South_Aussie_Magic

Every time I see Jason Smith's stat line when his minutes are short at the beginning of his run, he just seems to take his time and knock everything down - and fills out the rest of his line a little bit. I haven't seen him play with my two eyes since his New Orleans days... so is it all just down to him being a pretty intelligent player and his body after a few minutes of play remember's he can't do what his brain wants him to do or do you guys think he's at an average in terms of smarts, skill and athleticism. He looks stiff, but is he more gifted than that? Someone said he reels off about a minute per game of Anthony Davis but is he anywhere near as graceful? I only ask because small sample makes one want to see more of him but probably expecting him to not sustain it at more minutes.

Instead of spending time worrying about semantics... is it not easy enough to appreciate that unlike last year, lineups be damned - we are seeing the Magic what all teams needs to do: defend home court? The Knicks aren't proving terrible this season(yet), but the Magic are up 9 at the half, Knicks are shooting below 30% and this would not have happened at all any time last season. Expectations met. Discuss, sure, but why argue over such little stuff when there is so much to appreciate. I love hearing everyone's opinions... especially from those lucky enough to view games. Don't know why anyone would love to hear *****ing and whining.

Catman, you are a wealth of information for myself and I'm sure alot of others. I enjoy reading your posts, have done for years. But seriously man, you kind of have a pathological need to be right at all costs. Even if noone is arguing with you, just stating separate ideas entirely (I've seen that a couple of times just here today), you feel a need to validate yourself. I'm sure people have just accepted long ago that that's just you and what you need, but I don't think anyone here is trying to put you down, they probably just get tired of posting a valid opinion while you're also posting a valid opinion and you seem to need to usurp it as the be all and end all. Sorry for coming here out of nowhere and saying that stuff but you're totally gonna have an aneurysm one day if you don't chill out. I think we'd all like you to be alive to share your knowledge with us.

I don't want to jump into the middle of someone else's argument but is it not a little contrary to on one hand criticise someone for using stats and not watching Evan Fournier play better at SG then flip it on its head when talking about another point (I think it's Vic's usefulness in the future you're debating?) and criticising for using the same eye test and NOT using stats. I'm not going to even mention whether or not the stat's were better or worse. Just stating. It's making broad strokes one way, then the other way. So if my minor detail is off... it kind of doesn't matter.

Does game results like this mean people can start saying Rondo is a poor man's Payton?

Evan... giving the T'Wolves fits... and fournier's!

Did Payton just start chucking stuff up after hitting a couple at the beginning or has he just been unlucky / outplayed?

Trying to read stuff here and I've got a dude on Facebook's Magic Nation page arguing with me about Shabazz starting because Chris Paul and Steph Curry. Apparently his college production should clue us into how Napier will be great. Sent him a link about college busts... and he wonders how Blake Griffin's brother is dead (it was the late not-so-great Eddie Griffin obviously lol). Damn...

Great to see these guys get a fair string of opponents, loving this season so far. Still waiting on the Magic to bust a game wide open and have all the lucky bounces go their way. Doesn't seem that's going to happen today either, but there's plenty of time on the clock for it I guess. It is fantastic to see the Lakers in this kind of disarray given how gutted they've made us all feel. Side note: All you regular folks, I've been watching these boards since we were on the Magic's last journey to the Finals and you've been my main source of news and opinion on the team for years. So thank you, I hold you in better esteem than most journalists. And cheers to Payton and Dan Savage for letting me back into my account. I don't have much opinion as I cannot afford league pass and won't pay for ESPN the way we can get it in Australia so I'm stuck with box scores and you fine folks for the time being. As I'm writing this I must say it's pretty annoying to see a claptrap roster of seemingly incongruent parts still hanging around with our boys. GO MAGIC!

I have nothing to add to this discussion that hasn't been pointed out by savvier folk, or endlessly fantasised over by nearly everyone... but this series of threads and the doom of today... has decreased my life expectancy by some 5 years, at a guess. For the first time in my life I'm losing more hair than I'm growing and I can't concentrate once I open Firefox. All I wanted to say was, thanks guys for the cycle of highs and lows recently. It's semi-heart-stopping.

Thought I should make one of my first stops in this here establishment at this juncture ... seeing as I can hardly even leave the house without returning with a new album. Amazon is also a bad place for me to be. The last few things this metalhead has purchased are: Judas Priest's newie 'Nostradamus' - blaaaaaand... and long... unjustifiably long. Priest's 'Defenders of the Faith' - loving it almost as much as Screaming For Vengeance. Why they spent 8yrs into the wilderness hereafter before unleashing Painkiller is beyond me. the new (finally) Morbid Angel 'Illud Divinum Insanus' - biggest disappointment in such a long time. Pungent Stench's 'Ampeauty' - almost as boring and static as the above Morbid album. Primordial 'Spirit The Earth Aflame' - Passionate, beautiful, brimming with love of the folky-black metal craft and integrity of people who truly are inspired by the noise they can create. Some of my favourite albums of all time (in no particular order): Opeth - Still Life Orphaned Land - The Neverending Way of ORwarriOR King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk Satyricon - Nemesis Divina Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying Celtic Frost - Into The Pandemonium Bathory - Hammerheart theGathering - Mandylion Tiamat - Wildhoney Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of A Seventh Son Nile - Amongst The Catacombs of Nephren-Ka Testament - The Legacy Sabbat - Dreamweaver Sigh - Hail Horror Hail Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve (think that'll do) Would love a metal-oriented discussion with anyone! Probably not likely to get one though, eh...