OFFICIAL GAMETHREAD: Magic vs Clippers

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Is this a new thing........so we can annoy Payton4thewin?

 

 

 

I think I've exhausted all my complaining emotion.

 

Let us proceed.

 

Yes indeed.

 

To our next game.

 

We play the Atlanta hawks two matches straight?

 

What a shame.

 

Jason Smith is the key to the franchise

[Catalina Maria 64]

Payton looked good against bad teams. Now we're playing better teams. Payton hasn't changed. The competition has.

 

He showed more promise last year. Games where he consistently would get 8-12 assists. He is no longer having such streaks largely due to Skiles system which involves more ball movement. His inability to shoot confidently or carry the ball in his hands under this system has rendered him now useless. He's not driving to the basket with as much intensity too. He's gotten lazy and nonchalant. Where's the Payton that challenged JV last year and said he was tired of losing?

[Jay Magic 1,251]

Another disgrace. Honestly guys I don't think Skiles is the man for the job either. Playoffs are out of the question totally. There has been minimal progress and we are actually in many ways worse. Rob your time to earn your keep and save the franchise from obscurity is now.

[Catalina Maria 64]

Another disgrace. Honestly guys I don't think Skiles is the man for the job either. Playoffs are out of the question totally. There has been minimal progress and we are actually in many ways worse. Rob your time to earn your keep and save the franchise from obscurity is now.

 

The players are young and the culture of losing has hurt this impressionable bunch. The regression of Vuc, Payton, and Harris on both ends of the floor since December has made this the longest ugly stretch in quite some time. To add relief, it's not like we were supposed to beat the Spurs or the Clippers. It's just that we are not looking competitive while it's crumbling around us.

 

Rob has assets. Let's see what he does with it.

[Jay Magic 1,251]

I say what I see. The team is a disgrace and have been since end of December. The teams regression is obvious. Skiles methods do not work. See what rob does and maybe give Skiles more time... We are atrocious. Honestly we don't do one thing consistently that goes towards winning basketball matches. We don't have elite anything. Athletism was supposed to be a massive bonus we don't even play to that supposed strength. We have players who are absolute liabilities everywhere. Our players are overated. Until somebody shows me any difference this team is only going to get worse.

[Catalina Maria 64]

I say what I see. The team is a disgrace and have been since end of December. The teams regression is obvious. Skiles methods do not work. See what rob does and maybe give Skiles more time... We are atrocious. Honestly we don't do one thing consistently that goes towards winning basketball matches. We don't have elite anything. Athletism was supposed to be a massive bonus we don't even play to that supposed strength. We have players who are absolute liabilities everywhere. Our players are overated. Until somebody shows me any difference this team is only going to get worse.

 

Yeah the team has been lackluster and plays with no urgency.

[Jay Magic 1,251]

Yeah the team has been lackluster and plays with no urgency.

 

I am just pissed off bro. The team talks a good game but does not back it up. Nothing changes. Honestly not even slight improvement defensively in the past however many games. Our players after this loss in the press interviews look beyond lost and dejected. They look like they have given up

[Magicman28 295]

I am just pissed off bro. The team talks a good game but does not back it up. Nothing changes. Honestly not even slight improvement defensively in the past however many games. Our players after this loss in the press interviews look beyond lost and dejected. They look like they have given up

 

Skiles said basically the same thing in the post game. This time last year, they gave up on JV. They are on their way of doing it again. They are accustomed to losing and giving up. The fact is, Skiles has been teaching them. He's teaching them playoff basketball offensively and defensively. He's trying to set them up for success. The problem is their mentality. They do not value possessions, they do not prioritize defense first, they shy away from physicality, they lack consistent energy and motivation for 48 minutes, and they play not to lose. These are habits they've picked up. Breaking habits is tougher than developing them.

 

Imo, if playoffs are still the goal we need to make some moves. 1: We need a starting pg until Payton is ready. His lack of shooting and experience in winning is glaring. We are not going to even have a shot until Payton improves in these areas 2: An starting c/pf who plays defense, boxes out, and plays with some physicality and can also provide some offense.

 

If we don't care about the playoffs, then there's no worries and we can carry on. To me, that would be a shame as we aren't teaching these young bucks anything they don't already know.

 

The only other option, and what I think might happen, is we start going in another direction. We trade our assets for youth with more experience that can still be taught but aren't so accustomed to giving up and losing. I feel this may happen if no deal to get vets can get done. Time is running out each game we lose and Skiles and Henny might feel like

they can't keep putting a square peg in a round hole.

[Voodoo Man 99]

In the first 13 minutes of play, the Clippers committed 10 turnovers and were ahead by 8 points. Unbelievable.

[Spaceman 58]

Went to the game last night and here are just a few observations.

 

The arena was 2/3s full, I don't know if everyone was in the restaurants and bars or what but I've seen more energy at a funeral.

 

Vooch is a matador and he has stopped playing with his back to the basket relying mainly on his 18 foot jump shot. This team desperately needs a shot blocking presence who will knock an opposing player on his ass when he comes into the lane.

 

Payton who I thought was supposed to be a facilitator with above average defense still gets lost and cannot fight through a screen to save his life. Because he has no confidence in (any of his shots) he dribbles into the paint and immediately throws it back out to the three point line or tries for an inside pass in traffic. Neither of these are options are instilling fear into our opponents.

 

Basically this teams defense is non existent and they can't make shots. I'm not a huge Nicholson fan but when he was playing good he could make a shot and had just a little (albeit slow footed) toughness. I really think Skiles should at least throw him and Deadmon out there for at least their six fouls.

 

One last thing if Jammal Crawford played against the Magic every game he would be HOF.

[Catalina Maria 64]

I am just pissed off bro. The team talks a good game but does not back it up. Nothing changes. Honestly not even slight improvement defensively in the past however many games. Our players after this loss in the press interviews look beyond lost and dejected. They look like they have given up

 

We are all pissed. But it's not the end of the world. At least we have assets that are tradeable and a flexible payroll that is not handcuffing us. The players we have are largely composed of softies without heart. It's time to cut some of them loose. If we aren't winning the championship anyway, then I'm ok not making the playoffs if it gives us a better chance at landing an asset in the postseason.

 

Very disappointed that Payton, Vuc, Harris regressed. Perhaps Skiles needs to look at the lineup that was winning games and go back to that. Payton and Dipo together in the back court is not working.

[fan for too long 2 534]

What amazes me is that skiles was a poor defender as a player and yet that is all he talks about. Obviously he can teach it but from what experience is he drawing it from.

 

Also on the pnr why is he not teaching Vuch to come out and defend the shooter at the ft line. Is it his gameplan? Or is Vuch just very stupid.