OFFICIAL GAME THREAD: ORLANDO @ HOUSTON

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I'd rather even Dipo take a shot honestly

 

Rockets played good defense there. Oladipo should have called timeout. Napier was a desperation heave.

[TreyMachine 400]

Play was run for Fournier. He got caught up in screens

 

Exactly. Dipo should have used a time-out though to get a better look rather than to just throw it in. I'm going to chalk it up to exhaustion (both physical and emotional) on the Magic's part. This has been one hell of a 5 game stretch, of which we could have easily come out 4-1.

 

Get some rest, fellas! It's a long season!

[TreyMachine 400]

Skiles weakness is these last second plays. The one thing Vaughn was really good at, we do not have anymore.

 

He has to know Fournier will be locked down.

 

Vaughn was good at last second plays??? Did you watch ANY of the last 3 seasons and how good our last-second offense was in late game situations????

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Skiles needs to get these fourth quarter rotations in check. Fournier and Oladipo played way too much in the back to back

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Vaughn was good at last second plays??? Did you watch ANY of the last 3 seasons and how good our last-second offense was in late game situations????

 

I mean, how many were there? 2? 3?

[TreyMachine 400]

Skiles needs to get these fourth quarter rotations in check. Fournier and Oladipo played way too much in the back to back

 

It has been said that he plays his players too much.

 

That being said, players in those situations sure as hell don't want to go out. I'm really shocked he took Payton out with the kind of offense he normally generates (even if he is a shooting liability).

[Miller4Prez66 545]

That's reactionary thinking.

 

No, it's not trying to act like this 1-4 team may in someway be good. I don't care that our losses are close, good teams win those kind of games. If anything, this trend of losing close games to good teams just further proves that this squad is not good. They continue to prove they are not capable of making the key plays to get wins. Not getting blown out is not an accomplishment either, any NBA team should not expect to be blown out.

 

I'm not a fan of this core of guys we have, there is talent here but I see way too many secondary players and role guys and not enough leadership and guys capable of making those big plays to get wins.

[A Random Stranger 25]

The one thing I didn't like was Harris getting the nod with Aaron Gordon playing the way he had in the second half. Everything else was fine except for the closing seconds. Gordon is getting better every game that he plays and as I said earlier, looks like he really wants a starting forward gig with this team. Gordon's continuing growth does make Harris kind of expendable, which is sad, but Gordon will be a better player than him next year.

[Franchero MVP 391]

I think tobias is likely gonna get traded -- i mean, he wasnt even in for offense on that last play. isnt he supposed to be one of our goto scorers?

[TreyMachine 400]

No, it's not trying to act like this 1-4 team may in someway be good. I don't care that our losses are close, good teams win those kind of games. If anything, this trend of losing close games to good teams just further proves that this squad is not good. They continue to prove they are not capable of making the key plays to get wins. Not getting blown out is not an accomplishment either, any NBA team should not expect to be blown out.

 

I'm not a fan of this core of guys we have, there is talent here but I see way too many secondary players and role guys and not enough leadership and guys capable of making those big plays to get wins.

 

We're that team that is "one piece away." Bank on us being the team that trades 2 of our young core to a team with one good player in his prime and stuck in the middle of good/bad. They'll win by getting a young core to build around and we'll win by getting that "go to" piece. That's the only way I see us making it over the hump. We have enough great secondary pieces to field a great trade for a team who wants to rebuild while staying competitive.

[Optimist Prime 197]

No, it's not trying to act like this 1-4 team may in someway be good. I don't care that our losses are close, good teams win those kind of games. If anything, this trend of losing close games to good teams just further proves that this squad is not good. They continue to prove they are not capable of making the key plays to get wins. Not getting blown out is not an accomplishment either, any NBA team should not expect to be blown out.

 

I'm not a fan of this core of guys we have, there is talent here but I see way too many secondary players and role guys and not enough leadership and guys capable of making those big plays to get wins.

 

Who you lose to and how are very important factors. This team is "potentially" good. After five close games to playoff teams (two of which are championship contenders), it's looking like this is a playoff team in the east. The real tell will come when we play bad to average teams. It was expected the team would lose to the type of teams played thus far, but losing by such a slim margin is a sign of encouragement. We will see where this team stands when the schedule lightens up and they are going against .500 teams and below.

[A Random Stranger 25]

No, it's not trying to act like this 1-4 team may in someway be good. I don't care that our losses are close, good teams win those kind of games. If anything, this trend of losing close games to good teams just further proves that this squad is not good. They continue to prove they are not capable of making the key plays to get wins. Not getting blown out is not an accomplishment either, any NBA team should not expect to be blown out.

 

I'm not a fan of this core of guys we have, there is talent here but I see way too many secondary players and role guys and not enough leadership and guys capable of making those big plays to get wins.

 

This team has improved by leaps and bounds from the last few seasons. You're judging this team way too harshly based on the first five games, which the majority of those games have been a fifty fifty game. This team is competitive, it is going to start rolling our way eventually, and when it does we will make someone's first round a complete nightmare. Not everyone is going home a winner, even NBA champions lose games, it doesn't mean that they aren't a good team, it just means that they lost a game. And yes, we are 1-4, but this was a difficult opponent on a back to back, yet we still brought the heat regardless. That shows heart and work ethic. I think this team will be better, Fournier is coming out of his slump, Dipo is improving, and our bench is so deep it is insane. Stop being a pessimist and allow the positive vibes to infect you like everyone else.

 

This team will win games, it may not be right this second, but I get the feeling by the All-star break we will be somewhere close to seventh or six seed. It just seems like that is the potential, right now. I say right now because I have the feeling we will be better next year and make our move into the upper half of the east winning 50 to 58 games a season.