2023-2024 General Game Thread

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

Actually I made a super dumb mistake in my initial thoughts.

Because Franz and Jalen will still have year 4 of their rookie contracts we couldn't extend them and operate as over the cap because their extensions won't count against the cap until the summer after... 

So really we have 38m in cap room that we need to spend a chunk of on somebody. We could always do what we did this summer and keep guys like Harris, Goga and maybe Fultz on short term, flexible contracts. 

And just from doing some estimation (guess work) I do think, if we wanted, we might be able to give someone something like  4/100m contract (doubt we could raise the money much more but could definitely do less years etc for greater flexibility) in free agency and just about skirt the tax long term when Franz, Jalen and Paolo extensions kick in. 

Sorry about that, cap stuff is confusing lol

[Albert Lergier 99]

12 hours ago, TreyMachine said:

I agree with CT on all these and will continue to preach - we're drafting good players, creating culture, and then signing them to long term deals to generally stay within the cap. 

We're not going to take a big swing on a free agent that puts us at the cap with a need to extend Paolo to a max in 2 years to send us way over the cap cliff. We're a small market team and we want a championship, but we're not going to put ourselves in cap jeopardy by signing someone to a deal just to make a splash. 

But if we do... it's definitely going to be before we sign Franz / Suggs to deals. 

Recently, the high end free agents never make it to free agency, some examples are KD, Harden, Kyrie. Reason why IMO, what's going to happen IF WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE A QUICK JUMP is a blockbuster trade in which most everybody is available except Paolo, Franz, Jalen and maybe Cole and JI.

[Luke_FfS 248]

FA is usually a bad idea, we've seen some crazy overpay in the last few offseason. I believe that the right route will be using our assets in the right trade, when that will happen or will be necessary. We're deep right now and that's really useful when you've to face injuries, but coming playoffs, rotations are usually a lot shorter, and some of our players that are performing in regular season, could be in trouble in a 7-game series.

[JJZFL 619]

This being the game thread, I’m going to mention that the Cavaliers are favored by 4.5 at home against us.  Given that we’re 9-1 the past 10 games and have a much better record than the Cavs, I’m kind of surprised by that.  Anyone have any thoughts  on tonight’s game?   Do you think the Cavs are actually likely to win?

[harryfromphilly 75]

i saw that and was surprised as well     not sure why really

 

[orlandoholic 134]

we don’t matchup good against the Cavs and especially with all the injuries.. with WCJ , Isaac out, it’s going to be tough against their backcourt.. Defending threes and rebounding has been our recent struggles and the Cavs are at advantage there and do especially those two things really good

[JJZFL 619]

1 hour ago, orlandoholic said:

we don’t matchup good against the Cavs and especially with all the injuries.. with WCJ , Isaac out, it’s going to be tough against their backcourt.. Defending threes and rebounding has been our recent struggles and the Cavs are at advantage there and do especially those two things really good

Fultz/Carter out, Isaac listed as questionable.  But to be fair, I can’t recall the last time I saw a Magic player listed as questionable who actually went on to play.  

[J Roc Baby 24]

Ruh Roh Raggy

[Soul Bro 1,419]

Looks like the Cavs worked hard prepping for this game, while it looks like the Magic took a break.

[Imago 17]

Oh man.. two games in a row like this is hard to watch. What is Suggs doing on the floor? He can barely walk.

[Soul Bro 1,419]

Suggs is really hurt… right ankle

[ball junkie 277]

2 minutes ago, Soul Bro said:

Suggs is really hurt… right ankle

For a team with a medical staff as conservative as ours …and with Jalen himself whom has been injury prone …I was shocked they put him back in the game when he was clearly walking gingerly