TreyMachine

We need Fultz back or play Banchero / Wagner as Point Forward. I’m looking at these line ups on the Box score and I can only assume there is a lot of ISO ball being played.

I think we need to tone it down a bit, y'all. Paolo is certainly good, but as has been indicated, he's more Luka Donchic thanks Lebron James (which still hitting the jackpot). Paolo's athleticism is good but not elite, but what he might lack in athleticism, he makes up for in BBIQ, which I take 9 times out of 10 (see the inverse here - RJ Hampton). Paolo is going to be good, and he'll probably be an all-star, but we need to quit comparing him to the generational talents of Jordan and Lebron. Depending on personality (marketability), he could be our biggest start since Tracy McGrady, and even then, he won't be the elite scorer McGrady was (athleticism plays a factor there), but he could be like Carmelo type scorer (big body, matchup nightmare) with better passing skills / BBIQ, which we should take every day. My Point: he's going to be great, but let's temper the expectations until we start seeing him play with other NBA players on a nightly basis.

The risk was too high for him to get injured. I’m shocked OKC was cool with him playing in ProAm’s all over with the injury risk he was assessed as.

Nah - everyone with eyes sees what’s going on with RJ. This is going to be more time for Houstan, whom is a complementary scorer and good defender who doesn’t net take away from a team when he’s on the court.

Isn’t the event free or hella cheap? I mean, you have basically this generation’s Michael Jordan playing in a high school gym. What did people think was going to happen??

We literally have nothing to talk about that hasn’t already been said. Lol

In other words - no defense basketball.

Anyone know how he did overall vs the play and with Chet? Saw some highlights, not that this kind of play matters at all.

I just don’t think you can give up on Markelle, Cole, and Suggs so early, plus any future draft picks, to get a guy who can score but can’t defend or pass particularly well. We glorify scorers in this league but winning in the deep playoffs needs more than that. I’ll take my chances on Suggs, Markelle, or Cole popping off, and the value of our next 5 1st round picks, over Donovan Mitchell.

Start around the 2 minute mark. Paolo in my mind looks smooth but slow, but it might just be because his steps are so much larger than comparable guards that he's actually quick. I really don't know.

I think some parts of this, like the Mo comment, has to be a PR “public vote of confidence” move. Young guys today like to the praised, not called out, and give a lot more effort when you’re publicly encouraging a guy rather than critiquing him on “needing to be better.” Whether Hammond believes this or not is a different story, but I’ll take at least portions of this at face value. We all have eyes and know Mo Bamba taking a 3 with the game on the line is not the play we’re calling 99 out of 100 times.

You’re relatively new here, but I find myself agreeing most of the time with you, VOR. We put too much emphasis on PPG in lieu of anything else. Ben Gordan was a great scorer in his hay day, but we all know he wasn’t going to carry a team as he was both a defensive liability and didn’t create for others / make the game easier for others. Hell, I even think the same issue was the case with Carmelo (iso scorer but not a great defender or passer). You build your team around guys who can score, pass, AND play defense. You can live with guys having 2 of 3, but it’s hard to win at the highest level if they only have 1 of 3 and they are your team’s main focal point.

On Dray Green giving us disrespect, while many of us remember the Magic’s relevance during the Dwight years, that was over a decade ago. A 16 year old today would have been 4 years old the last time the Magic were playoff relevant. That’s HUGE - essentially much of the latest upcoming generation knows the Orlando Magic as a small market team that loses a lot. So while I think Dray is hating with recency bias, he’s not wrong in saying we’ve been the bottom feeders of the league since he came into the league.

I actually do think that there's this idea of "We have enough young assets. You can only give some much time on the court if you have 7-8 good young assets." I think you do 4+ 1st's for DM if you're Orlando. Your goal is no longer to lose. You say, "This is our team, and we're making the jump over the next 2-3 years - all-in on betting on this." I honestly think that we only get DM if we give up Franz or Paolo in Utah's mind. I don't think we get him otherwise and I think it will ultimately be the hold-up from getting a deal done on either party.

You’re far too optimistic. Hero ball with a streaky shot, limit court vision, and limited defensive prowess (though he gives effort) will not make you an all-star. I think Cole is actually LEAST likely amongst Cole/Suggs/Fultz to become an All-Star, but I’ve been wrong before.