2012 Orlando Magic Regular Season Thread

[NittanyBuc 757]

That's because our offense was: give the ball to Dwight.

 

And when Dwight missed the 2nd half of the season...?

[Crazyhorse81 251]

It was either that or let Hedo turn it over.

 

Fixed.

[Stu Bronsilino 313]

According to Rotoworld Clark has a player option this year... If he has any sense he'll decline it and get some bigger offers from idiot GM's and then we'll all get to see him try and put up these numbers without Nash at Pg and Pau/Howard/Kobe drawing defensive attention.

 

this year was his player option. otis signed him for 2 years with the second being a player option the same summer we picked up bbd, then hennigan came in the next summer and earl was like i'm gonna opt out and see what's up, then he realized he'd probably be out of the league and said, no i'll stay for the second year and then hennigan was like ffffffuuuuuu....

[the notorious S.A.C. 89]

We should make a run at Clark with some high priced salary offer and watch the Lakers overpay with a matching contract. The following year Clark returns to the 3 point 2 reb player he actually is.

[Zara 74]

Earl Clark shot 37% last year.

 

Lets not pretend he was an awesome player for us.

 

Indeed, if anyone had posted that Clark was an 'awesome' player for us, they would need to rescind...

 

Earl showed clear potential (that is a sum of intangible qualities, tendencies, mental attributes, workability, coachability, etc) with us.

He's also de facto physically gifted with the ability to defend multiple positions (D'Antoni had him guarding the Raptor's PG in the fourth quarter last week @Toronto, and that was both epic and funny..).

 

So let's pretend that professional scouts actually go and watch players in person for a reason.

[Jay Magic 1,251]

Magic starters tonight: Nelson, Afflalo, Harkless, Nicholson and Vucevic.

[jec 427]

Indeed, if anyone had posted that Clark was an 'awesome' player for us, they would need to rescind...

 

Earl showed clear potential (that is a sum of intangible qualities, tendencies, mental attributes, workability, coachability, etc) with us.

He's also de facto physically gifted with the ability to defend multiple positions (D'Antoni had him guarding the Raptor's PG in the fourth quarter last week @Toronto, and that was both epic and funny..).

 

So let's pretend that professional scouts actually go and watch players in person for a reason.

 

I am probably the biggest Earl Clark fan there is. Please don't make him out into something he is not. Potential means nothing when it isn't realized. He could defend multiple positions. Multiple meaning the 3 and 4 and very rarely the 5. He was also a liability on offense the likes of which I've never seen.

 

Professional scouts recognize Earl Clark for what he is.

[jec 427]

This is like when people said that Kentucky could beat the Wizards and like SVG said, an NBA team has nothing but NBA caliber players. A college team may have 2 or 3, more in extraordinary cases.

 

Exactly. Absolutely no chance.

[Zara 74]

I am probably the biggest Earl Clark fan there is. Please don't make him out into something he is not. Potential means nothing when it isn't realized. He could defend multiple positions. Multiple meaning the 3 and 4 and very rarely the 5. He was also a liability on offense the likes of which I've never seen.

 

Professional scouts recognize Earl Clark for what he is.

 

Only that is not "Earl Clark shot 37% last year".

 

[and to expand it a little, professional scouts are rated on their ability to recognize what a person can become, not what they are (a task quite vague in the first place, as who we are depends greatly on our then-current environment).]

 

On Earl Clark, well, it is indeed sad when reality slaps your statsheet around every now and then, but people who 'liked' him last year are now proven right as the guy has benched Pau effin' Gasol in the LA effin' Lakers. I mean hey.

 

It's no Clarksanity, but the kid made it (big...). Good for him and nice for the fans who liked him.

[jec 427]

the guy has benched Pau effin' Gasol in the LA effin' Lakers. I mean hey.

 

Gasol injured his foot.

[Ibn Battuta 127]

Only that is not "Earl Clark shot 37% last year".

 

[and to expand it a little, professional scouts are rated on their ability to recognize what a person can become, not what they are (a task quite vague in the first place, as who we are depends greatly on our then-current environment).]

 

On Earl Clark, well, it is indeed sad when reality slaps your statsheet around every now and then, but people who 'liked' him last year are now proven right as the guy has benched Pau effin' Gasol in the LA effin' Lakers. I mean hey.

 

It's no Clarksanity, but the kid made it (big...). Good for him and nice for the fans who liked him.

 

Dude, stop talking in this fluffy and vague language. It doesn't make you look smarter, it's just a pathetic attempt to look sophisticated. When you're at your weekly book club meetings you're welcome to do it their.

 

As for the "statsheet" it doesn't prove anything. His numbers right now are so highly inflated because he shot really well in a few games. And that's not even based on 20 games of work. Clark also plays in a system that's so easy to learn offensively AND benefits from teammates like KOBE and NASH. Everyone knew he was very athletic and now, because of the situation, he's using his talent with more confidence. Just look at his shot chart:

Shot selection

Shot Att. eFG% Ast'd Blk'd Pts

Jump 62% .458 90% 4% 3.3

Close 25% .414 42% 21% 1.2

Dunk 12% .857 58% 7% 1.2

Tips 1% 1.000 0% 0% .1

Inside 38% .568 48% 16% 2.5

 

and here it is last season

 

Shot selection

Shot Att. eFG% Ast'd Blk'd Pts

Jump 64% .270 83% 6% 1.1

Close 24% .500 65% 24% .8

Dunk 9% .833 80% 0% .4

Tips 3% .000 0% 25% .0

Inside 36% .540 70% 18% 1.2

 

notice how eerily similar they are? He probably worked on his shot over the summer and developed more confidence, but to say he improved .20 points all by himself? yea, he gets lots of help from the system.

 

Not to mention, defensively he still gets lost constantly and exploited by other teams. It's why you see Dwight try to help only to get crushed because Earl couldn't rotate. His man defense is okay, but what bruising power forwards are in the west? blake griffin? please.

 

As for the Pau Gasol substitution, all I have to say is Mike D'Antoni. In fact he said so himself, he wants more athleticism. That's Earl Clark to the T. He doesn't care about post play, doesn't care about defense, doesn't care about half court sets tailored to his personnel. Just run and gun.

[Ibn Battuta 127]

Also this is Earl's 4th season in the league. He really hasn't improved since coming into the league. Like jec said, it's potential doesn't mean he'll ever realize it.