GAMETHREAD: Heat @ Magic

[magicjed23 12]

Just hate seeing Dipo play the way he is. It's like night and day compared to last year. I for sure thought he was gonna become that first tier player. I hope he finds what he needs quick.

 

Hopefully, this is where that work ethic kicks in and he decides that nothing is going to stop him and becomes what he should be.

 

Just want post All-Star Dipo back with the elite D he had been showing most of the year.

 

It could be a matter of energy. He needs to be conditioned well enough to put that energy into both sides of the floor. Also get Bo Outlaw and Darrell Armstrong to visit with him and do some kind of mentoring.

 

Or, his sophomore slump came a year late and this is a blip. Something is going on with that man. He doesn't seem to be happy and smiling like before. But, I hope he gets right, and I mean here in Orlando.

 

He is much better than his offense lately suggests! But, this extended funk is hard to watch.

 

We need signs in this arena praising and encouraging Vic and telling him how much we love and need him!

[Spaceman 58]

Hate to say it but Paytons defense on Dragic was horrible, no way that dude should be scoring like that. Dipo needs to learn how to finish at the rim, it's hard to watch a professional basketball player miss so many lay ups. This was just a bad game on so many levels.

[Catalina Maria 64]

Hopefully, this is where that work ethic kicks in and he decides that nothing is going to stop him and becomes what he should be.

 

Just want post All-Star Dipo back with the elite D he had been showing most of the year.

 

It could be a matter of energy. He needs to be conditioned well enough to put that energy into both sides of the floor. Also get Bo Outlaw and Darrell Armstrong to visit with him and do some kind of mentoring.

 

Or, his sophomore slump came a year late and this is a blip. Something is going on with that man. He doesn't seem to be happy and smiling like before. But, I hope he gets right, and I mean here in Orlando.

 

He is much better than his offense lately suggests! But, this extended funk is hard to watch.

 

We need signs in this arena praising and encouraging Vic and telling him how much we love and need him!

 

Dipo's growth as a player has been somewhat disappointing to watch. Not sure but perhaps Skiles is overworking him on both ends of the floor and it's a fatigue issue. Wish he'd grown into the all star we all thought he'd be by now, but the talent is just not there.

[Air Gordon 156]

Dipo's growth as a player has been somewhat disappointing to watch. Not sure but perhaps Skiles is overworking him on both ends of the floor and it's a fatigue issue. Wish he'd grown into the all star we all thought he'd be by now, but the talent is just not there.

Don't think at all Skiles is overworking him. These guys are professional athletes and we're a third of the way through the season, so fatigue is not an excuse. It looks like a body language thing to me. It seems the guy HATES coming off the bench, which also isn't an excuse, but fun-loving Victor hasn't really been seen since the lineup change, even when he was playing well at first. It's frustrating as all hell that we seem to get good Evan OR good Victor and they can never seem to get going at the same time.

 

On another note, can Wade just retire already?! I'm so sick of that damn guy. And, Dragic was getting away with arm bars on offense and forearm slaps on defense all night. It really seemed to get in to everybody's head. Tough loss, but with any luck we should be able to close out the year with 2 wins and go 19 - 13 in 2015, which is better than even the most optimistic Magic fan could have predicted.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,032]

Something is going on with that man. He doesn't seem to be happy and smiling like before. But, I hope he gets right, and I mean here in Orlando.

He's visibly super mad about coming off the bench

[fan for too long 2 531]

Victor is just not as good as we had hoped. He is not a good shooter, cant finish at rim, not a great ball handler or passer, just face it. He will not suddenly become a great player. There are too many faults in his game.

[Magicman28 295]

Victor is just not as good as we had hoped. He is not a good shooter, cant finish at rim, not a great ball handler or passer, just face it. He will not suddenly become a great player. There are too many faults in his game.

 

 

So the previous two years was a fluke?

 

I know he needs to get stronger. His shooting has always been below average but something else is going on there. He's better than this.

[Catalina Maria 64]

So the previous two years was a fluke?

 

I know he needs to get stronger. His shooting has always been below average but something else is going on there. He's better than this.

 

The previous two years was not a fluke, hence the record of a team that relied heavily on the talent Dipo provides. He doesn't make players around him better and his own personal game is up and down. Clutch sometimes and bad decision making sometimes.

 

We are severely missing CJ. This 4-5 game experiment of Dipo running the second unit AT THE POINT is a mistake. Dipo will THRIVE as the go to scorer of the SECOND UNIT. What was so wrong with Shabazz that Skiles is now not playing him as the PG? Perhaps it's to give Mario more minutes, and I'm ok with that. But Dipo at the point? No.

 

Rest assured, call it small sample or not -- the new SL without Dipo is better. Even last night's game proves this. It was the second unit that fell apart, and personally, I don't like Dipo running the point. This is a failed experiment and Skiles needs to know this.

[Catalina Maria 64]

He's visibly super mad about coming off the bench

 

Well -- we are a better team with him coming off the bench.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,032]

Shabazz hasn't been hitting the shots that he used to, so Skiles isn't giving him playing time.

 

And yes, we're a better team with Oladipo as a 6th man. A lot of people have predicted this as well

[Catalina Maria 64]

Mario at the PG has some promise, but his defense sucks. I'm ok with experimenting with this as long as we don't lose too many games. Mario's offense is a thing of beauty and I hope in time his role will be solidified.

 

And for those that will bash me about Dipo, let me say again -- DIPO NEEDS TO BE A SCORING MACHINE OF THE SECOND UNIT. This role was perfect for him early in the SL change. This thing with him running PG -- NO.

 

Also, after watching more from last night, the refs are clearly setting up a Cleveland/Miami Conference Finals. The NBA is corrupt and will never help a small town like Orlando. The NBA has to be the most corrupt professional sports in the history of sports.

[Air Gordon 156]

When (if?!) CJ Watson comes back, Shabazz has a date with the Bayhawks, in my opinion.