Soul Bro 1,419 Report post Posted March 22 “5. Have the (very good) Orlando Magic evolved beyond Markelle Fultz? Fultz averaged 14 points last season and hit 47% on midrangers. He even shot 27-of-87 -- 31% -- on 3s. Defenses sagged way off of Fultz, but he made up for it by eating up space with slippery zig-zag moves and hesitation dribbles -- and threading slick interior passes from weird angles. Fultz becoming a back-end starting point guard didn't seem unfeasible. Fultz's place on the Magic now seems precarious. Fultz has missed half the season because of knee issues, and the Magic moved on without him. He's a backup now; Orlando's revamped starting five -- Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. -- is plus-56 in 191 minutes. (Banchero gets better and more well-rounded every night -- a budding superstar.) Harris -- Fultz's replacement -- doesn't do much heavy lifting, but he's a threat from deep and defends hard. That's all Orlando needs with Wagner, Banchero and Suggs handling the ball. That group with Cole Anthony in Harris' spot is one of Orlando's most intriguing lineups. (Harris left Orlando's rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night early with a sore right foot.) Fultz is duplicative on bench units. Anthony and Joe Ingles split ballhandling duties in those lineups, and the Magic might keep one of Wagner and Banchero on the floor when the games really matter. Fultz just isn't that useful away from the ball: He has backslid to 38% on midrangers and is 1-of-11 on 3s. Fultz plays hard and makes small positive plays -- extra passes, hustle rebounds, flare screens. He's a popular teammate. His role grows murkier as the Magic surge.” https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/39774748/lowe-anthony-edwards-special-running-phoenix-here-come-houston-rockets Lowe has more on Suggs and Isaac being insane defenders, but this is relevant given our discussion earlier this week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryfromphilly 75 Report post Posted March 22 Yes the Magic have moved beyond Fultz in any statistically meaningful way. Unless he takes a vet minimum i see us letting him walk this summer. But I also would not be upset if he did stay at that minimum for the reasons You state toward the end. Off the bench Vet minimum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orlandoholic 134 Report post Posted March 22 6 hours ago, CTMagicUK said: Doubt he's available honestly. All NBA level defense with 40% 3 point shooting isnt the type of guy you move. there was some chatter about the possibility, because they gonna need to pay Trey Murphy big money as well.. But i’m intrigued again to add defensive players to this team. I’d anticipate that the NBA will allow teams to play defense again. There was and is just too much noise. We have started to see the refs shift towards letting players play! So adding defensive players and make us a defensive nightmare is intriguing. Another interesting situation is Okoro from the Cavs. Restricted FA and the Cavs are somewhat limited So Monk and Okoro are my favorite FA targets right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CTMagicUK 1,482 Report post Posted March 22 16 minutes ago, orlandoholic said: there was some chatter about the possibility, because they gonna need to pay Trey Murphy big money as well.. They've already paid Herb a really reasonable deal. Like he's getting paid Cole Anthony money. They're also currently 89m below the projected tax line in the year Trey Murphy's extension would kick in. Maybe if they blow it up someone like Herb might shake lose for picks and stuff but while they're trying to build around Zion I can't really imagine them letting Herb out the door. EDIT: also if they're struggling to pay Trey Murphy... Why not try and target him? Guy can shoot the hell out of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hootie249 293 Report post Posted March 22 Probably best not to think bout it yet. The only thing i agree is this is the year to add a free agent or two. I don't even want a big name. Give me a Hartenstein and A good shooting guard/point guard. I have watched a few minutes of each game lately once i figured out how to get a good feed on my phone for free. Not much more i i can add about the players but wanna say i'm very impressed by the coaching adjustments each game. I wanna say i never thought this staff was the long term solution last year. They totally turned me around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orlandoholic 134 Report post Posted March 22 video on the topic that officiating changed.. it’s true, the eye test doesn’t lie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryfromphilly 75 Report post Posted March 23 Miami lost, Cleveland lost .... one game out of 3rd !!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Magic 1,247 Report post Posted March 23 magic talk from 34mins or so Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Magic 1,247 Report post Posted March 23 loads of Magic talk on here that Bontemps whatever he is called is a slyyy hater Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MagicMan1979 105 Report post Posted March 23 https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2024/3/22/24108344/orlando-magic-john-calipari-kentucky-future-anthony-edwards-experience Bill Simmons and The Ringer gushing about The Magic! Man people love Suggs. Simmons called him the best defensive guard in the league. He also says having Issak is like putting in Bill Russel for 15 minutes every night. What an amazing season for us as fans. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
