JJZFL

What’s the alternative to trying to build/develop your team?

Let’s hope they will be fun to watch. They will if they’re competitive and play as a team. But one of the issues that we’ve experienced with trying to tank and rebuild is that when you have many young players on a bad team, they start to think about their own futures as they realize that the team isn’t going anywhere. And that can lead to people playing for themselves (to pad their own stats) instead of playing for the team. No one really wants to watch that. So it’s not a lock that having a bunch of young players, hopefully with some talent, automatically translates into exciting basketball.

Are player coaches no longer allowed?

Yeah, good post. I’m not looking to discuss the past at this point. But I do want to see a real effort at developing what we have now, as uninspiring as it seems, to try to create a foundation to build from. There is no reason we shouldn’t see 100% effort, and the five on the floor playing as a team.

The problem is that at some point you have to try to build a team and develop your players. The only alternative is to quickly decide to tank year after year, a very high risk strategy that sacrifices your current players and fan base in the hope of getting that next great thing. And when it doesn’t happen, the allure makes you want to come back and try it again the next year, very much like a gambling addiction. I want to see a well coached team playing team basketball and trying hard to compete in every game this season. That’s my benchmark for success or failure , not necessarily wins and losses.

Getting blown out repeatedly is almost the basketball definition of cannon fodder. Can’t develop anyone that way.

The proverbial calm before the storm. Give it a few weeks, there’ll be plenty of color. I’m just hoping we get off to a decent start and are competitive, even if we don’t win many games. Multiple blowouts with us being a disorganized mess would be a worst case scenario but is not outside the realm of possibility.

I certainly wouldn’t count on that, anymore than our “young guns” crystallized into a strongly competitive group 10 years ago.

I was thinking the same thing.

Elfrid Payton? Hezonja? If you don’t agree with those examples, then I guess you have to go all the way back to Jeff Green.

Late September

Agree.

From the graph on the prior page, it looks like we're expected to have about 12 wins for the season. No matter how hard they play, if that's anywhere close to being right, it will be very tough to watch the Magic this season, and probably for a good while afterwards. Edit: Looking at the graph again, I think the x-axis may start at 20 rather than 0 as I initially assumed. That would mean the expectation is for us to win 22-23 games. Doesn’t really change my take up above.

Cole had 6 assists total in 3 games, averaging 2 per game. It’s not that his shot wasn’t falling, it’s that he wasn’t making his teammates better by the way he was playing. He’s a point guard and is supposed to help get other people good looks, not just heave up difficult shots.

Daytona Beach here

+1 from me. Agree

I haven’t posted anything about the individual players drafted. It’s the long term vision that I have concerns about. Rather than dwelling on the negative, here’s what would make me happy this year. Try to be competitive every game including the last game. Build a tough, hard nosed, winning culture that way. Never approach a game with the mindset that it’s a “meaningless” game. Have expectations, goals, milestones and hold players responsible if they fail to meet them. If we lose games but play as a team, stay competitive, and show growth, I’ll be satisfied and reassured. If we throw in the towel by mid year and play weird lineups to “tank” for the next great prospect, ruining whatever opportunity we might have to develop our young players, I’ll be very concerned about our future.

+1 from me, I have expressed the same concern.

The true tank mentality. Just keep sucking until you luck into the next LeBron. If we suck really bad again, then I guess getting 5 & 8 this year didn't put us on the road to salvation after all.

I think it's probably right

You'll enjoy watching them play if we get blown out repeatedly? You're a stronger person than I am, then.

Given that this is summer league, you would think the coach would really have free reign to bench whoever he wants and give playing time to whoever he wants. The fact that he's just allowing the same guys to play the same bad way 3 games in a row is cause for concern to me. Seems too laid back, almost like Jacque Vaughn.

Magic with 7 assists, Celtics with 21. It’s never to early to teach your players to play team basketball, especially your young players. Unless we want a team of ball hogs looking to “get theirs” because they don’t have any confidence in their teammates.

Just turned it on. Pathetic, isn’t it.

And this is the problem with many people assuming our young and athletic players will become stars over time, just because they’re young and athletic (and somewhat charismatic). I’m not watching the game but am a little alarmed that the coach hasn’t been getting them to play better team ball (based on what I’m reading)