The Official 2015-2016 Regular Season Thread

[Catman 380]

Skiles stating Mario almost started this game is incredibly impressive news. I believe he will be a starter pretty soon and the legend will begin. Maybe a small part of it starts tonight off the bench. We will see rather soon.

[A Random Stranger 25]

I'm pretty sure if he had started it would have been at the three. No way you sit the Payton/Dipo tandem in this lineup, Fournier won out due to experience, and little else. I imagine that Gordon will get some burn tonight due to ailment as I see Gordon as a Skiles type of player.

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

Okafor, Towns, Mudiay and Porzingis all looked to have pretty good debuts. Russell not so much.

[God Hates Otis Smith 153]

i liked the way we defended, if i am going to nitpick it's that dedmon should have been in for a few of those defensive possessions late in the game....he was great, i don't care about the fouls because we're not asking him to play 30 mins a game...he contests everything he is really underrated

 

offensively we missed alot of good 3 point looks not that worried yet, i would like to see tobes get more touches.

 

overall we played a good game and OKC will be a great test to see where our D is.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Rubio had quite the game last night.

 

Mudiay put up numbers but also 11 turnovers

 

Still a promising game from him.

 

Porzingis had 16 points on 3-11 shooting.

 

Seems like a common theme among rookies tonight. Flawed but promising starts.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Andrew Sharp: We start with Mario Hezonja. We were never starting with anyone but Mario Hezonja. He entered last night as many things, but most of all, in an NBA context, he is still a 20-year-old rookie who couldn’t get playing time on FC Barcelona last year. But there he was on opening night, looking as natural as anyone on the court, bombing 3s in his first quarter ever. This was Step 1 in going from “Internet urban legend” to “real NBA player who will pull up from anywhere and hit it.” It’s Hezonja season. Welcome.

 

There were other transitions last night.

•Victor Oladipo spent the past two seasons as “pretty good young player.” Last night he started to become “best player on this team, definitely.”

•Otto Porter was going from the “wait, is this really happening?” guy in last season’s playoffs to a legitimate small-ball cornerstone.

•Bradley Beal was going from last season’s frustrating third-year player to this season’s potential All-Star who will lead the team in scoring.

•Aaron Gordon was forgotten all last season, right up until last night, when everyone remembered to get excited again.

 

The Magic are in the same place as Gordon. They’ve been a total afterthought near the bottom of the East for the past three seasons. Last night told everyone those days are pretty much over. Whether they make the playoffs or not, they, like Gordon, will likely be a pain in the ass to play against all season long. That was Lesson No. 1 last night. Elfrid Payton almost had a triple-double, Tobias Harris added 15 points, and the defense was great. It’s crystal clear this team will only get meaner from here.

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-shootaround-and-so-it-begins/

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

Sharp has it mostly right, and I think he nails Oladipo's performance perfectly: he was between good and spectacular last night at every individual thing except 3pt shooting.

[Mack1085 57]

Sharp has it mostly right, and I think he nails Oladipo's performance perfectly: he was between good and spectacular last night at every individual thing except 3pt shooting.

 

And getting to the line. 2 FT a game isn't a best player on the team stat.

[~O~ 565]

Its funny that everyone thought the guys who should have been in late were a net positive

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

And getting to the line. 2 FT a game isn't a best player on the team stat.

 

You're just precious.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

at least we have something to talk about now.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

at least we have something to talk about now.

I'm scared of the Thunder. We don't match up well with them AT ALL