2019-2020 Official Regular Season Thread

[South_Aussie_Magic 90]

10 hours ago, Fultz4thewin said:

Maybe towns isn't good

I never thought he was that impressive overall. Great scorer and all but... I think his full court intensity is as on and off as Wiggins himself... and Vuc when looking at us.

[Captain 24]

I am officially off the boat with this team. They just can’t get it done. They lack purpose

[jec 427]

55 minutes ago, Captain said:

I am officially off the boat with this team. They just can’t get it done. They lack purpose

Can’t really blame you. It’s been a frustrating several seasons now

[Captain 24]

38 minutes ago, jec said:

Can’t really blame you. It’s been a frustrating several seasons now

I’ll keep watching them like I usually do, but I am just not gonna expect much. This is NOT a playoff team. They don’t play as a team

[jec 427]

1 hour ago, Captain said:

I’ll keep watching them like I usually do, but I am just not gonna expect much. This is NOT a playoff team. They don’t play as a team

Nope. Vuc and Fournier obviously aren’t gonna help us win. Long overdue time we look elsewhere.

[Jay Magic 1,233]

 

[Jay Magic 1,233]

 

[magicblue 315]

9 minutes ago, Jay Magic said:

 

Why are we running on fumes? It's not like our guys are playing with maximum effort each and every night out

[hootie249 293]

22 hours ago, Fultz4thewin said:

Maybe towns isn't good

    The NBA has changed so much.In the 90's having guys like Davis,Towns or Embiid would get you 50 wins no matter who you played with them.

Now it's all about how you use those players. As mentioned a few posts back the Ibaka trade was a mistake but it could have led to better things. If they had traded Vuc and used Ibaka as a small ball 5 with a couple cheap traditional centers on the roster.Instead we paid Biyombo. Towns should be a huge mismatch if they had the right players.

    In other news the Grizzlies are going to waive Dion Waiters. We should throw the vet minimum at him so Gordon has someone to smoke with!

[Just a regular Magic fan 38]

1 hour ago, Jay Magic said:

 

I wish they would ask him about his plans to fix the SG position. Fournier has been shooting the ball well, so I will give him that even though it's a contract year, but I have doubts about whether he is a good fit for our team and offense now that we have Fultz. 

[hootie249 293]

14 minutes ago, Just a regular Magic fan said:

I wish they would ask him about his plans to fix the SG position. Fournier has been shooting the ball well, so I will give him that even though it's a contract year, but I have doubts about whether he is a good fit for our team and offense now that we have Fultz. 

  Jeff was just on the radio. If you listened to the interview he was very defensive. He was trying to defend his non moves, trumpet our youth and use our injuries as an excuse. Guy sounds like an idiot. 

   I'm tired of bring negative. Here something positive. I hope Dj and Isaac return. If they do we can make a run and play much better. Ennis can help us as these numbers show.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.fcgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1_hint=Gary+Clark&player_id1_select=Gary+Clark&y1=2020&player_id1=clarkga01&idx=players&player_id2_hint=Wesley+Iwundu&player_id2_select=Wesley+Iwundu&y2=2020&player_id2=iwundwe01&idx=players&player_id3_hint=James+Ennis&player_id3_select=James+Ennis&y3=2020&player_id3=ennisja01&idx=players

Stolen from Orlando Pinstripes. I like watching the Magic when they are healthy so i hope and pray we get our players healthy again.

[Wilbur 48]

I'm REALLLLLLLY trying to see a cohesive plan to make this team more than an also ran.  Henny's plan was to build around Vucevic, Fournier and Payton.  That didn't work.  Weltman has tinkered around the edges trying to change the culture and perception of the franchise.  Almost all of Weltman's moves thus far have been minimal risk with some potential for high upside.  Isaac had the low floor of a 3 and D, Bamba of a shot blocking specialist, Okeke of another 3 and D.  The trade for Fultz was essentially spare parts for a young back-up PG.  Without a doubt all 4 of these low risk moves could develop into the foundational building block necessary to get us beyond late lotto/first round exit purgatory.  Not one of those four is over 22, but then again all 4 have injury history that has hampered their development and likely left Weltman scratching his head regarding whether even 1 of the 4 will be able to serve as a building block.

Building blocks aren't easy to find.  We have been waiting for Aaron Gordon to become that foundational piece, but at this point it appears he is going to be a really good third or fourth wheel on a competitive club.  I still think it is possible his development has been retarded by buddy ball, but Gordon certainly hasn't demanded he be option 1 and his career 45/32/70 percentages don't suggest he'd be anything but a volume scorer if he was option 1.  Still, a hyper athletic sidekick to a foundational piece is not easy to find either.  I'd love to see us get that building block through a trade, but it isn't coming back in exchange for Vuc or Fournier.  If it were, that move would have already been made.  Bamba, Fultz and Okeke have sufficient questions about their upside that they won't be the heart of any deal.  That leaves Gordon and Isaac.  Weltman loves long athletically gifted bigs.  It is understandable he isn't ready to move on from either at this point.   

So Weltman appears content to bet on the high upside, low risk 4 above plus Gordon to eventually supplant Fournier and Vucevic as the faces of the franchise, but he's not willing to blow it up and go back to winning 20 something games and risk a losing culture setting in again.  He gave Vucevic and Gordon large front-loaded contracts that get easier to move if they are made expendable.  He gives mid-level contracts to recognized "professional" guys that do it the right way and can be mentors (Augustine, Ross and Aminu).  If we wanted to move these guys for cap space, you'd have to think it wouldn't be all that hard. 

The pressing issue now is what to do about Fournier.  I detest buddy ball, but Fournier for another year wouldn't be the worst thing in the world as there is no one pushing for his minutes and there isn't anyone currently on the roster that looks like a long term replacement.  Unless 6'8" 230 lb Chuma Okeke or this years 1st round pick are going to take those minutes next year, we'd be missing a lot (you have no idea how hard this is for me to type) if Fournier isn't on this team next year. 

So what option is left to Weltman?  He has to waiting on Isaac and Okeke to get healthy and for Fultz and Bamba to demand minutes this year at the expense of the vets.  Fultz is doing his part, though without a 3 point shot his ceiling is looking low.  Bamba is making the most of the minutes.  Unlike last year he is getting significantly outplaying Birch.  That's a plus.  He certainly isn't threatening Vuc's minutes yet, but he also may be proving enough to make Vuc expendable if the right deal came along. Isaac was doing good work when he got injured.  Hopefully the injury doesn't set him back.  Okeke is thought to be the shooter this team sorely needs.  

I really don't like watching Vuc, Evan and Ross take half of our shots on any given night, but for lack of a better options I think Weltman is stuck with it until Gordon, Isaac, Fultz, Bama or Okeke demands those shots through their play.  When they do, the Magic will have taken the next step.