Gamethread: MIN @ ORL

[Tough Break There 96]

Just bums me out we couldn't get Wiggins. Minny's rebuild is like old school '94/95 lottery Magic. It's how you win titles.

 

We had our luck back then. It's crazy to expect it again, but Minny did turn an asset in Love into Wiggins.

 

So believe i what Rob is doing (asset collecting), it will pay off at some point because I firmly expect to see a trade opportunity in a year or so that the Magic can get in on.

 

 

Agreed on all points.

 

I like the way this team is playing right now though. They would have folded last year. Fun to watch.

 

And I will continue to drive the bandwagon on Payton. Ceiling is very high IMO. He's going to be a commanding presence on a team in about 5 years.

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

It sucks to know that the Wolves are going to be a big time team in a year or two (if healthy) whereas our long term potential is still up in the air. Towns is legit. Missing out on him stings more than Wiggins.

 

Just watched some highlights, Fournier is balling. He's a definite MIP candidate if he keeps this up.

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

Double post: I'm a fan of how Skiles deals with players not coming to play. He's ruthless enough to be like "ok you're not playing the second half" but trusting enough to start the same guys the next game.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,032]

Lots of thoughts

 

- I miss watching our games. Saturday I'll get to do that

 

- I love our depth, maybe we just become a team that has 10 good guys and whoever's stinking is benched for the night. It's crazy how the narrative changes from day to day. Fournier is like our only guy that hasn't had a bad game

 

- I think that Hezonja has all the tools to be a real star, he needs to improve a lot, but he can do it for sure. Don't be surprised if he becomes better than Porzingis and even Wiggins. It's been 12 games, relax ;)

[Magicman28 295]

Apparently at halftime Skiles walks into the locker room and says "y'all are soft" to the team and walks out lol.

[jec 427]

So pretty much every other year. Gotta get lucky but hope is not all lost. Franchise got Grant hill and McGrady to come over and almost got Duncan. There's got to be something appealing here.

 

1. Money

2. Decent weather

3. Money

4. decent places to build oversized and multiple mansion/castles

[Catalina Maria 64]

Too many of you on this board is underestimating what we truly have on this team. Enjoy the process. We finally have a coach who understands what we have.

 

This team is loaded with assets. Several of our players can be packaged to net us a star, yes, but TEAM is the new NBA. The Spurs and Warriors prove this. In that concept of TEAM, stars will emerge. Fournier and EP have proven they can be stars in this league. Vuc, Dipo, and Harris have the capacity to be great. Time will tell if they emerge to be consistent.

 

Don't crucify me, but Dipo is a sixth man to me. That's not a bad thing. Ginobili thrived as a sixth man and became an all star. The reason I say this is Fournier last season was balling as a starter, and the team started losing its mojo when Dipo was inserted to start. To me if we HAD to choose between Fournier or Dipo to pair in the backcourt with Payton, I would now choose Fournier.

 

Dipo can wreck havoc by destroying many teams' second units.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Too many of you on this board is underestimating what we truly have on this team. Enjoy the process. We finally have a coach who understands what we have.

 

This team is loaded with assets. Several of our players can be packaged to net us a star, yes, but TEAM is the new NBA. The Spurs and Warriors prove this. In that concept of TEAM, stars will emerge. Fournier and EP have proven they can be stars in this league. Vuc, Dipo, and Harris have the capacity to be great. Time will tell if they emerge to be consistent.

 

Don't crucify me, but Dipo is a sixth man to me. That's not a bad thing. Ginobili thrived as a sixth man and became an all star. The reason I say this is Fournier last season was balling as a starter, and the team started losing its mojo when Dipo was inserted to start. To me if we HAD to choose between Fournier or Dipo to pair in the backcourt with Payton, I would now choose Fournier.

 

Dipo can wreck havoc by destroying many teams' second units.

 

I'm going to try to spell this out because people seem to have a difficult time understanding for some reason.

 

 

FOURNIER

 

PLAYS

 

WELL

 

AS

 

A

 

SMALL

 

FORWARD

 

YOU

 

DONT

 

HAVE

 

TO

 

CHOOSE

 

BETWEEN

 

HIM

 

AND

 

OLADIPO

 

 

Fournier played minutes at sg today because oladipo was completely off and Minnesota doubled down in the paint by playing Gorgui Dieng and Towns at the same time which completely neutralized Harris.

[Catalina Maria 64]

I'm going to try to spell this out because people seem to have a difficult time understanding for some reason.

 

 

FOURNIER

 

PLAYS

 

WELL

 

AS

 

A

 

SMALL

 

FORWARD

 

YOU

 

DONT

 

HAVE

 

TO

 

CHOOSE

 

BETWEEN

 

HIM

 

AND

 

OLADIPO

 

 

Fournier played minutes at sg today because oladipo was completely off and Minnesota doubled down in the paint by playing Gorgui Dieng and Towns at the same time which completely neutralized Harris.

 

I prefaced my comment by saying "had to choose". Fournier thrives as a SG have you noticed? He overpowers smaller guys in that position it seems.

 

Here's the reality. A time will come when another bonafide star in AG will need to start. AG makes things look so easy and if given consistent minutes I believe he can ball like Griffin.

 

AG

Harris

Vuc

Fournier

Payton

 

Dipo to me is a 6th man stud. Pair him with Shabazzz in the second unit and they'll wreck havoc.

 

It's just an opinion.

[Catalina Maria 64]

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/11/18/9754234/brandon-knight-phoenix-suns-eric-bledsoe

 

Check out #9.

 

I'm not the only one who thinks Fournier/Payton could be better than Dipo/Payton in the LONGTERM.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

Fun fact: Evan Fournier is getting "beat" by his man, no matter if he's playing SG or SF.

 

Oladipo, meanwhile, beats his man handily at SG and gets destroyed everywhere else.

 

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I prefaced my comment by saying "had to choose". Fournier thrives as a SG have you noticed? He overpowers smaller guys in that position it seems.

 

Here's the reality. A time will come when another bonafide star in AG will need to start. AG makes things look so easy and if given consistent minutes I believe he can ball like Griffin.

 

AG

Harris

Vuc

Fournier

Payton

 

Dipo to me is a 6th man stud. Pair him with Shabazzz in the second unit and they'll wreck havoc.

 

It's just an opinion.

 

 

Fournier thrives at everything right now

 

heres his best games in order by total game score:

 

New Orleans (primarily played small forward, used speed to get by slower guys)

 

Houston (primarily played small forward with oladipo at sg early and a watson-napier-fournier-gordon lineup in the fourth)

 

Minnesota (about equally effective as a sg and as a sf though it definitely leaned more toward SG. 0 made field goals in the first playing with oladipo; 3 made field goals in the 2nd playing with oladipo; 3 made field goals in the third primarily playing without oladipo; 1 made field goal in the fourth playing without oladipo; 2 made field goals in overtime without oladipo)

 

Washington (exclusively shooting guard)

 

Utah (about equal sg and sf. started in a payton-fournier-harris-frye- vucevic lineup. had a very good payton-shabazz-fournier-gordon lineup in the third and fourth)

 

indiana- primarily at SF

 

 

 

and again, wouldn't Gordon push Harris down to the bench? not necessarily oladipo?