jmmagicfan

I’m pretty sure that #2 is Houstan.

Just an FYI, Spotrac shows Ayayi and Jeffries as Exhibit 10 guys, Schofield and Kevon Harris as the 2WP, and Cannady as a regular, non-guaranteed contract. No mention of any other Exhibit 9/10 guys at all.

Interesting, I hadn't seen that. I wonder why it hasn't been updated on either the Magic's Nba.com site or on ESPN's Magic Roster? Thanks for the heads-up.

Except that the player on the team first usually has the option to retain their existing number, and Bamba has been 5 for the last 4 years. It’s why Franz took 22, since Moe was here first and already had 21.

I did like him as well, but one thing I noticed that seems odd is that they announced a number for him. They don't usually do that, and also, it is the same number that Brazdeikis has worn for the last couple years as a 2WP. I guess we will see - as you said, most likely a Lakeland guy. Edit - to put the oddity of assigning a number, they have not yet said whether Bamba or Banchero is going to wear #5 - the roster is showing both on the Magic site, and the ESPN roster shows Banchero with no number yet.

Franz only had 15 points in Germany’s last game - but in only 12 minutes!

I think a realistic expectation for this year is to win 35 games (or more), but more importantly, to remain healthy, and be competitive, even in the games that we lose. In a perfect world where every single player is healthy and available for every single team and every single game, we probably are fighting to make the play-in. I think that is mainly due to our youth. As we all know, injuries among your top 5-6 players can have a huge impact on where your team stands. Last year was especially bad for us from a health/injury standpoint. No Isaac all year, no Fultz for 60+ games, Suggs out for 25+, and having to depend on RJ and G-League players for backup PG was especially tough. My biggest disappointment of the offseason is that we did not pick up a veteran, backup PG, even if he would just end up on the end of the bench.

I actually feel like if a few things break right we will be at that stage. I think we have some very positive things going for us right now. Our front office made some very underrated moves the first couple of years to bring in talented players whose stock fell due to injury, much like Philly did with Embiid. I'm sorry to see Gary Harris out with another injury right now, but if we can get these young guys healthy, I think we have a lot of remaining developmental upside for a lot of players. I don't think they all have to hit, but if a couple of them do, we should be in good shape. I feel like they knew they weren't going to get far with the players they "inherited", but instead of dumping them and starting from scratch, they tried to build them up so they could get some value out of them. The only remaining piece from those teams is T Ross. I feel like this might be the year we really begin to see the results of their "slow, but steady" plan to build a long-term, good team. Not a one or two season wonder, but a positive, team-building culture.

I think if this happened I would have to call for the firing of WeltHam. Fultz showed in his 20 games at the end of the season that he can be the engine that makes this team run, and some indication of why he was a #1 pick. I like Vassell, but I don't think he has the impact on teammates that Fultz has shown. You can have all the shooting in the world, but if you don't have the guy to get your shooters the ball in the right place and at the right time it all will come to naught. Fultz just seems to make the game easier for everyone else on the floor.

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/l/lisfranc-joint-injury.html#:~:text=There are different categories of,joint injuries are somewhat uncommon. "How is a Lisfranc joint injury treated? Your treatment may vary based on the severity of your injury. You may need only nonsurgical treatment for your injury if you don’t have any bone breaks, if your bones are still in alignment, and if your ligaments are not completely torn. For these types of injuries, your treatment might include: Taking pain medicines Wearing a non-weight-bearing cast or boot for 6 weeks Wearing a weight-bearing cast or a special foot support after the first 6 weeks Having serial X-rays to find out how your foot is healing It is very important not to put weight on your foot during the initial healing period. If your injury was more severe than this, you probably will need surgery as well. Your healthcare provider may do a surgery called open reduction and internal fixation. During this surgery, they put your bones back in the correct alignment. Using special metal plates and screws, your surgeon physically reattaches the pieces of your bones back together. Your surgeon might remove some or all of this hardware at a later date. They might also repair other ligament injuries." Based on reports that he is out for the season, I would guess that the damage is going to require surgery, and an extended rehab. It seems like even the "mildest" form of this injury is 12 weeks in various casts/boots and several months of rehab, which would probably be February at the soonest. They might be saying the full season just to be cautious, but it likely is more severe.

Truly unfortunate for Chet - not unexpected - just unfortunate.

Here's a couple more questions for the group. What free agency move this summer was the best by the front office? The worst? Is there one that makes you go, huh? Here are my picks: Best - Gary Harris to a reasonable, make-good type of contract. I have a feeling that he is going to come back to being the player he was pre-injury, and this is going to be a steal! I like the fact that they seem big on short-term, make good contracts; as both the Bamba and Bol contracts can be classified as that type as well. Worst - I'm not sure I have one that strikes me as a bad move, so at the moment I will leave this as incomplete. I'm leaning towards the Bol re-signing, though I get wanting to see if he can get healthy and finding out what you might have. Huh - The decision to re-sign BOTH Bamba and Bol strikes me as a little bit of a "what are they thinking?" kind of move. I would have expected them to maybe re-sign one or the other. As noted above, I'm afraid Bol may turn out to be a mistake, but at least it isn't a super expensive one. There is still time to make a few more moves, but this is my thoughts to date. Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

I'm debating the wisdom of picking up a veteran PG, someone like Eric Bledsoe or DJ Augustin. Someone who can play backup if Fultz, Anthony, or Suggs is out, who can step in if someone is just having a really off night; but who can also help mentor them into how to succeed as a PG in this league. I know that we would need to free up a roster spot by either trade or waiving an existing player/contract; hence the (internal) debate. We currently already have 15 guaranteed contracts, 1 non-guaranteed, and both of our 2WP spots filled; so something/someone would have to give, and would it be worth it to free up a space? Fultz/Anthony/Suggs - Cannady (ng) G Harris/Ross/Hampton F Wagner/Okeke/Houstan - K Harris (2WP)/Schofield (2WP) Banchero/Isaac/M Wagner Carter/Bamba/Bol Opinions on trying to pick up a veteran PG on a vet minimum contract? How/who do we move to clear a space? Is it something we do prior to training camp, or something we do mid-season, or at the trade deadline?

A very interesting display of confidence. Hopefully this means that Kelle has a good idea of our team health as well.

Personally, I hope Paolo puts Murray on the floor on his a--, and Murray gets the call for blocking. I'm not averse to committing a hard foul on him either, just to shut him up. I'd love to see Murray try that stuff with WCJ! (Larry Bird would have laid him out!)

I actually am somewhere in the middle of these opinions. I think Poole is a good young guy with plenty of upside remaining, but I’m not sure about multiple all-star appearances in his future. His spotty defense concerns me as well. I’m actually anxious to see if G Harris is finally back after years of injuries. At 27-28 he should be entering his prime. I’m also anxious to see what Suggs can give us.

I think Fultz will start at PG. The team offense ran so much smoother with Fultz out there, and it was plain for all to see. I think the real question is who will start at SG. I can see us going with Gary Harris, or Suggs there. I think it all comes down to if we want more experience with the starting unit. We will be young however we go, but I really think we go with Gary Harris, at least at the start of the season. Fultz/Anthony G Harris/Suggs/Ross F Wagner/Okeke/Houstan Banchero/Isaac/M Wagner Carter/Bamba I think Hampton and Bol will only get garbage minutes unless someone is injured or traded (Ross?). I expect that Cannady will be released for the final cut down to 15, since he is not guaranteed (again, unless Ross is traded). Knowing Isaac is coming off a long lay-off, and Moe Wagner is currently injured, we might see Bol at the PF, or we might see Okeke slide down to pick up some minutes there.

I think you mis-read that part. I said the chance of AG taking that next step or two to become an All-Star is a slim chance. I actually think Franz has a better chance, maybe 60/40 that he can/does. I think Franz is in our starting line-up at SF, with Banchero at the PF and WCJ at center. I expect that they will ease JI back in by bringing him off the bench playing 15-20 minutes per game until he is back in game shape; after all, he hasn't played in a couple of years. I think we have quite a traffic jam in our front court when/if everyone is healthy - you have Banchero, JI, WCJ, Bamba, Bol, M Wagner and possibly Okeke all trying to find playing time as PF/C. I don't really see any of them except Okeke being able to slide down to the SF role. I think you will see Ross, Okeke, and Houstan all playing some backup at the SF.

I wasn't comparing Franz to how AG has played in Denver, but to how he played while he was here in Orlando. Frankly, AG was supposed to be a bigger focus of the team, and an integral part of the rebuild. AG had some good games offensively, and some really good defensive games, but never put it all together to become a consistent contributor. AG kept showing us occasional flashes of the player we hoped he could be, but never seemed to have what it takes to put it all together. Maybe getting robbed in the dunk contest twice got into his head? Maybe he didn't/doesn't have the BBIQ to make the leap? Who knows. I think we gave him the time to prove himself, and then moved on. Franz had a very productive season, and was reasonably consistent for a rookie. He seems to play within the team concept, and has good shooting and passing technique. I already rank both of those as better than AG. I also think his BBIQ is higher than AG's. His team defense is about par with AG; although he isn't as athletic, his communication and positioning offsets that. AG is by far the better one-on-one defender, when he focuses on that. Is Franz better that AG right now? I think so, but it isn't a slam dunk - yet. Is Franz already better than AG was in his first 2-3 years in the league? Not only do I think so, but in my opinion, it isn't even close. Can Franz continue to build on his rookie season, and take the next step or two to become an All-Star? Obviously we can't know that, but I hope so and I have seen some positive indicators in his rookie season. What are the odds this far into his career that AG can/will take that next step or two to become a consistent contributor and an All-Star? I'm thinking they are fairly slim.

I think that AG is a better one-on-one defender, and is more athletic. I think Franz is a better shooter, better passer, and has a higher overall BBIQ. I think they are about even in terms of team defense/communication. Is it crazy to say Franz is better? I don't think it's crazy; in fact, I would tend to agree with you on that. Are you delusional? That's a question only you and your therapist can answer, LOL.

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS 468 28.8 44.8 36.3 81.2 2.5 2.1 0.2 1.2 1.8 1.2 11.8 204 27.9 41.6 38.9 82.0 2.2 1.4 0.2 1.1 1.6 0.7 13.5 So, this is the difference between Gary Harris and Gary Trent, Jr. career-to-date numbers. Now, having said that, Trent is younger by about 3 years, and is an inch taller. I haven't really noticed how Trent's defense is. I like Trent (and Poole), but I think Gary Harris re-signing for "prove-it" type of money may be one of the best free-agent moves we could have done. He is really just beginning to get back to the player he was pre-injury. I really think we could take a major leap this year if we can get/stay healthy. I think we even have the depth throughout most positions that we can ease guys in without having to play anyone 35+ minutes. My sole concern right now is PG - I am expecting a lot from a healthy Fultz, but the difference between how we play with him on/off the court is really dramatic. I don't have a lot of confidence in Cole Anthony at the point, he is much more of a combo guard. I have no confidence in RJ Hampton at the backup PG. I really hope that Suggs can solidify this position for us. Fultz/Suggs Harris/Anthony/Hampton F Wagner/Ross/Okeke/Houstan Banchero/Isaac/Bol Carter/Bamba/M Wagner and then you throw in Kevon Harris and Admiral Schofield as 2WP. I don't think there is a roster spot for Cannady, unless we trade someone out (Ross or Hampton?).

Which is very weird to me, as he was a decent two-way player early in his career. I blame this in part on the need for him to spend much of the last 8 years carrying the offense for the 2nd team. He has gotten unfocused on the Defensive side of the ball - combine that with faltering athleticism due to injuries, and age, and it was the perfect storm. Hopefully, if we don't trade him, he can get healthier, and re-focus more on that end; since presumably, he won't be asked to carry as much of the offense. I really would like to see his game/value rebound. At 31-32, he should still be near the peak of his abilities if he can stay healthy.

I somehow missed that Harris was an extension and is tradeable. I was thinking that we still would have to wait three months before we could move him. I don’t think Sexton would be the right move, but good to know the option is available. Thanks CT!

Among other things, we just re-signed Harris, so we can’t make this trade at this time.

Since we've all decided that RJ's BBIQ might be a negative number, I'm not sure that his opinion on Paolo's BBIQ carries much weight. It's sort of like Forrest Gump saying someone is smart.