jmmagicfan

Personally, I think it should be split - if you are on a rookie contract or are a veteran making less than a mid-level contract - 25%, if you are a veteran on a mid-level contract or above - 50%. Easy to figure out and reduces the impact on the guys that don't have that 4th vacation home.

If you are trying to keep within a certain travel time/distance, USF might be too far. Assuming you are going to house the teams in I-Drive hotels; Amway, Wide World of Sports, RDV, UCF, Lakeland, and maybe one or two of the larger, newer high schools should give you some options all within a 30-45 minute radius. With extensive cleaning time needed between games for health/safety reasons, you probably can't do more than two a day at any one venue; but if you have five venues, that gives you up to 10 games and 20 teams actively competing on a daily basis. I actually think we would have a very good chance of hosting something like that, because we have a large number of high-end hotels, and enough updated facilities already in place to make it feasible; where others on the list may not have both.

Unfortunately, the discussion is a no win - even if the isolation has managed to flatten the curve, now many will say it probably wasn't that virulent to begin with and we wasted all that time/money for nothing. Apparently they've never heard the saying "better safe than sorry". I can't say I'm honestly surprised, as our society has become so focused on the almighty dollar, with it's most fervent acolyte in the White House. But let's just extrapolate based on numbers we do have. The Lombardy region of Italy has suffered 3,456 deaths out of approximately 27,000 cases. That is an extremely high 12.8% mortality rate. The next region over has experienced 10.7% mortality rate, with 816 deaths in approximately 7,600 cases. We got a better jump on isolation and social distancing than either of those regions, but these two regions of Italy are horrific examples of what can happen if the spread becomes so fast that we don't have sufficient staff/equipment/supplies to deal with the influx of seriously ill people; the mortality rate escalates without sufficient resources to care for them. The fact that Italy's totals are approximately 5,500 deaths in 59,000 cases bears witness to the fact that the lockdown has worked for the remainder of the country. So far, Italy has provided us with pretty clear examples of what does work, and what doesn't. It is now our choice of which example to follow. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1099389/coronavirus-deaths-by-region-in-italy/

I like Vassel, since he is also a 40+% shooter from 3pt both years of college - granted in limited attempts, but does project well.

I think it may depend largely on how management is leaning on our free agents and/or if Fournier and Ennis opt in or not. Almost all of our "optional" players are backcourt/wing players: DJ Augustin - Free Agent Michael Carter-Williams - Early Bird Free Agent Wes Iwundu, - Restricted Free Agent Gary Clark - Restricted Non-Bird Melvin Frazier - Team Option I am definitely leaning towards a backcourt player, preferably one who can play both guard spots. We also have to look at who may "fall" out of the lottery. My choices would probably be: Killian Hayes, Devin Vassell, Tyrese Maxey.

TMF07, just ignore the Newbie and keep doing what you're doing. I think your game thread starters are great. I was a little surprised at your response to Wilbur, as I took his comments as simply a joke; so I'm not sure what prompted your response? It seems very unlike the rest of your posts. Hope everything is okay with you! Take care, and keep on posting!

True, more than a few guys can say they won the dunk contest, including TRoss - but only one guy can say he got cheated out of it twice!

I'll go even further, I would like to see him sit Evan for the fourth quarter and go with Fultz/MCW at the point, with Ross/Iwundu at the 2. I would like to see a bit more of Ennis as well. I would like to see this line-up at some point. Fultz/Ross/Ennis/Gordon/Birch - just because Birch is the only guy on the team who can set a decent screen most of the time. Sub Bamba in that line-up, and you leave him out at the 3-pt line, run pick & roll with Gordon/Fultz, or running Ross off of staggered screens. I think we could be so much better with a motion offense.

No she's not, and it was truly awful - screechy, off-pitch, and her tonal quality sucked. I always wondered what idiot allowed that fiasco to begin with. It should never have even been scheduled!

Actually, it is a fairly difficult song to sing well. It requires a fairly wide range; so managing it in a full chest voice is very difficult, and maneuvering the "break" from chest to head voice while interpreting the dynamics of the song is difficult. There is a big difference between singing it in a large group of people, and managing it as a solo. I did not personally hear Chaka Khan's attempt, but it is a shame that she wasn't sufficiently self-aware to know that it is now beyond her capability. Most singers lose some of that upper register as they age, as the vocal chords require constant care and maintenance. Frequently they gain additional notes in the bottom registers, but a shortening of the "width" of range is also common, which is why older singers don't usually sing the hits from their youth in the same key, or with the same vocal dynamics.

We'd both have to make it to the East finals for us to meet, based on the current standings. I suppose we could meet in the second round if we pass Brooklyn for 7th seed and they pass Boston for the 3rd seed. I like the optimism from Catalina Maria, but yeah, it seems pretty unlikely we will meet the Heat in the playoffs.

You realize you counted Ross twice?

Kind of where I am at, too. I think MCW is brought back, as Clifford really likes him a lot. I'm just not sure he is what we need as a backup PG. I'm not sure if DJ is either, though. I like Iwundu, but not sure if they bring him back, especially if both Fournier and Ennis opt in. I think Clark is a good, probably cheap emergency backup at the PF position, which is why I can't rule him out completely either. Like I said, with the pending free agents/opt in/opt outs and a mid-1st pick (again), they really have their work cut out for them this summer - probably more than the last couple.

So this summer the front office has a lot of work to do, depending on who opts in, and who doesn't. My question is, who do we try to keep, knowing that we have limited options to add players, since we may be over the cap (if Fournier and Ennis opt in), and we may have a lot of spaces to fill? Below is our list, based on position, not by preference. Augustin - Free Agent Carter-Williams - Free Agent Fournier - Player Option Frazier, Jr. - Team Option Iwundu - Restricted Free Agent Ennis - Player Option Clark - Restricted Free Agent Okeke - First Round Guarantee First Round Pick (#15 or 16) We also have restricted rights to Daquan Jeffries, BJ Johnson, and Vic Law (assuming Johnson and Law aren't waived this season). Assuming that Fournier and Ennis both opt in, that puts us about $260K over the $115M cap for next year with ten players under contract. If we decline Frazier's option, add Okeke, and add our FRP, that puts us somewhere around $122M, with 12 players under contract. That leaves three roster spaces open with four of our own free agents unsigned. Who, if any, do we try to bring back? Augustin, Carter-Williams, Iwundu, and Clark would then be our four remaining, current roster free agents. You almost have to bring back either Augustin or Carter-Williams; or you have to replace them with a different, veteran, backup PG - even if your First Round Pick is a PG, that still only leaves you with Fultz and a rookie PG. I think DJ is at the point where he isn't going to get a new contract the size of his cap hold; but will he settle for less, and if so, how much less? Enough less to make him worth bringing back? Since Carter-Williams is on a veteran-minimum contract, and Iwundu/Clark are Restricted, is anyone going to offer any of them more than we can, or more than we should?

Keeping you in thoughts and prayers! Feel better soon!