CTMagicUK 1,488 Report post Posted June 22, 2013 You say being a mediocre, 7th or 8th seed is worthless... I direct you to this: http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/ORL/2007_games.html A sub .500 mediocre team that, with a couple of years, had an NBA Finals appearance. There's nothing wrong with being a mediocre team, as long as you are -striving- to get better. For all the crap that Otis Smith gets around here, he was constantly -striving- to get better. And while his moves -after- the 2009 Finals didn't work out, his moves leading up to that point absolutely did. Being a mediocre team is only bad if the organization is content with mediocrity. I don't think the Orlando Magic franchise currently is. Which is why an 8th seed doesn't scare me, because it is a stepping stone in it's own right to becoming a better team down the road. That particular team already had a young star to build around though. A star who blossomed into the best defensive player in the league by 09. The whole reason I'm against being a .500 club now is that we don't have a star like that at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Hi-Top 791 Report post Posted June 23, 2013 Agreed with both of these. You try to be as good as you possibly can each and every single year, each and every single game. There's a difference between "long term planning" and "tanking". Thinking long term and building up a young core of players to develop together is not "tanking". It's simply long term rebuilding. That I'm okay with. But rooting for your team to lose just so you can get more ping pong balls for a #1 pick? No, that I'm not okay with. What's the difference between building a team that you know won't win now, because the focus is on developing, and tanking? Neither one is focused on "win now". To me, that's tanking. No, not in the sense of how Miami tanked when Wade was on the team and they "shut him down" in March of 2008 to make sure they got the best pick they could, but it's still tanking. Yeah, you want your coach and your players to try their best to win every game, you aren't telling JV to go out and lose games. However, at the same time, you aren't focused on bringing in FA talent to boost us up and help us win more games either, there is more focus on developing what we have. I's a long term plan that effectively puts us in tanking mode early on. Tanking the right way, if you will. The focus is definitely not on "win now", the focus is on putting this team into a position to contend for the title in "X" amount of years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJZFL 620 Report post Posted June 23, 2013 ...................................................................... I understand the need to get people to come down and watch the team but I'm sure a brand new No. 2 overall pick would entice some fans (who may not know that this is a weak draft and we're not likely to draft a star) and the excitement of seeing a young exciting team, which we will be. I don't expect us to tank but I expect that we'll win a maximum of about 30 games because right now we don't have a great roster. And not only am I ok with that but I welcome that because it lets our young guys grow at their own pace and nets us an, at worse, Top 10 draft pick in a top heavy draft that has some real promising talent. I'm not sure most fans would consider us a "young and exciting" team right now. Young, definitely. Exciting? What's exciting about losing 3/4 of your games and getting blown out of quite a few in the first half? That's not what gets people to turn out..... Lot of focus here on the players but I think the jury is still out on Jacque Vaughn, also. I don't think we were as good a team defensively last year as we should have been. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJZFL 620 Report post Posted June 23, 2013 What's the difference between building a team that you know won't win now, because the focus is on developing, and tanking? Neither one is focused on "win now". To me, that's tanking. No, not in the sense of how Miami tanked when Wade was on the team and they "shut him down" in March of 2008 to make sure they got the best pick they could, but it's still tanking. Yeah, you want your coach and your players to try their best to win every game, you aren't telling JV to go out and lose games. However, at the same time, you aren't focused on bringing in FA talent to boost us up and help us win more games either, there is more focus on developing what we have. I's a long term plan that effectively puts us in tanking mode early on. Tanking the right way, if you will. The focus is definitely not on "win now", the focus is on putting this team into a position to contend for the title in "X" amount of years. The problem is that the "X" always seems to get pushed out another year or two after each bad season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Franchise408 116 Report post Posted June 23, 2013 That particular team already had a young star to build around though. A star who blossomed into the best defensive player in the league by 09. The whole reason I'm against being a .500 club now is that we don't have a star like that at the moment. We probably don't. But, despite the franchise's history with top picks, tanking to get a high pick isn't going to guarantee we get that star player either. Always remember how close we were to taking Emeka Okafor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Shrute 10 Report post Posted June 24, 2013 The Magic will always be the only team I care about in the NBA. However, as people here know, I refuse to support 'suck'. And that's what the Magic were last year and most likely will be this year. Think about it......this is the same organization that is STILL paying Arenas an 'LBJ-like' salary. How pathetic is that? Until we finally get rid of the clown from the books, I have no interest in really supporting this team. Our FO has got to be the WORST ran of any franchise in the modern area (since we joined in 89). Granted, Henny may right the ship as nothing can be worse than Otis and his regime here. But, we the fans, are the ones who have to take it the worst. And, that fundamentally unfair. So, until they put something competitive on the floor, count me out. I don't buy CRAP products and neither should anyone else here. Currently speaking: Oklahoma City Thunder = Echo/Stihl Weedeater Orlando Magic = Ryobi/Troybilt Weedeater 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Franchise408 116 Report post Posted June 24, 2013 So... fairweather?? Seriously? Worst run front office of the recent era? I'm assuming you mean just basketball, and not all sports, but even if we're looking at just the NBA, I suppose you're forgetting about teams like the Bobcats or the Bucks. Can't get any worse than Otis' regime here? You are aware that Otis is the one that assembled our 2008-09 NBA Finals squad, right? Otis made a lot of bad moves after the fact in an attempt to appease Dwight and put talent around him while we were in our very small open window. At the time, making the move to bring in Vince Carter was necessary, as we had lost out on Hedo Turkoglu. Making the move to bring in Gilbert Arenas was a risk, a shot that we took once Rashard Lewis fell off the face of the planet. Otis Smith certainly made some moves that didn't work out, but to say that it "doesn't get any worse" than Otis is just pure idiocy. Otis was part of the Magic becoming a top franchise in the NBA, even if it was short lived. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BN 44 Report post Posted June 24, 2013 The Magic will always be the only team I care about in the NBA. However, as people here know, I refuse to support 'suck'. And that's what the Magic were last year and most likely will be this year. Think about it......this is the same organization that is STILL paying Arenas an 'LBJ-like' salary. How pathetic is that? Until we finally get rid of the clown from the books, I have no interest in really supporting this team. Our FO has got to be the WORST ran of any franchise in the modern area (since we joined in 89). Granted, Henny may right the ship as nothing can be worse than Otis and his regime here. But, we the fans, are the ones who have to take it the worst. And, that fundamentally unfair. So, until they put something competitive on the floor, count me out. I don't buy CRAP products and neither should anyone else here. Currently speaking: Oklahoma City Thunder = Echo/Stihl Weedeater Orlando Magic = Ryobi/Troybilt Weedeater Any chance you could present this analogy in the form of propane and propane accessories? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Shrute 10 Report post Posted June 24, 2013 So... fairweather?? Seriously? Worst run front office of the recent era? I'm assuming you mean just basketball, and not all sports, but even if we're looking at just the NBA, I suppose you're forgetting about teams like the Bobcats or the Bucks. Can't get any worse than Otis' regime here? You are aware that Otis is the one that assembled our 2008-09 NBA Finals squad, right? Otis made a lot of bad moves after the fact in an attempt to appease Dwight and put talent around him while we were in our very small open window. At the time, making the move to bring in Vince Carter was necessary, as we had lost out on Hedo Turkoglu. Making the move to bring in Gilbert Arenas was a risk, a shot that we took once Rashard Lewis fell off the face of the planet. Otis Smith certainly made some moves that didn't work out, but to say that it "doesn't get any worse" than Otis is just pure idiocy. Otis was part of the Magic becoming a top franchise in the NBA, even if it was short lived. Otis did not draft Dwight or Jameer. Otis did not sign Hedo. Otis DID sign Lewis which was a huge lapse of judgment on his and the FO's part. I'm sorry, but folks in FOs get paid buku dollars to make logically sound and monetarily smart decisions ESPECIALLY when dealing with max contract signings. I said it then and I'll say it now.......Rashard was never worthy of a max contract. He was made to look much better due to being on perenially piss poor Sonic teams. Rashard Lewis was our Michael Redd. Gilbert Arenas was just another one of his Golden State man-crushes that we are still paying Michael Jordan money to. But, I think we'd still be paying Rashard had that trade not been made. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Franchise408 116 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Rashard Lewis was a key contributor to our 2009 Finals run, that without him, we don't get that far. That to me makes him worth it. I'd rather have success while over paying someone, than to be cheap, not get the player, and not have the success. Was Rashard a max level player? No. Do we make the Finals without Rashard? No. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Shrute 10 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 Rashard Lewis was a key contributor to our 2009 Finals run, that without him, we don't get that far. That to me makes him worth it. I'd rather have success while over paying someone, than to be cheap, not get the player, and not have the success. Was Rashard a max level player? No. Do we make the Finals without Rashard? No. Rashard is only worth it had we actually won. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
For the love of the game 56 Report post Posted June 25, 2013 The problem is that the "X" always seems to get pushed out another year or two after each bad season. Only on poorly run teams. I have not seen a move yet that makes me think this team is poorly run. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
