2016-2017 Season Discussion Thread

[TreyMachine 395]

This team is a last minute collapse away from being 3-1. I'm starting to more-and-more believe that road trips are great for building team chemistry (rather than going to the game and going home). Our team is really starting to gel. I'm actually optimistic and truly hope (and believe) they can continue this trend with the lineups that we're showing.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

This team is a last minute collapse away from being 3-1. I'm starting to more-and-more believe that road trips are great for building team chemistry (rather than going to the game and going home). Our team is really starting to gel. I'm actually optimistic and truly hope (and believe) they can continue this trend with the lineups that we're showing.

 

No. We are 3-1. We're a last minute collapse from being 4-0

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Vogel said Ibaka is one of the best big men in the league and they have not even begun exploring him at center yet. #Magic

 

@orlmagicdaily

[Catalina Maria 64]

Vogel said Ibaka is one of the best big men in the league and they have not even begun exploring him at center yet. #Magic

 

@orlmagicdaily

 

Vogel = the king of adaptability.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Lowe:

 

Nice win for ORL tonight. Have realized 1) Gordon/Elf can't play together w 2 traditional bigs. 2) DJ for Elf better starting lineup change

[Franchero MVP 391]

Lowe:

 

Nice win for ORL tonight. Have realized 1) Gordon/Elf can't play together w 2 traditional bigs. 2) DJ for Elf better starting lineup change

 

What we all knew for a while

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

What we all knew for a while

 

Yeah. National people checked out on us at some point between the loss at Indiana and the loss against phoenix.

 

Matt Moore was the first guy to do a deep dive after the San Antonio win and he thinks we have something. Nothing amazing or anything but something.

[Franchero MVP 391]

Lowe:

 

Nice win for ORL tonight. Have realized 1) Gordon/Elf can't play together w 2 traditional bigs. 2) DJ for Elf better starting lineup change

 

What we all knew for a while

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Last 12 games we have the #1 defense in the league with a 95.8 defensive rating.

 

Just need someone to score.

 

If we end up being a respectable team i wonder what we could get for a top 8 protected pick.

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

Vogel said Ibaka is one of the best big men in the league and they have not even begun exploring him at center yet. #Magic

 

@orlmagicdaily

 

Well let's start exploring! Seems we have our SL figured out so let's see how else we can exploit teams with our versatility. Limited minutes to see how it works.

[Magicman28 295]

Just need to find an PG that can score and play within our system.

 

We're not going to suck enough to win an high draft pick with an defense this good..

 

Gotta find our Chauncey Billups guys.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

Are the Magic good? There’s a case for it. Four of the team’s last five losses have been by less than five points, and they’ve won three of the last four. Serge Ibaka is a strange star player than no one could have expected, but he’s making it work. Evan Fournier is prone to getting completely locked down, but his 18 points on 44-percent shooting has him leading the team in scoring.

 

The Magic have the second-worst offense in the league, but their defense is third best. That’s why Nikola Vucevic is still so important, even after he was moved to the bench in favor of Bismack Biyombo in the starting five. Vucevic’s a classic case for a low post scorer who is better suited to beat up on second units, after all, especially since he hasn’t been able to join the growing trend of NBA big men who shoot threes.

 

Orlando has the third-worst assist ratio in the league, so the biggest offensive problems come from the team not having anyone to create shots. A breakout season from Elfrid Payton could help that, if he can get past D.J. Augustin starting over him. Maybe there’s another option somewhere on the roster, too. Maybe that’s all that’s holding the offense back.

 

But that’s the argument for the Magic being good — a lot of wishful hoping that ignores the actual reality that the team is three games under .500 with an easy schedule and a minus-four point differential on the year.

 

It’s hard to fault the Magic for growing tired of losing 60 games per season, but it’s just hard to say that losing only 45 this season — in a fantastic draft, mind you — is ultimately a better route for the franchise. And as the Magic alternate between looking alright winning games like Sunday and losing four straight games like they did to close November, it’s clear that’s their current trajectory this season.

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