2016-2017 Season Discussion Thread

[Magicman28 295]

I love Mario. he might be my favorite player on the team right now because I tend to skew towards underappreciated guys and his development is genuinely interesting.

 

We don't know if Mario is going to play like an NBA player from game to game. that's not a good thing to have in the starting lineup.

 

I absolutely think we should run a payton-fournier-mario-gordon-biyombo(Ibaka?) lineup at some point in games. but I think that needs to be a mid game thing, not a start the game thing.

 

Yeah I get that but he's becoming an solid defensive player and maybe starting is better for him and the team.

 

We just keep trying force that square peg in the round hole it seems instead of committing to what's probably the best solution not being tried.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Yeah I get that but he's becoming an solid defensive player and maybe starting is better for him and the team.

 

We just keep trying force that square peg in the round hole it seems instead of committing to what's probably the best solution not being tried.

 

the best thing for Mario so far has been making him a major option on the second unit where we run our initiating action through him. We have significant evidence at multiple levels that show he looks like an entirely different player when he's given a task vs when he's asked to be floor spacing.

 

I'm worried that if you stick him in the starting lineup one of two things are going to happen. Either we continue to have Mario run through the initiating action while Fournier is playing the spacing role which underutilizes Fournier. or you have Mario as spacing which limits his success.

 

There will be a time where Mario grows out of this phase he's in and we can play him in whatever role we see fit. but he's not there yet.

[Magicman28 295]

the best thing for Mario so far has been making him a major option on the second unit where we run our initiating action through him. We have significant evidence at multiple levels that show he looks like an entirely different player when he's given a task vs when he's asked to be floor spacing.

 

I'm worried that if you stick him in the starting lineup one of two things are going to happen. Either we continue to have Mario run through the initiating action while Fournier is playing the spacing role which underutilizes Fournier. or you have Mario as spacing which limits his success.

 

There will be a time where Mario grows out of this phase he's in and we can play him in whatever role we see fit. but he's not there yet.

 

 

See I'm a firm believer Fournier as an spacer is best. I don't like him with an huge role. Same goes for everyone else other than maybe Vuch. I wonder if plugging him in, puts others where they belong.

 

I agree he hasn't shown it yet but maybe playing with spacers and the team's best players propels his growth upward faster.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

See I'm a firm believer Fournier as an spacer is best. I don't like him with an huge role. Same goes for everyone else other than maybe Vuch. I wonder if plugging him in, puts others where they belong.

 

I agree he hasn't shown it yet but maybe playing with spacers and the team's best players propels his growth upward faster.

 

I get what you're saying but Fournier is better than a floor spacer. probably not what we're asking him to be right now but better than a floor spacer.

[Magicman28 295]

I get what you're saying but Fournier is better than a floor spacer. probably not what we're asking him to be right now but better than a floor spacer.

 

Ehh, I dunno. He's wildly inconsistent in that.

 

Some games yeah others your screaming at the tv for him to stop playing outside himself.

 

I'll say this and I know I'm in the minority but I would rather Mario play the way we're forcing Fournier to play.

 

I just think it's inevitable. We're just stunting growth and wins in the process. Just my opinion.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Ehh, I dunno. He's wildly inconsistent in that.

 

Some games yeah others your screaming at the tv for him to stop playing outside himself.

 

I'll say this and I know I'm in the minority but I would rather Mario play the way we're forcing Fournier to play.

 

I just think it's inevitable. We're just stunting growth and wins in the process. Just my opinion.

 

you might get your wish

 

 

Evan Fournier (sore lower back) is being listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.

 

If Fournier is forced to the sidelines on Wednesday night, that would give Mario Hezonja the opportunity to run with the starters, which would make him an intriguing DFS punt play despite the difficult matchup. Jeff Green could also see a boost in minutes for the Magic sans Fournier, while Aaron Gordon would be asked to do more on the offensive end. Check back for another update closer to tipoff.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

a payton-hezonja-gordon-ibaka-biyombo lineup is either going to be fantastic for Hezonja or terrible for our chance of winning tonight.

[Odin 137]

the best thing for Mario so far has been making him a major option on the second unit where we run our initiating action through him. We have significant evidence at multiple levels that show he looks like an entirely different player when he's given a task vs when he's asked to be floor spacing.

 

I'm worried that if you stick him in the starting lineup one of two things are going to happen. Either we continue to have Mario run through the initiating action while Fournier is playing the spacing role which underutilizes Fournier. or you have Mario as spacing which limits his success.

 

There will be a time where Mario grows out of this phase he's in and we can play him in whatever role we see fit. but he's not there yet.

 

I like how much more involved Mario has been so far. Last year, he seemed to become disengaged when things weren't going his way. This year, he continues to move and play hard on D, even if he is missing shots.

 

Of course, I would really like it if those shots went in, but he often looks like one of our more engaged players on the court. (I think that says as much about him as it does about the rest of our team though *cough*Ibaka*cough*)

 

Also, while handling the ball more, his turnover percentage is actually down by 4% from last year. While he still makes some iffy decisions, they are less common, and some of them have to do with still building up chemistry with his teammates, especially since he mostly plays with newer guys to the team.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

The spacing is a problem implicit to the roster, given the concentration of bigs, Payton's lack of shooting at the point of attack, and the fact that defenses don't yet respect Gordon's jumper. Rebounding, though, has been one of this group's more incomprehensible failures to date. The Magic are structured to have a size advantage at almost every position—therein lies the virtue of trying out Gordon as a wing. Biyombo was one of the five best rebounders by percentage last season and Vucevic grabbed a solid 8.9 per game. Even Payton has proven to be a respectable contributor on the boards when invested in the enterprise. Thus far, however, the sum of theMagic's rebounding efforts has yielded one of the three worst defensive rebounding rates in the league and a systematic bleeding of second-chance points.

 

Even Biyombo and Vucevic have too often watched as opposing bigs maneuver inside to scoop up rebounds. As a result, Orlando has not only given up a crippling number of offensive rebounds overall, but also yielded unusually high efficiency to opponents on theirs econd-shot attempts. It's one thing if a fight for a rebound happens to go the other way. By flatly conceding so many without even challenging their opponents' position, second-chance points are largely a free layup away. The Magic have to execute the box-out basics more consistently if they're going to give their defense any chance to survive. Their broader defensive work, though, also needs to be cleaned up sothat the best rebounders on the floor aren't so often forced to rotate or switch their way out of optimal positioning. "Defensive rebounding,"Vogel said, "starts with containment."

 

Orlando's blueprint could allow for a capable defense,provided that every player involved does his job and understands how his role interacts with the greater scheme. Having size at every spot—along with the flexibility to go small when needed—matters. There's enough athleticism on the perimeter to keep up and prevent easy blow-bys. There's enough rim protection on the back line to ward off drives and carry long defensive stands. Weird as the roster may be, one can see some of what Vogel does in this team and its prospects; there is an actualized version of the Magic that can leverage its length to compete. The only way to know if that possibility can be made real is to wait.

http://www.si.com/nb...bismack-biyombo

[Odin 137]

[/size]http://www.si.com/nb...bismack-biyombo

 

Agreed, this is a major issue and one of our biggest problems.

[Magicman28 295]

you might get your wish

 

 

Evan Fournier (sore lower back) is being listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.

 

If Fournier is forced to the sidelines on Wednesday night, that would give Mario Hezonja the opportunity to run with the starters, which would make him an intriguing DFS punt play despite the difficult matchup. Jeff Green could also see a boost in minutes for the Magic sans Fournier, while Aaron Gordon would be asked to do more on the offensive end. Check back for another update closer to tipoff.

 

 

If this is the case, I hope Mario gets the nod. Although I prefer him at the 3, I'm happy if he gets in there with SL.

[Jay Magic 1,251]

So tonight's #Magic starters vs the #Timberwolves will be Payton, Fournier, Gordon, Ibaka and Vucevic.