Jump to content
Soul Bro

2020-2021 Official Magic Season Thread

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

At least we’re not the Pistons, riding Griffin and Rose to the worst record in the league.

That team should go full youth movement with Hayes and Doumbouya playing 35+ per game

Ha I would rather ride  that to the most ping pong balls than ride with Bacon , Ennis, Clark and Birch to the 5th worst record 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 hours ago, Luke_FfS said:

They wouldn't even answer the phone.

Not so sure on this. They would get Beal and Vuc. I think the bigger problem are the Wizards. They would sell Beal for Smart, Nesmith and some picks. Not sure if that is enough...

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

At least we’re not the Pistons, riding Griffin and Rose to the worst record in the league.

That team should go full youth movement with Hayes and Doumbouya playing 35+ per game

But we've been doing exactly what you're criticizing the Pistons of, except we're not the worst record in the league. We've been constantly running veterans over the young guys.

We have been playing Bamba way less than what we could since we've drafted him... Cole only played 35+ per game once in 16 games (which was last game)... Okeke averaged less than 20min/game even with Ennis unavailable... Let's not "point the finger" to other teams while we're neglecting ourselves...

So yes, WE should go full youth movement. We're just fooling ourselves once again, keeping everything the same (or worst with the injuries we have) and thinking this year will be better than last one...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, JayMac said:

But we've been doing exactly what you're criticizing the Pistons of, except we're not the worst record in the league. We've been constantly running veterans over the young guys.

We have been playing Bamba way less than what we could since we've drafted him... Cole only played 35+ per game once in 16 games (which was last game)... Okeke averaged less than 20min/game even with Ennis unavailable... Let's not "point the finger" to other teams while we're neglecting ourselves...

So yes, WE should go full youth movement. We're just fooling ourselves once again, keeping everything the same (or worst with the injuries we have) and thinking this year will be better than last one...

Youth movement would be my favorite path, but if we can pair Vuc with another all-star we might be able to make some noise in the East

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What’s everyone’s thoughts here in regards to Bambas playing time? This is becoming farcical that’s he’s not getting minutes. I hope he demands a trade. Starting to feel sorry for him now. I know Birch sometimes gives solid minutes but can’t watch him for much longer while our number 5 draft pick racks up coaches decision DNPs 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

Youth movement would be my favorite path, but if we can pair Vuc with another all-star we might be able to make some noise in the East

To be honest, I would be very happy with that but I just don't think it will happen at this point, and for several reasons:

1- While this FO is in there, we will never go down this road. they are just too "cautious"...

2- I presume that, together with Vuc, we would keep Isaac and Fultz. So with a pool of AG, Fournier, Ross, Aminu and draft picks on the table, do you think it would be enough to get an all-star? I think other teams have better packages than this to offer.

3- Let's put the scenario that we go this road, who would this all-star be? Beal: the wizards would trade him to us and not sure he is interested in joining us either. J.Brown: the same, especially if we don't send Vuc. Derozan: not an all-star anymore. G.Harris: the same and he is not what we need. Lavine: hard to believe the Bulls would do it now or without getting Vuc back. Hield: not an all-star... So who else?

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Birch, a 28-year-old journeyman who spent three seasons in the G League and Europe before signing with the Magic in 2017, is everything that Bamba is not. He doesn’t have the same size, shooting touch, or tantalizing potential, but he’s a savvy veteran who is almost always in the right position on both sides of the ball. He’s a great screen setter who sacrifices his body by rolling hard to the rim and collapsing the defense even if he knows he won’t get the rock. Birch does all the little things that a playoff contender needs from its backup center. 

It’s unfair to ask Bamba to do those same things. He’s a lottery pick with the upside to play all over the floor on offense. Clifford has let Bamba take 3s and try to expand his offensive game, but the Magic don’t need that on a second unit built around an elite sixth man in Terrence Ross. Ross, who can stop on a dime and fire 3s after racing around off-ball screens, is better with a big man who can use his body to free him up. Bamba presents a similar problem on defense. Bamba is an elite shot blocker who has to learn that there are times when it’s better not to go for the swat. Birch doesn’t have that issue. His career block percentage (2.8) is almost three times lower than Bamba’s (7.9). Birch doesn’t make as many positive defensive plays, but he makes up for it by allowing fewer negative ones. 

The best thing that could happen to Bamba’s development is for the Magic to slip out of the playoff race. They are 1-8 without Fultz and have dropped to no. 12 in the East. Clifford will have a hard time finding minutes for Bamba if the team’s goal is to make a play-in series. And Orlando has shown signs of life in its past three games, all of which have gone down to the wire. Clifford is starting to figure out a new rotation, moving Aaron Gordon to more of a playmaking role in Fultz’s absence and playing him more minutes with the second unit. 

The Magic will have to play Bamba at some point, if for no other reason than he’s up for an extension this offseason. They spent a high lottery pick on him three years ago and still have no idea what they have. The first thing the front office will have to do is either trade Birch at the deadline, or let him walk in free agency this summer, because Clifford has shown that he will not play Bamba over him. Bamba is still only 22. It might take awhile for the game to really slow down for him. Vucevic didn’t become an effective defender until he was 27. Birch didn’t make the NBA until he was 25. Orlando essentially committed to extending its rebuilding process indefinitely when it drafted Bamba. It just might not have known it at the time. 

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/1/25/22248359/mo-bamba-orlando-magic-young-nba-bigs

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I disagree completely with the idea that it's unfair to ask Mo Bamba to 'always be in the right position on both sides of the ball' or to 'be a great screen setter who... rolls hard to the rim'. Setting screens and standing in the right place isn't a high bar to clear, the best centers also set screens and know where to be not just backup hustle guys like Birch. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, CTMagicUK said:

I disagree completely with the idea that it's unfair to ask Mo Bamba to 'always be in the right position on both sides of the ball' or to 'be a great screen setter who... rolls hard to the rim'. Setting screens and standing in the right place isn't a high bar to clear, the best centers also set screens and know where to be not just backup hustle guys like Birch. 

Agree with that, but at the same time, playing help to acquire those kind of experience and savy... you don't became a smart veteran without learning (and failing) before.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Fournier is now playing the best ball of his career (PER of 19.72). I assume we will keep him until the deadline to help Cole develop, but I really don't want to extend him. In a related note, AG is playing the role of point forward really well. He's basically averaging 15, 8 and 7 while shooting 36 3PT% over the last 10 games. Another interesting situation to watch.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If AG plays like this he and Isaac can probably play together. I hope we ride it out with AG until next season personally. Then we'll hopefully know whether they can play together, whether Isaac can stay healthy and if he's worked on his jumpshot while he can't run etc. 

As good as Fournier has been since he returned I still think we need to trade him and it's not even anything to do with his play. The chances we can resign him without going into the tax or dumping a contract (and thus giving up assets) seems slim to me unless he accepts a pretty big pay cut.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Soul Bro said:

Fournier is now playing the best ball of his career (PER of 19.72). I assume we will keep him until the deadline to help Cole develop, but I really don't want to extend him. In a related note, AG is playing the role of point forward really well. He's basically averaging 15, 8 and 7 while shooting 36 3PT% over the last 10 games. Another interesting situation to watch.

Fournier also costs us close games by not passing to anyone but Vuch during crunch time and by forcing shots at the end of games.  He did better with both last night. It’s the kind of thing that’s hard to tease out of statistics.  
 

Agree that Gordon seems to be growing into the point forward role and is getting better at moving the ball to both sides of the court.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×