2019 Offseason Thread

[Franchise408 116]

4 hours ago, Just a regular Magic fan said:

Now that we basically have our team in place any thoughts on who will take their game to the next level next season?

Not counting Fultz because he is just trying to get on the court the way I see it is we have just a few guys that can take the next step. Vooch, Fournier, Augustine are pretty much maxed at their potential. Sure, they can improve, but I guess they are pretty close to their ceiling. That leaves AG, Bamba, JI, and Iwundu as our core of young guys whose ceiling is still unknown. Of that group, Bamba should be the one who shows the most improvement from year one, but that is sort of a gimme since he was hurt most of last year. Iwundu is coming along. I like what I have seen but he just might not have enough potential to be a real influence. That leaves AG and JI. Will one of these guys move the needle? I know AG is motivated. He really embraced his defensive role last year but can he take his offense to the next level and be a go-to guy? As much as I want to see that the jury is still out. When he has gotten his chance he's been inconsistent. JI, on the other hand, had a stretch last year where he was really balling. Was that a fluke or will that be the norm this year? I am hoping that it will become the norm so he's the guy I am looking at to really make a big impact on the team next year. I really like AG. Nothing against him. He's a big part of our franchise, but it's JI who I believe will be the guy who raises his game and takes the next step. What about you? Is it going to be the same ole, same ole or will we have a guy emerge?

I think this is a year for both Isaac and Gordon. In the case of Gordon tho, he really started to shine in the playoffs and I would love to see that growth continue. If he can build off of his post season, I think we really got something on our hands with Gordon.

Bamba and Fultz are x-factors. Even assume that Fultz comes back 100% healthy from day 1, he's still been out for a full year. He's gonna need time to get back into the full swing of things. And Bamba is still raw. I think they can both be a catalyst that propels our team to another level, but even best case scenario is unlikely to be this year.

If we want solid improvement this year, it will come from Gordon and Isaac, my money is on Gordon taking the biggest jump.

For the future beyond this year, it will come from Fultz and Bamba.

If those latter 2 pan out the way we think they can, our money in Vuc won't matter because we will have our guys.

[Originalticketholder 133]

2 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

You can't take what happened at the end of last season and apply it to next season. A team does what we did every year and it never carries over. 

That is the $64,000 question.  How do we maintain our second half level from this past year.  On paper, in theory we should be a better team just based on continuity, team chemitry, and improvement.   If Clifford is really good he will have us out of the gates pretty fast.  What a switch that would be.  Not sure what the hype about Boston is.  One injury to a main player and they are toast and did anyone look at the PF and center position.  If you cannot exploit that go home.  If Hayward does not return to All Star form they will be 6, 7, or 8, best I see them as 5,.  Miami will play hard, as they always do, but their roster is about #8 or lottery level talent wise.  Butler will have to score 40 or more every night to change that.  Their usual front court strength pretty sub par.  Without Durant and, you know, Irving will be injured this year sometime, Brooklyn not real formidable unless small ball works.    Frontcourt...see Boston. Detroit has done not much of anything and Griffin will get hurt sometime, he always does. Yes we have "if's" too but our "if's" are smaller than last year.  I see our two big "if's" as Fultz and Bamba, both slated as second teamers.  If those "if's" become reasonable assets you want to play our second team of Fultz/Ross/Bamba/Iwundu/or two rotating starters...I did not think so!  Isee us between 36 to 48 wins depending on injury minutes and, more importantly, Bamba and Fultz,  If those two make big strides put us in for >45 wins.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Everything that could go right did go right for us last season. 

We'll be better (no Grant and Simmons, young player natural improvement) but those improvements won't correspond to many more wins because we won't be fighting from behind to make the playoffs, guys will get injured, there won't be as much urgency to come back against Memphis. 

 

The way we take a big leap is having someone on the roster take a big leap. Maybe that's Fultz, maybe Gordon. But without that leap we'll be in the same general win range as last year. 

[ML6 520]

Aside from not being injured ourselves I feel like we got a good draw with some opponent's load management timing.  Felt like we ran into a good amount of teams resting main guys down the stretch.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

9 minutes ago, ML6 said:

Aside from not being injured ourselves I feel like we got a good draw with some opponent's load management timing.  Felt like we ran into a good amount of teams resting main guys down the stretch.

And it's not to take away from what that team accomplished. Winning that many games in a row is tough. Charlotte caught Philly without embiid and lost. They caught the Lakers without half of their team and lost. They caught us without Vuc and Isaac and lost. 

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

1 hour ago, The Neighborhood Bully said:

would have been a good pick-up if we hadn't resigned MCW

We probably can't afford him

 

Edit: also we need a defensive point guard

[jmmagicfan 299]

I'll have to admit, I am a little concerned that we haven't added/upgraded our back court rotation, but I can see why they went with Aminu. Truth is we didn't have a backup 3/4 on the team. Okeke is both a rookie, and he won't be back from injury until somewhere around the all-star break. Fournier, Iwundu, and Ross can all play some SF, but really you only have Gordon and Isaac to play PF; so if one of them goes down you are really short there, and they spend time on the floor together as the SF and PF.

I don't know what we have with Frazier, but he is another 2/3, if he is ready for minutes. I would have liked to see us pick up another combo guard (2/1), like a Satoransky; but we as fans don't know where Fultz is in his process, and maybe the FO thinks we don't need another guy (like Quinn Cook) whose primary position is PG because Fultz is almost ready to go. That is my hope. 

[Nyce_1 311]

Prediction: 40-45 wins. 

Roster: Mozgov is really a waste. Waste of money and roster spot. Ideally, we trade Timmy & Fournier for better(?) shooting guard. I'd love to get Birch back and a shooter. 

Stauskas anyone? I wonder how Jeffries will look in summer league. I also hate Frazier is hurt cause I want to see what we have in him. 

[Just a regular Magic fan 38]

2 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

Everything that could go right did go right for us last season. 

We'll be better (no Grant and Simmons, young player natural improvement) but those improvements won't correspond to many more wins because we won't be fighting from behind to make the playoffs, guys will get injured, there won't be as much urgency to come back against Memphis. 

 

The way we take a big leap is having someone on the roster take a big leap. Maybe that's Fultz, maybe Gordon. But without that leap we'll be in the same general win range as last year. 

You didn’t include JI. Just not feeling it ?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

11 minutes ago, Just a regular Magic fan said:

You didn’t include JI. Just not feeling it ?

Isaac isn't going to jump from 9ppg to 20 in one offseason 

[Nyce_1 311]

If he's trying to get back to the NBA, I'd really welcome Alex Abrines onto the roster. Give him Bi-Annual. 

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

22 minutes ago, Nyce_1 said:

If he's trying to get back to the NBA, I'd really welcome Alex Abrines onto the roster. Give him Bi-Annual. 

Nah