2017-2018 Official Season Discussion Thread

[JJZFL]

26 minutes ago, Skip to my Jameer 114 said:

Tanking after an 8-4 start doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe the injuries have forced the hand, maybe we’re trying to showcase Vucevic, Payton and Hezonja for trades? I don’t know what the hell is going on 

Unfortunately trying to showcase these guys has probably decreased their perceived trading  value as often as it’s increased it. 

[All Eyes On Me]

25 minutes ago, Payton4thewin said:

Typically you tank by resting veteran players and give big minutes to rookies so maybe we're not tanking and we just like to be overly cautious because concussion is a scary word right now.

I wonder if Isaac suffered a setback that they’re not talking about. Or maybe they’re holding him out because Aaron is out and they don’t want to be tempted to overload his minutes after a month out.

[Mauro Pedrosa]

3 hours ago, random said:

Im probably more excited to see what Iwundu does, he played pretty good so far.

I like Iwundu's motor. Just needs to develop a jumpshot

[Fultz4thewin]

35 minutes ago, JJZFL said:

Unfortunately trying to showcase these guys has probably decreased their perceived trading  value as often as it’s increased it. 

Plus it's not like people don't know who vucevic is by now.  

[Jay Magic]

The fact nobody is talking or mentioning Isaac from inside the club or even reporters asking is very weird

like we have been told not to ask lol

[Jay Magic]

Starters EP..Simmons..Iwundu..Mario & Vooch

[Jay Magic]

Vogel said Jonathan Isaac did one on one drills today at shootaround. Hope is he will practice some tomorrow. Sounds like he is close.

[The Neighborhood Bully]

Quote

There’s a vague sense that Payton is viewed as a defense-oriented guard. A 6-foot-7 wingspan gives him spectacular length at his position and he currently averages 1.47 steals per game, good for 11th-best among point guards. While Payton does have quick and opportunistic hands, you’ll be hard-pressed to see what else he does well defensively. 

His rotations are a nightmare for head coach Frank Vogel. Payton seems either unable or unwilling to track opposing guards. Along the perimeter, opponents are shooting 5.3 percentage points better from 3-point range when “guarded” by Payton.

Whatever the origin of Payton’s reputation as a defender, that view seems to be crumbling quickly. In a recent piece by the Orlando Sentinel, reporter Josh Robbins succinctly noted that “Payton struggles to navigate screens, and many scouts have said that Payton doesn’t move well laterally and doesn’t compete hard enough defensively.” 

Offensively, Payton is even harder to quantify. During an era when others at his position are redefining the concept of guard play, Payton seems mired in mediocrity. He’s a decent enough playmaker, averaging 6.5 assists per game (again, 11th-best at his position). But strangely enough, that has been Payton’s per-game average through the first three years of his career. It’s almost as though he’s unable to surpass that output.

As a scorer, Payton is definitely in the lower tier at his position. He’s shooting a career-high in effective field goal percentage, at 52, but in nearly 28 minutes per game, he contributes a measly 10.8 points, good for 33rd among point guards per ESPN.com. 

Payton is averaging the fewest field goal attempts per game (9.4) since his rookie season, which has undoubtedly contributed to his efficiency. He’s also ghastly at the free-throw line, shooting an anemic 54.1 percent. The silver lining of this dark cloud is that he averages 1.9 attempts per game from the charity stripe. In truth, this is also an indicator of how weak Payton’s offensive contributions are, but if you’re looking for a positive this might be your only option.

Orlando’s offense has gone freezing cold over the last month. After a blisteringly hot start, many expected a drop-off, but this has surpassed any expectations one might have had. A nine-game losing streak ended in late November with a win over the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder, but the team has gone just 2-4 since. Even with a home-friendly schedule in December, the Magic don’t seem likely to turn things around this year.

There might be some correlation between Orlando’s hot start and the fact that Payton missed the start of the year due to injury. Journeyman D.J. Augustin started in his place and the Magic’s offense seemed to flow better. But Augustin got hurt and Payton returned and everything has since been unrecognizably mucked up. The team was among the top scoring units in the NBA through the first handful of games but has since dropped to 11th. Defensively, the Magic are the third-worst team in the league, allowing 110.8 points per game, on 46.7 percent shooting.

Not all of this falls on Payton’s shoulders, obviously, but he certainly represents part of the problem. The Magic have lacked a clear identity for years and don’t seem likely to develop one at any point this season, either. Watching cast-offs Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo thrive in Detroit and Indiana, respectively, hasn’t helped. There were rumors that Orlando’s former general manager, Rob Hennigan, fired former head coach Scott Skiles because of conflicts with Payton, effectively choosing the latter over the former. Vogel was since hired and Payton has yet to evolve.

https://www.fanragsports.com/elfrid-payton-remains-an-unconventional-unknown/

[A Better DJ & Photographer]

5 minutes ago, The Neighborhood Bully said:

https://www.fanragsports.com/elfrid-payton-remains-an-unconventional-unknown/

That about sums up what I see in EP too! He would be a better than average backup but being at #33 is terrible for a starter.

[All Eyes On Me]

Our problems revolve around a point guard and center that are both abysmal defenders, especially on the pick and roll

[Fultz4thewin]

18 minutes ago, Jay Magic said:

Vogel said Jonathan Isaac did one on one drills today at shootaround. Hope is he will practice some tomorrow. Sounds like he is close.

Right but they've said that for like 11 days now

[Jay Magic]

26 minutes ago, Payton4thewin said:

Right but they've said that for like 11 days now

Yep which is just odd. It's very weird definitely.