Just a regular Magic fan

Food for thought: Just a quick look at our record so far. What I find interesting is our opponent's points. Against the Hawks, we were in the game until the very end where we seemed to lose focus on defense and when what's his face caught fire there was nothing we could do to stop him. With the Raptors, it looked like in the beginning that they were going to run away with it, but thanks to JI and others on defense we made a game of it, but couldn't really hang when Lowry got hot. IMO, both games were winnable but we just got a little sloppy on defense and guys made some great shots. Another thing I find interesting is our offensive production. Yes, we are down from last year (averaged 103.4), but it's only -7 points. I realize that's a lot, but overall I think it will get better as guys feel more comfortable. In the no surprise here summary, offensive production is low, we are dead last in the league, but basically the same for all of our games. Should improve with Fultz and when we all get in sync. When the defense is stellar (we are currently ranked 2nd), like against the Cavaliers and the Knicks, we pull out the win. However, It could be a problem in the future because there are 15 teams that average more than 110 points a game (yikes!) and we are ranked 11th in net rating.

I guess my definition of 3 and D is incorrect. I am not saying that AG shouldn't be involved, I am just saying that his best shot is behind the 3 so that is where he should focus his offense. That and hustle plays where he cleans up other players' misses.

I get what you mean and obviously, you know more about basketball than I do. I am not saying that he has to just camp out behind the 3, but we have others who are better at facilitating than he is and until he can show more consistency when he is asked to create it might be better if he played toward his strengths. I am not saying he won't get there. I just don't think it should be a priority. What's better for our team? AG (the glove) who becomes a lockdown defender and solid 3 point shooter, or a good defender who is inconsistent on offense because he is too tired to finish at the rim? Also, I just realized that you think AG's ceiling is higher than the player I am describing and perhaps the only way to get there is for him to continue to try and execute during the games. I am not giving up on AG. He is one of my favorites. I guess I am just thinking about how I think he can better help the team and not about his individual stats, etc.

Mostly 3's and a putback. I know some disagree with me, but I have been saying that I think AG is best as a three and D player. To me, there is no shame in that, and he showed last night that he can still have an impact on the game if he plays that way. I have been hard on him this season, but I have to give him props. We need some dogs out there, especially late in the game. Defensively we are pretty darn good, but we probably wouldn't have won if he didn't step up on offense in a major way in the 4th.

Here's a youtube of Clifford's pregame comments before the game tonight against the Knicks. I put it in the regular season thread because his comments probably apply more to the team in general rather than tonights game. One thing he said that I find interesting and have been asking about is what are our guys doing in the summer? Clifford basically said that guys will work on something over the summer and then when they come back the coaches will say no don't do that, that's not the best thing to do. He said it's a very fine line, and I think that could be why some players are a little behind because they are trying to learn what the coaches want them to do. This sort of confuses me because I am pretty sure that the coaches will let the players know what they should be working on over the summer. Is it our coaches are not very good communicators, our players aren't very good listeners, or did the players deviate from the plan because they are getting bad advice from their camp? There are some other comments about playing styles, etc. that may explain some things, too. Overall, I think it's a good listen and puts things in perspective about where we are right now as a team.

Have a good feeling about us being back home again. Hopefully, we can get back on track and get a win tonight. Woot!

It could be he doesn’t know where he fits in on the team anymore. We have others starting to emerge like JI and Fultz.

Coach Cliff said over the summer that there wouldn't be a major overhaul on the system just some tweaks. However, maybe our guys are still not comfortable with the new tweaks. Has anyone seen anything different? To my untrained eye, it looks like we are playing Vooch differently. Last year we passed it down low to him on the block. This year, he is outside behind the 3.

I've already deleted the game from my DVR, but did anyone see how Fultz and MCW fought through those screens? Man, I thought it was a thing of beauty. I can see why Coach Cliff likes them so much. On-the-other-hand I seem to remember Fournier getting hung up on the screener. Among other things, I believe Coach Cliff is in a pickle on this one. We need Fournier on the floor because of his so-called shooting (roll eyes) but, we need MCW out there because he's tenacious as hell and plays good defense. Who do we prioritize? The guy who is playing the best any given night?

I am concerned with AG as any, and I wonder what he worked on this summer. He has shown virtually no improvement at all. Maybe at the Kobi camp, they filled him up with bad advice and gave him unrealistic expectations about where he should be in the league. Right now, I think it's a matter of him just pressing and looking for an official's call when he drives to the basket instead of just playing basketball. I believe he, along with Vooch and Ross, will settle down, get their second wind, and I am guessing the upcoming home stretch will help us get back on track.

Is Bamba strictly a 5, or could we play him somewhere else? He might not have the quickness yet to move his feet and prevent penetration, but with his long arms, he probably could recover and still block shots - if he kept his energy level up.

I think so. I am sure our guys know where they stand and if they are getting it done or not. Coach Cliff has shown patience, but he also seems willing to adjust things if he has to. I believe he will give Bamba a little extra time to see if he can receive coaching and tighten up his porous defense; however, if he can’t and ends up being a major defensive liability we may see more of Birch. Coach seems patient when it comes to offense, but if we aren’t playing defense he’s gonna eventually go ballistic, if he hasn’t already, lol.

He has no touch and doesn’t understand how to use the rectangle on the backboard. When he drives to the rack he needs to be thinking dunk every time, lol.

I heard he worked hard on his game over the summer. However; after seeing him play in the regular season, I do wonder what it was he worked on. I like AG, but he seems more like an athlete that plays basketball instead of a basketball ball player. Maybe he needs to get his legs under him and we will see him (and our other guys) improve over the next few games.

Not going to overreact because it’s just game 2 and we still had a chance in the end. However, I think Clifford is going to start tweaking things if we don’t start seeing certain guys show more energy and smarts on defense.

Awesome that you were able to go. Right now, my schedule isn't the same as my wife's, so it may be a while before we can take in a game. Looking forward to the day we can go again! Should be a lot of fun!!

We can't just look at one game because of sample size, so it will be interesting to see how MCW looks after we get some games under our belt. Maybe someone with more experience than me can break down some film and let us know what they see.

Good point. However, I am not sure this is a situation like Fournier, where he has proven himself to be pretty good from the outside, but I get your point. I guess because his shot looks so ugly and different from how he shoots the other balls that are closer to the basket, I am concerned that he is going to reinjure himself. I realize teams don't have tape on him and will adjust to him when they do, but it seemed like night and day for us when he was on the floor. Once our other guys learn to keep their head on a swivel for the unexpected pass, I am hopeful our offense will improve. Fultz's start last night was much better than I expected, wasn't it?. I am excited to see where he is going to take us!

I am not sure I understand that reasoning because it's very clear Fultz doesn't have 3 point range right now. It's a wasted opportunity ( Just like AG and layups - missed all 5 by the way) I think it would be better if they kick it out to him for him to try and get to the paint for a score or pass it back out to someone else who does have the range. Clifford said bad offense is hurting our defense, so Isn't it better to take the 2 points over an airball 3 attempt?

Vooch said in the after game court interview that Fultz probably was the best player on the court tonight. Nice!

Thanks for posting that video. I don't have a lot of basketball experience, so it was very educational for me. IMO, the great thing about our situation with Fultz and Augustine is I don't believe Augustine is going to give up his starting role without a fight. He has worked too hard for it. If Fultz wants it, he's going to have to earn it, and the Magic will be better for it because both guys will be playing their best because of the competition.

I feel the same way. MCW's playing style may be a little unorthodox, but he is laying it on the line every play. That kind of energy is contagious, so maybe it will rub off on some other guys like Bamba (who I hope can turn it up a notch or two this year).

I was just watching AG's after game press video and I got the sense that the preseason was sort of wearing on them. They are probably chomping at the bit and probably can't wait until the games start for real. I think we will see much more energy and focus this Wednesday. Excited!!

I agree. There is nothing wrong with being a high energy guy who is our best defender and on offense gets his points off of cleanups, and behind the arc. I am sure he is excited to try out some of the moves McGrady taught him, but shooting from the high post or elbow isn't one of his strengths. Naturally, I hope the light comes on for him, and he suddenly becomes an offensive monster, but the only way I see it is if he just sticks to shooting 3's. That's one area I think he has improved on. Besides, what's wrong with being a 3 and D guy? Everybody should understand their role.

Interesting discussion. I realize we are young, but what is a reasonable expectation going forward for this roster? Have we assembled a pretty good team with the potential to be good, or are we going to have to make some serious moves and try again?