The Official 2015-2016 Regular Season Thread

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I'm not disagreeing with everything you said, but in reality this has been a bad rebuild. Not the worst, but still bad. 5 years is long enough regardless of where the rebuild began. 5 years is long enough to have a complete recycling of contenders. Miami went from champs to bad back to the 3 seed. Dallas went from champs to middling to good to middling. GS went from nobodies to the best team ever. Charlotte went from bad to mediocre to bad to pretty darn good. You get the point. 5 years in, we should be at the very least in contention for the playoffs. Bad rebuild.

 

This is only year 4.

 

We were in the playoffs in 2012. We had 90 million in salary during a 58 million salary cap season.

 

Had no early draft picks the summer of 2012 and still had hedo, jameer, Davis, and q-rich clogging up 30 million in cap space and arenas eating up 21 million in cash on the back end. Salary cap was still 58 million.

 

Then we added Harris and drafted Oladipo but still had 30 million tied up in the old players. The salary cap was still 58 million

 

Our first year with a clear cap was last year. It was the first year we had with options.

 

So this isn't the same rebuild as other teams. If we were starting over with Dwight it would have gone differently. If we never made the arenas trade and could have amnestied hedo or Davis instead it might have gone differently.

[magicdoc1 261]

I predicted at the beginning of the season that whether we made the playoffs or not, we would start to get a clearer picture of what we have long term, and that the season would either make or break our players. Imo Gordon, Oladipo, and Fournier have come out ahead of the curve, Vuc and Payton seem more dispensable every day, Mario gets another season or so to put it all together, and the rest we can take or leave (maybe to peruse a FA). Things aren't nearly as bad as they seem.

I dont know why you think That VUC has become more dispensable every day.

Vuc has been arguably the most consistant player in our team and is in a very decent contract.

The only problem i see with him is defense. He just need to work hard on that in the offseason. Unless we find someone great to replace him I will say he is a keeper.

Payton seems to be confused and lost. He just need more time. I say we need to bench him for bow until he finds himself. I just dont see any other replacement out ther other than maybe Conley or Teague if they become available to us. Saying that I see Payton as our future starting PG in 2 to 3 years. Again, defense is the main issue with him. Im sure he will come around. Eventually.

I agree with the rest of your statement. Hezonja will be coming from the bench in years to come. I just see him as a starter yet considering we might keep both; Dipo and Fournier.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I dont know why you think That VUC has become more dispensable every day.

Vuc has been arguably the most consistant player in our team and is in a very decent contract.

The only problem i see with him is defense. He just need to work hard on that in the offseason. Unless we find someone great to replace him I will say he is a keeper.

Payton seems to be confused and lost. He just need more time. I say we need to bench him for bow until he finds himself. I just dont see any other replacement out ther other than maybe Conley or Teague if they become available to us. Saying that I see Payton as our future starting PG in 2 to 3 years. Again, defense is the main issue with him. Im sure he will come around. Eventually.

I agree with the rest of your statement. Hezonja will be coming from the bench in years to come. I just see him as a starter yet considering we might keep both; Dipo and Fournier.

 

Vucevic is going to be 26 before the start of next season. I don't know how much more improving he can do. not like he's in the young guy group.

[HeHateMe 697]

Vucevic is going to be 26 before the start of next season. I don't know how much more improving he can do. not like he's in the young guy group.

 

And equally I think Payton needs more then just "time".

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

And equally I think Payton needs more then just "time".

 

his weaknesses now are very similar to his weaknesses in every scouting report ever. and I'm not talking about shooting.

[Justin Jaudon 221]

his weaknesses now are very similar to his weaknesses in every scouting report ever. and I'm not talking about shooting.

 

This is what bothers me about him. I see the progression with shooting %s and shot selection. But the discipline issues on the court, the effort and focus, has gotten worse, if anything. I'm not writing him off. Maybe it's gotten worse because he is fighting through some mental walls, and he'll come out better in the end. But at this point I'm not comfortable betting on a guy who has so much trouble understanding how to play within a system both on offense and defense. At least we should bet small anyway, as in bet on him being a great bench PG.

[magicdoc1 261]

Vucevic is going to be 26 before the start of next season. I don't know how much more improving he can do. not like he's in the young guy group.

Im not sure why you think he needs to improve too much? He is a great offensive player, great rebounder and his passing skills has improve this year. He has a great range and his block shot has improve some in my opinion. He needs to learn how to play better team defense but that is mainly a coaching issue. He needs to work with the current coaching staff this offseason and I am sure he will be better.

Also, do you think 26 is old? For me, 26-28 is when you start seeing the best on a player. He has many years to go. He is pretty healthy and I see plenty of more years in him.

If we can get a center with this stats:

18ppg

10rbg

3apg

1.1 bpg

50%fg

78ft%

Will you go for him in the offseason?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Im not sure why you think he needs to improve too much? He is a great offensive player, great rebounder and his passing skills has improve this year. He has a great range and his block shot has improve some in my opinion. He needs to learn how to play better team defense but that is mainly a coaching issue. He needs to work with the current coaching staff this offseason and I am sure he will be better.

Also, do you think 26 is old? For me, 26-28 is when you start seeing the best on a player. He has many years to go. He is pretty healthy and I see plenty of more years in him.

If we can get a center with this stats:

18ppg

10rbg

3apg

1.1 bpg

50%fg

78ft%

Will you go for him in the offseason?

 

I just don't know if he can ever defend a pick and roll. If he could do that at an above average level and recover then we're great. otherwise he's the weak link in the defense.

[Svanxx 30]

I just don't know if he can ever defend a pick and roll. If he could do that at an above average level and recover then we're great. otherwise he's the weak link in the defense.

 

Our biggest problems right now is a starting center and PG who both can't defend the Pick 'N' Roll. Once teams realized they could do that all day to us, that's when the defense went downhill. If you can't defend against picks, you're not going to do a lot of winning.

[TrueMagicFan07 675]

This is what bothers me about him. I see the progression with shooting %s and shot selection. But the discipline issues on the court, the effort and focus, has gotten worse, if anything. I'm not writing him off. Maybe it's gotten worse because he is fighting through some mental walls, and he'll come out better in the end. But at this point I'm not comfortable betting on a guy who has so much trouble understanding how to play within a system both on offense and defense. At least we should bet small anyway, as in bet on him being a great bench PG.

 

I agree with what most of you have said about Payton. He can turn it on "when he wants to". When he does not take a night or 2 off, and when he is not posturing to the cameras and pampering his cauliflower hair--as Soul Bro describes it--he helps to keep us in a game. When he plays well in a stretch of really good games, I think to myself that he is finally turning into the player we want him to be. But sadly, he is too inconsistent.

 

I know his hair is discussed in another thread, but for me, it's distracting (It seems that he has trimmed it on the sides). I, also, know that his hair has nothing to do with the game, but I have no where else to look except at the TV. Even when the cameras are not focused directly on him, I can see him patting his hair (turning or folding the sides upwards because it keeps flopping down when he is out on the court playing).

 

Again, before anyone jumps on me, I know Payton's hair has nothing to do with his performance on the court (or lack thereof). But for me, it's distracting. As a woman--and as women and some men tend to do--I try to avoid criticizing a person's physical appearance. I might think it, but I don't discuss it with other people because I have to look at myself in the mirror. ;)

 

Payton is just too inconsistent in his performance on the court--including his attitude off the court. He reminds me a little bit of Steve Francis (except the hair)--Maybe not as bad as Francis attitude-wise.

[Air Gordon 156]

Anybody else have the feeling Frye is going for 30 tonight?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Again, before anyone jumps on me, I know Payton's hair has nothing to do with his performance on the court (or lack thereof).

 

I mean, it might.

 

its denser than a fro so maybe it does have some impact. I don't know, I'm not a scientist.