2023-2024 General Game Thread

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

36 minutes ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

There are nba players that are good at driving hard into the paint, bullying their way to the basket for a layup and are successful. Giannis and LeBron are good at it.

JJZL and someone else on this board have said it before how Paolo and Franz have tried it so many times, driving to the basket with a crowd of players on the other team surrounding them under the basket, and most of the time preventing them from scoring.

Other teams look at our tapes and know how to defend us because they know that we are not good at 3pt. shooting, rely too much on Franz and Paolo to do the scoring, and most of it comes from inside the paint. We need to run and stop walking the ball up the court allowing the other team to get in defensive position; also, we need to move the ball more to find an open man, instead up 4 players standing around watching 1. 

Right now the biggest difference on drives between the greats like LeBron and Giannis vs Paolo is strength. Physical defenders are slapping at the ball when Paolo drives and are great at jarring it loose. Paolo is strong, don’t get me wrong, but he needs to get stronger in that area. His handle has been really really loose the past several games.

[harryfromphilly 75]

2 hours ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

There are nba players that are good at driving hard into the paint, bullying their way to the basket for a layup and are successful. Giannis and LeBron are good at it.

JJZL and someone else on this board have said it before how Paolo and Franz have tried it so many times, driving to the basket with a crowd of players on the other team surrounding them under the basket, and most of the time preventing them from scoring.

Other teams look at our tapes and know how to defend us because they know that we are not good at 3pt. shooting, rely too much on Franz and Paolo to do the scoring, and most of it comes from inside the paint. We need to run and stop walking the ball up the court allowing the other team to get in defensive position; also, we need to move the ball more to find an open man, instead of 4 players standing around watching 1. 

Really agree on 2 fronts    we bring the ball up too slowly    even Markelle our only true point guard     then when the ball does get up, often everyone stands around and watches paolo and/or Franz ... of course this does not always happen but often enough for other teams to plan for.

[Luke_FfS 248]

Players also drive hard into the paint with better success when there's proper spacing around.

[TrueMagicFan07 672]

26 minutes ago, Luke_FfS said:

Players also drive hard into the paint with better success when there's proper spacing around.

The key word is: "when there's proper spacing" around. Up to this point, how often has that happened for the Magic? 

[Shine88 80]

6 minutes ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

The key word is: "when there's proper spacing" around. Up to this point, how often has that happened for the Magic? 

Never. 

I know everybody likes to compare us to Boston, but I think we're more in line with New Orleans. Two big athletic wings (Ingram and Zion) who struggle with shooting. But the difference with the Pelicans, they surrounded those guys with shooters. McCollum, Murphy, Hawkins, Marshall, Jones and Ryan. Everyone of those guys shoot over 39% from 3. Valanciunas also provide spacing, too. Weltman needs to follow suit, starting this summer. 

 

[JJZFL 619]

4 hours ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

There are nba players that are good at driving hard into the paint, bullying their way to the basket for a layup and are successful. Giannis and LeBron are good at it.

JJZL and someone else on this board have said it before how Paolo and Franz have tried it so many times, driving to the basket with a crowd of players on the other team surrounding them under the basket, and most of the time preventing them from scoring.

Other teams look at our tapes and know how to defend us because they know that we are not good at 3pt. shooting, rely too much on Franz and Paolo to do the scoring, and most of it comes from inside the paint. We need to run and stop walking the ball up the court allowing the other team to get in defensive position; also, we need to move the ball more to find an open man, instead of 4 players standing around watching 1. 

All I can say is amen.  

[JJZFL 619]

4 hours ago, All Eyes On Me said:

Right now the biggest difference on drives between the greats like LeBron and Giannis vs Paolo is strength. Physical defenders are slapping at the ball when Paolo drives and are great at jarring it loose. Paolo is strong, don’t get me wrong, but he needs to get stronger in that area. His handle has been really really loose the past several games.

I might disagree with you on this a little bit. No matter who you are, driving one versus three against good NBA defenders is going to fail most of the time. Both the guys you mentioned are excellent passers, and when they get double or triple teamed they pass the ball to an open teammate. That gets to the other point that’s being made here about spacing. Those other teammates are good enough to make you pay if you double or triple team one guy, leaving them with an open shot, and that’s a difference from us.

Also, our stars are not doing enough to get the other players on the floor involved, as is also being mentioned above.  Houstan, for example, while standing in the corner was often open and no one even looked at him.  Makes it easier on the defense if they can forget about a player or two and just help guard the others.  

[TrueMagicFan07 672]

16 minutes ago, JJZFL said:

. . .Also, our stars are not doing enough to get the other players on the floor involved, as is also being mentioned above.  Houstan, for example, while standing in the corner was often open and no one even looked at him.  Makes it easier on the defense if they can forget about a player or two and just help guard the others.  

^^^This

[Jamesdin 39]

On 3/11/2024 at 2:54 PM, orlandoholic said:

I don’t see the complaining less.. They were whining from the getgo and after that technical foul, Carlisle was in their head and the calls were favorable to the Pacers. 

Mosley needs to learn the technical foul game

just watched the highlight but was the tech on wendell before the break warranted? that breaks the momentum a bit and lose some margins before the break.

also, it seems their interior defense were great against paolo and franz

[Jay Magic 1,244]

 

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

Philly’s in huge trouble. Embiid apparently nowhere near returning and the Knicks just smashed them. Only 5 of their last 17 games against teams below .500. I bet they’re gonna be a play-in team.

[TrueMagicFan07 672]

I don't like 'play-in' games at the end of the regular season. Whose idea was that anyway? I like the old way that the teams that ranked 1-8 at the end of the regular season got to play in the playoffs.

When the 'play-in' games first occurred, I was confused. I didn't know what was going on.

So please tell me. What's the purpose of the 'play-in'?