been doing.

It will be interesting to see how Weltman and Hammond handle the draft and off-season this year. I feel we have come a very long way ( a good bit of thanks goes to Clifford) and a good move on their part could put us over the edge; however, a bad mistake could hamper our growth and keep us in the mediocrity hell hole we have been in since Dwight left.

How deep would you all say the draft is this year? Considering where we probably will be picking how do you feel our chances are in getting someone who can contribute fairly quickly? If the chances are pretty low, should we consider trading the pick for a player further along in his development?

I agree. It's nice to see Fournier play more consistent now during crunch time. Our team could sure use his offense. As for AG, I am still not convinced he will ever be a good shooter, but it's the other things he does on defense that is helping us win games. MCW is the same way. Our tenacity and team defense seem to be keeping us in games. Regardless of how the season ends I think our team is really fun to watch.

Things are definitely running better with MCW at the helm. I am okay with him being a distributer and rebounding, but it sure would be nice if he could shoot.

Appreciate the info. Personally, I am glad to hear it. I prefer that we be patient with our new players. In the past, I felt we gave up or traded guys too soon only to have it come back and bite us in the backside. I am hoping our new management team will approach things different.

If we are going to be better without Vooch, I think it's going to have to come through the draft or a trade. Bamba is too weak and raw, and Birch too limited. Can we afford to wait while Bamba develops and builds up his core strength (if he can)? On a different note, this brings up another question I have and maybe one of you knows. Was there any truth to Bamba being on the trading block? If so, that speaks volumes, to me, about how Weltman and Hammond feel about him now that they have gotten to know him better.

Thanks for the thoughts! I think you make a great point because positions are so interchangeable in today's NBA. The guy I really like is Coby White, but he will probably be long gone before we pick. I started looking at mid round guys this morning and was watching highlights of Bol Bol today. I think he very well could be the BPA where we pick. If so, then we should take him even though we have Issaic and Bamba. Since Disney is a sponsor we can call our team, "The attack of the clones." LOL!

Would you consider a center if Vooch left via free agency? What do you think of Mo Bamba now that we have seen him play a little bit? Do you think he will work out or should we give another guy a try?

I realize things will change and players will move a bit, but nbadraft.net has Clarke as a 2nd round pick. What draft site do you prefer?

What is your draft philosophy? Do you prefer BPA, or drafting for position? This year, what do think is our biggest need? Center? Shooting guard?

I hope so. He seems to be hitting the three a lot better these days, which is critical in our offense. I also think he is a difference maker on defense. He really is embracing his role and wants to guard the other team's best player. There is a lot to like about AG. I am glad we are being patient and gave him a contract extension instead of letting him walk like we did Oladipo who blossomed into a type of player we have wanted all along. Weltman and Hammond seem to have their act together much more than Hennigan.

Definitely thankful for the DVR or I wouldn't be able to watch any games due to my work schedule. I think the Magic are a fun team to watch again. Clifford has them actually playing as a team. When we do that, and manage to have energy and play good defense, we are hard to stop. It's going to be a close race with Miami for the final playoff spot. All we can do is try and take care of our business and see where everything falls. We seem to be turning the corner. Even if we don't make the playoffs this year, I am excited about next year!

I just watched his highlights on you tube. He looks really good and has nice size. I think I like his energy the best.

I like White, too. He has a nice stroke and a quick release. I hope Hammond can make an exception because he doesn't really fit their prototype. We sure could use the help at SG, and I don't think it would be too long for him to displace Fournier.

It's taken years, but AG is starting to come on when it comes to threes. I think Ross has been a good example on how to improve your jump shot. I am hoping AG is an even better shooter next year if he works on it all summer like Ross did last year.

I hope so, but our defense energy needs to get better. For a while there before the break, we were shutting teams down. Now, teams are able to drive into the paint and a lot of times get an easy 2 points. It could be that some of our guys are nursing injuries and they are taking a toll. We know about AG, but JI seems to have dropped off a little bit. On the plus side, Vooch seems to have gotten back into the swing of things. When he's off his game, the whole offense seems to bog down.