Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics - 11/29/15

[Catman 380]

I noticed our rebounding has gotten even better with the new lineups. I credit Frye and Nicholson for this. It never hurts to have height at PF.

 

Harris had been battling well for rebounds at the 4 so now he is probably finding it easier to box out a smaller guy. He has played very very well at the SF position.

 

Also it appears that Gordon is playing very well as a 3.

[Bauncey Chillups 288]

You could probably start Oladipo at point guard and be okay--his turnover rate is way down comped to what it was his rookie year.

[Catman 380]

I wouldn't be surprised if Oladipo runs some point off the bench and Mario starts to slide in at the 2. That could be a sick bench lineup.

[Magicman28 295]

What is Fournier's level? It seems like you have a serious "I want to be right about Victor" bias that clouds your judgement.

 

Reality is that Fournier is a better shooter and finisher than Victor is. Yes Victor is a beast athlete and the team best defender, but his style of play almost screams 6th man, which is why he is doing so well at it right now. Fournier is a more refined player who can defend rather well or he would not be starting.

 

Fournier's level has always been high % shooting and solid defense. That is why he fits so well next to Elfrid and why the Magic are 3-0 since they made the change.

 

No one knows the future of this team in terms of personnel. This is a team built by asset collection, which means that long term some of these guys probably won't be here.

 

I can say the same for you. You've been irrational about Dipo since last year after his injury.

 

Other than an slightly better than mediocre team, Boston, we haven't beaten a high level team and the fact that Dipo and Payton have played well together in the past and have lately, shows that benching Dipo is not what made an difference. Dipo averaged 20 a game last year after the all star break with Payton. The difference is putting Tobias at his natural position and bringing in an stretch four (with height) who can take his man out of the paint.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

Yes, that is my point. People are acting like he is playing over his head. He was playing as he always plays, just logging a ton of minutes.

 

His PER is 3 points above his career average. His VORP for the season is 0.5. Coming into this year, he was at -0.1 for his career.

 

He's played very much above his head.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Payton-fournier-harris-frye vucavic was a -2 in the first half.

 

Payton-oladipo-harris-nicholson-vucavic was +2

 

starting lineup was +1 in the second half.

 

starting lineup -fournier +oladipo was +3

 

for the game, lineups with payton and oladipo were +10

[Catalina Maria 64]

I can say the same for you. You've been irrational about Dipo since last year after his injury.

 

Other than an slightly better than mediocre team, Boston, we haven't beaten a high level team and the fact that Dipo and Payton have played well together in the past and have lately, shows that benching Dipo is not what made an difference. Dipo averaged 20 a game last year after the all star break with Payton. The difference is putting Tobias at his natural position and bringing in an stretch four (with height) who can take his man out of the paint.

 

Dipo averaged 20 PPG yes. How did the rest of the team look? What was our record for the season last year? I know this year ain't over, but back to back convincing wins vs. playoff teams last year. Dipo scoring up and rest of the team balling.

 

You can have Dipo back to start if you like, but putting Frye or Fournier or Payton back in the bench will make those 3 players less effective. Dipo thrives as a sixth man. The other 3 not so much IMHO.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Dipo averaged 20 PPG yes. How did the rest of the team look? What was our record for the season last year? I know this year ain't over, but back to back convincing wins vs. playoff teams last year. Dipo scoring up and rest of the team balling.

 

You can have Dipo back to start if you like, but putting Frye or Fournier or Payton back in the bench will make those 3 players less effective. Dipo thrives as a sixth man. The other 3 not so much IMHO.

 

 

You could argue payton isn't thriving as a starter...

[Ryan the Magic Fan 253]

You could argue payton isn't thriving as a starter...

 

If anything he has been by far the biggest weak link in the lineup.

[Magicman28 295]

Dipo averaged 20 PPG yes. How did the rest of the team look? What was our record for the season last year? I know this year ain't over, but back to back convincing wins vs. playoff teams last year. Dipo scoring up and rest of the team balling.

 

You can have Dipo back to start if you like, but putting Frye or Fournier or Payton back in the bench will make those 3 players less effective. Dipo thrives as a sixth man. The other 3 not so much IMHO.

 

 

Your comparing an very small sample size to an very big one which makes it almost impossible to respond to your post.

 

Why do you think benching Payton makes him less effective? Just curious on why you think this.

[Catalina Maria 64]

I can't believe we are arguing over a coaching decision that appears to have made this team a lot more dominant.

 

If you put Dipo back to start, it will make our second unit a hell lot less threatening.

 

Names like: Ginobili, Crawford, Ryan Anderson, Toni Kukoc. All star caliber players who were 6th men at some point in their careers. Nothing wrong with this role, why insist on a weaker team just to make a player happy who we assume is not happy?

 

Fret not. In time, if Dipo leaves us, I predict Mario will be a better player than him. Do I think this will happen? No. Fournier will be traded before Dipo. Fournier was rumored to be traded to make room for Millsap. The new schematics is only showing all the Dipo lovers than in the end Dipo is a bigger difference maker in the long run over Fournier.

[Franchero MVP 391]

They were as impressive in person as I thought they were on film," Stevens said. "They challenged everything and knocked us off our cuts. When you play defense that way, shots are harder to make."

 

The Celtics were outrebounded 54-34, and the Magic used 17 offensive rebounds to get 26 second-chance points to just 11 for Boston.

 

"When we rebound, we've been pretty good, but tonight we made it hard on ourselves," Stevens said. "Probably more apt, they made it hard on us. We gave up too many plays at the rim. These guys (Magic) are just good."