2017-2018 Official Season Discussion Thread

[JamminJ21 35]

any press is good press amirite!? 

[Jay Magic 1,248]

.@OrlandoMagic F Aaron Gordon said he got lots of social media congrats & text messages after 41-pt game.His message: Get ready to send more

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

3 hours ago, Payton4thewin said:

so this kinda screws up the "Gordon is bad for ball movement" narrative http://on.nba.com/2xtvi8d

Well we didn't need the stats we all clearly saw it was false watching the game. So has Robbins been tweeted these stats?

[ML6 520]

13 minutes ago, TheNameIsOrlando said:

Well we didn't need the stats we all clearly saw it was false watching the game. So has Robbins been tweeted these stats?

I don't think he needs to be informed.  Robbins is historically very active replying to tweets -- I almost feel that by virtue of not replying initially to myself or P4TW that he maybe realized it was a bit off base? 

More likely he just didn't read our tweets or care to respond, though.   

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

4 minutes ago, ML6 said:

I don't think he needs to be informed.  Robbins is historically very active replying to tweets -- I almost feel that by virtue of not replying initially to myself or P4TW that he maybe realized it was a bit off base? 

More likely he just didn't read our tweets or care to respond, though.   

he's DMed me a couple times in the past when I've engaged him and he didn't want to respond publicly. didn't do it this time.

He's been doing this a while now so it might just be a case where he took the easy way out just to get something for his deadline. He deserves the benefit of the doubt because he's been the best traditional news source magic beat writer we've had with the exception of John Denton before he started working for the team.

[Odin 137]

49 minutes ago, Payton4thewin said:

he's playing no different than a ball handling wing like Rodney Hood. We run an offense designed around pace so whoever gets a rebound can just go with it. Gordon, ross, simmons, and Isaac/hezonja/afflalo in the preseason all do that (along with the point guards).

Fournier occasionally runs a pick and roll/pop with Vucevic. it's not atypical for a wing to do that. Simmons has done this a lot. Other wings do this on other teams. Durant does it.

But these are special sets that happen on occasion or its a transition thing. Fournier isn't the primary ball handler in our half court sets.

Right, I am not saying he doesn't have any, just that he doesn't have the level required to be a PG, which I would think would be obvious to any watching the Magic.

If we got into a half court set and needed someone to disrupt and break down a defense, you'd go with Payton almost every time. Fournier is good when he has a single action to make- if there is a driving lane to the basket open where he can get a good close shot or where he can pass it to a now open player. This can come from a simple play like the pick and pop or from receiving a pass from another player when the defense is out of sync.

On the other hand, if you need someone to force something to happen, Payton is better. Ball movement is good, but you still need a guy that can break the defense down off the dribble.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

Quote

The Orlando Magic must make a decision soon about Mario Hezonja.

Because of rules in the collective bargaining agreement about former first-round picks’ third and fourth seasons, the Magic face an Oct. 31 deadline to exercise their fourth-year team option on Hezonja for the 2018-19 season.

If the team exercises its option, Hezonja will remain under contract with the team through 2018-19 at a cap hit of $5.2 million for that season.

If the team does not exercise its option, Hezonja will become an unrestricted free agent this July, and the team would free the $5.2 million from its cap, although a cap hold would still apply.

Magic Preident of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman would not disclose the team’s plans and declined to comment.

The Magic picked Hezonja fifth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, and stardom seemed like a possibility. For example, ESPN analyst and former college coach Fran Fraschilladescribed Hezonja as the “only player” in that draft who “could win both the three-point contest at NBA All-Star Weekend and the dunk contest.”

“He's that gifted,” Fraschilla said.

So far, however, Hezonja has struggled to make an impact on either end of the court for Orlando.

 

On defense his first two seasons, he had problems fitting into the team’s scheme and had trouble staying in front of fast opponents.

Offensively, the team hasn’t done a good job utilizing his passing and court vision, which is perhaps his best skill. Hezonja also has not made as many shots as initially projected. Although he will enter Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs 4 of 5 from 3-point range this season, he made only 29.9 percent of his 3s last season.

Hezonja began his Magic tenure playing both wing positions, but coach Frank Vogelbegan to play him as a small-ball power forward late last season. Hezonja remains at power forward, backing up starter Aaron Gordon and rookie Jonathan Isaac.

Hezonja won’t turn 23 years old until February.

If the Magic don’t exercise their 2018-19 option on him, the team still could re-sign him in July. But as an unrestricted free agent, Hezonja would have the freedom to go anywhere he wants. Hezonja repeatedly has said he loves Orlando. But if he becomes an unrestricted free agent, his agent likely would seek out opportunities where Hezonja could get on the court.

Under NBA rules, a team that declines its third- or fourth-year option on one of its own players is not allowed to re-sign that player to a salary greater than the salary the player would have received under his rookie-scale contract. That provision in the collective bargaining agreement prevents teams from circumventing the salary cap.

Former GM Rob Hennigan picked Hezonja.

Not bringing back a former fifth overall pick for his fourth season would waste what had been a valuable asset. But Weltman and the Magic’s new GM, John Hammond, were not with the Magic when the team drafted Hezonja. Unburdened by past history, Weltman and Hammond are evaluating the situation from fresh perspectives.

Meanwhile, several other players drafted after Hezonja in 2015 have shown significant promise, especially the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner, who was picked 11th, and the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker, who was picked 13th.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-sp-orlando-magic-news-1028-story.html

I'd be shocked if we didn't pick up his option.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

13 minutes ago, The Neighborhood Bully said:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-magic/os-sp-orlando-magic-news-1028-story.html

I'd be shocked if we didn't pick up his option.

yeah. it's not even really a good/bad thing. it's a value thing.

 

we might end up going slightly over the luxury tax though. that might come into play. but we'll never have cap room next summer. you can always dump him for a second rounder. someone would pay that.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

here's some fun with small sample sizes http://on.nba.com/2xuEpVY

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Fournier is killing it coming off of screens.

[CTMagicUK 1,483]

Hezonja has been disappointing but he's not been so bad that you don't pick up his option. He's shown signs of being a rotation player so far this season. 

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

1 minute ago, CTMagicUK said:

Hezonja has been disappointing but he's not been so bad that you don't pick up his option. He's shown signs of being a rotation player so far this season. 

he's also cheaper than what it'd cost to grab a 10th man in free agency. mack makes more than him.