OFFICIAL GAMETHREAD: Magic @ Clippers

[Jay Magic 1,251]

Look if we all take a quick look and say if WESLEY JOHNSON doesn't have a career night or 1 less 3 we WIN.

 

Look at it like that and this loss is forgotten to me already.

 

Lets get back on track tuesday.

 

1 thing i will say we have a damn good basketball team here already and we are gonna get alot better.

 

season is 6 weeks old or so... lots to come.

 

Hats off to Henny and the coaches!!!

 

I enjoy watching us a lot more than what i have the last few years.

[Jay Magic 1,251]

*Long 2.

 

meant to say I'd rather lose on a missed 3 from 1 of guys with a second left.

[~O~ 565]

Its whatever....seriously don't sweat it. I'm confident the Magic can beat the clippers. We have a stretch of easily winnable games.

 

I don't know what the heck was Fournier's problem but he was nonexistent and had no reason to be. He was also very passive with 5 attempts...wtf?

 

Vucevic himself...for whatever reason shut himself down on offense but managed to net plenty of offensive rebounds.

 

Tobias Harris complained too much tonight rather than focusing on his work. Rather than trying to make his shots, he was flailing around looking for a call. He missed plenty of shots in which he actually did get was fouled but he knows by now he's going to have to play through that. He also allowed Wesley Johnson to light him up. Allowing him to score 17 above mean.

 

 

Fournier, Tobias, and Vucevic individual performances made the game much worse for the Magic.

 

I think Skiles freaked out way too much by pulling Gordon. Gordon was in the game because he was shutting down Lesley john son. His rebounding led to one and done possessions for the Clippers. He should have been in the game despite missing those two shots. I think we would have been fine with him out there had Oladipo not tweaked his leg.

 

 

 

As for Oladipo's last shot? He was one of the major reasons we were up for the most part of the game. It was too late for him to have an impact on the game at the stage he came in. The damage was already done.

 

This was such a fluke loss that I can't even get mad about it.

 

Payton and Oladipo had a monster of a game. Jason Smith and Don shot torrid percentages off the bench. Once again Nicholson, got the call over frye and should have been in late with Gordon and Smith.

 

===================

 

Moving on, the Magic play the Nuggets next. They need to focus on that right now. It should be a simple rebound game.

 

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

Eh. Can't take one game out of context like that.

 

To be fair every player on the team is up for grabs for the right superstar. No player is good enough to not trade at this point regardless of the outcome tonight.

[Air Gordon 156]

Eh. Can't take one game out of context like that.

I've had the feeling for a long time and tonight was more of a confirmation... Even when Tobias or Vooch have huge numbers games, to me they just don't have the superstar factor... Really tired of Tobias consistently having a great first quarter and a half and completely disappearing down the stretch

[Air Gordon 156]

To be fair every player on the team is up for grabs for the right superstar. No player is good enough to not trade at this point regardless of the outcome tonight.

No doubt, and we'll have to make the decision if who we keep when the time comes... Just stating my vote

[Catalina Maria 64]

This game proved to me tonight that our two biggest superstar potential players are Vic and Elf, and everyone else is expendable... Vooch, Tobias and a pick for the right disgruntled superstar when the time comes... And, I think Jamal Crawford's reign of a decade and a half as a Magic killer is overdue to come to an end

 

I actually agree with this now. Harris disappears towards the end of games and Vuc is too soft.

 

I don't mind Dipo taking that last shot. I'm glad Skiles is letting him know we trust him to take those big moment shots. He's had several of those go in for us in the past.

 

3rd quarter Payton is the beginning of what I've been telling people on these boards for awhile. Keep watching him.

 

It's time to give Hezonja some of Fournier's minutes.

[Janders 102]

I actually agree with this now. Harris disappears towards the end of games and Vuc is too soft.

 

I don't mind Dipo taking that last shot. I'm glad Skiles is letting him know we trust him to take those big moment shots. He's had several of those go in for us in the past.

 

3rd quarter Payton is the beginning of what I've been telling people on these boards for awhile. Keep watching him.

 

It's time to give Hezonja some of Fournier's minutes.

As much as I want Mario to play more, he hasn't done much as of now that I think warrants him playing over Evan

[Jay Magic 1,251]

I actually agree with this now. Harris disappears towards the end of games and Vuc is too soft.

 

I don't mind Dipo taking that last shot. I'm glad Skiles is letting him know we trust him to take those big moment shots. He's had several of those go in for us in the past.

 

3rd quarter Payton is the beginning of what I've been telling people on these boards for awhile. Keep watching him.

 

It's time to give Hezonja some of Fournier's minutes.

 

He took a long 2...

 

Drive and kick for 3 or make sure u take a 3. He also took the shot with too much time on the clock.

 

should of been 1-2 seconds left max

[Jay Magic 1,251]

As much as I want Mario to play more, he hasn't done much as of now that I think warrants him playing over Evan

 

Probably coz he has not played

[MagicFanInNevada 51]

No doubt, and we'll have to make the decision if who we keep when the time comes... Just stating my vote

 

Maybe it's just me but I wouldn't trade Gordon, Payton, or Oladipo. They would be my mainstays

[magicjed23 12]

Skiles should have put Harris and Fournier in way sooner. They sat too long and had no time to get in a flow. He needs to let Harris and Gordon play together more. And play Hezonja. He is not a typical rookie and just needs playing time. We got him because we need a true shooter. We need to work him in the rotation.

 

Fournier is back to earth now and it's becoming painfully obvious. We can't wait all game for him to come around. Mario can do everything Fournier does but better. I don't know how Skiles was so high on Hezonja and now he doesn't play.

 

Players did choke, but Skiles crap rotations and lineup killed us at the end. The thing where he plays a lineup too long which makes players on bench lose the rhythm of the game killed us like it was doing before we went on a streak. Notice he didn't do that when we won?

 

Even when playing well a lineup needs rest and you need to keep guys involved who are sitting. Then sub them in later if they were so effective, like coach did the previous 5 games. And Frye and Nicholson aren't going to do as well against better teams with decent big men. The recent lineup is okay against weak teams, but it's not something to keep long term. Good coaches and assistants will find the weakness and with so many open 3's the last two games the secret is out, the Jazz just botched it without Gobert.

 

Victor going out hurt and Fournier was bad. And I also think Vucevic has no business playing with Smith. Starting to wonder if we need a Center who is a better version of Dedmon instead of Vucevic. Get Cousins and let our staff get his mind right. Or play Dedmon in games like this when we need athleticism. Also we were to afraid of Jordan. Horrible way to lose.

 

There is no excuse for this loss. None at all. I want us to blow out the next two teams because we're so furious we lost. I know I keep saying it but play Hezonja so he is ready. It's sad that only an injury might get him out there. Have some faith. He was the number 5 pick and look at Towns, Okafor, and Porzingis and what they are doing with minutes. Every other coach would play him and run plays for him!