Orlando Magic Fan Preview

KingRobb02 · Post #1 » by **KingRobb02** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:23 pm

I've seen this done elsewhere and I think it's cool for us to do our own season previews instead of just reading an ESPN preview and getting mad at someone who probably sees 4 Magic games a year and definitely won't be around here to explain hos reasoning. Just keeping the basics. The idea is that everyone kind of chips in their opinion and then we know how the board feels overall.

My predictions:

Realistic Wins: 25 (Vegas has us at 27)
Optimistic Wins: 35

Playoffs: 1 in 10 chance

Biggest loss: Afflalo
Biggest Gain: Payton

Team MVP: Vucevic
Team LVP: Nicholson (I picked a guy I thought would play enough to hurt us with his performance)

Player Projections

Vucevic: 15-12-2
Harris: 17-8-2
Oladipo: 16-5-5
Harkless: 11-6-2
Payton: 10-3-7

Conclusion:
This is probably the best of our post-Dwight teams, but we are still a year or two away from the playoffs. I don't really like any of our off-season moves outside of Payton. The Frye signing doesn't look too good to me since I always thought he was below average. Ridnour/Gordon/Green are all wastes of roster spots. I think that even with the improvements our young guys should make, we are just way behind the other 4 teams in our division. Here's to hoping for health.

JF5 · Post #2 » by **JF5** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:37 pm

My Preview... (Short)

Magic come into this season to what seems like a start of a new culture. A team built on Hard work and cohesion. After several years of tanking, the team is now in the phase of growth. With building blocks and place and with Players who bring a different dynamic to this team. It should be an exciting year for Magic fans.

Vegas: 27-28 Wins - Painfully obvious this team was tanking last season and could've easily reached this plateau. The teams talent WAS there. But in retrospect, winning would've not helped this team's objective of obtaining potential star player in the previous draft. I think the talent has been sold short by the majority in the NBA.

My Prediction: 43 Wins - This team has the talent and most importantly COHESION to be in contention every night. They brought in guys that bring in more dimensions, but also fit the system and the team concept. With the natural growth of the young players who've been impressive from last year going into this years. This team should get playoff considerations. Lets be honest, the east is VERY VERY weak. And to look at it from a objective and hypothetical standpoint. The last playoff spot will up for grabs. Between a Brooklyn team that is Old and suffers from consistent injuries from their stars; And a New York team that doesn't have the talent (and is also learning a new system) to even make the playoffs. I feel like this Magic team would probably be the logical team left to take that spot.

tooler · Post #3 » by **tooler** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:45 pm

I see a few key storylines.

Veterans will play a complementary role as young leaders begin to emerge. Despite Vucevic's extension, the team will play within their roles without expecting any one player to be "the man."

Our offense will feature more passing and a faster pace. All young and athletic teams want to play faster, but our perimeter defense and excellent rebounding will allow us to execute that plan. As the season goes on, our athletic guys will learn how to connect on alley-oops and breakaways for easy points.

Channing Frye will create space for our young backcourt to develop. Oladipo and Payton will still need to wait an additional season before breaking out -- unless the team makes the playoffs and the media begins to take notice -- but Frye's influence ensures promising growth.

We'll get consistent and reliable production off the bench from Ben Gordon thanks to his genuine desire to save his career, Aaron Gordon thanks to his non-stop motor, and Kyle O'Quinn thanks to his continued improvement.

Jacques Vaughn will play road games a little tighter this season. We will still lose a lot of them, but our young players will start to learn how to win them.

Orlwillbeback · Post #4 » by **Orlwillbeback** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:13 am

i see us winning about 30-34 games if we stay healthy. Young players need to develop and there's no big baby any more so that should help.

drsd · Post #5 » by **drsd** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:49 am

JF5 wrote:My Prediction: 43 Wins.

Orlando's young guns have all taken a clear step forward and there is cohesion in the team play. Preseason has highlighted that Orlando will play stiffing defense. I to am starting to wonder if a 50% mark is an obtainable goal.

..

Blue_and_Whte · Post #6 » by **Blue_and_Whte** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:26 pm

drsd wrote:
JF5 wrote:My Prediction: 43 Wins.

Orlando's young guns have all taken a clear step forward and there is cohesion in the team play. Preseason has highlighted that Orlando will play stiffing defense. I to am starting to wonder if a 50% mark is an obtainable goal.

..

I have the same thoughts. I knew they would be better defensively but they look like they've taken a huge step forward. Props to Vaughn, He said they would focus on defense and they clearly have.

Just a few points...

- I echoed alot of the sentiment around here that Vaughn wasn't coaching to his full potential. We've already seen a drastic improvment defensively and I think we'll see it on the offensive side of the ball.

- Going out on a limb here, but i've changed my stance on Payton. I think he starts with Dipo. We'll get up, and down the floor and our defense would be suffocating.

- I think our back up SG rotation will be the most fluid position. I think Vaughn will look at matchups and whomever is playing well that night will get the minutes. I could see BG, Fournier, and Willie Green all getting burn.

- Harris im predicting 18ppg 8rpg 3apg 0.5spg 0.5 bpg . Hes going to be a load offensively when we're at full strength. Frye spreading the floor imo will make even easier fornhim to score. I also see a bump in assists and 3pt %.

- We'll see a continued improvment from Harkless. He already looks more fluid offensively which make sense since players can, and do, add elements to their game. I think some thing along the lines of 10ppg 5rpg 2spg 1bpg.

- I feel like Nicholson will get spot minutes, but Frye, O'Quinn and AG just bring too much for him to get consistent minutes.

the_hobo · Post #7 » by **the_hobo** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:39 pm

KingRobb02 wrote:Team LVP: Nicholson (I picked a guy I thought would play enough to hurt us with his performance)

No. He's the team's most underrated player. Our guards (save Dipo) need to improve way more than this guy.

drsd · Post #8 » by **drsd** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Blue_and_Whte wrote:... but i've changed my stance on Payton. I think he starts with Dipo.

Not anymore. Perhaps it is Payton/Gordon-B/Harris/Frye/Vučević . This makes sense in the concept of Oladipo's game being more similar to Gordon-B's than Fournier; an easier transition for the team as the early seaosn losses come no matter what.

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KingRobb02 · Post #9 » by **KingRobb02** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 3:24 pm

the_hobo wrote:
KingRobb02 wrote:Team LVP: Nicholson (I picked a guy I thought would play enough to hurt us with his performance)

No. He's the team's most underrated player. Our guards (save Dipo) need to improve way more than this guy.

I just don't like Nicholson as a player. I predicted the starts in my post above, and I think that Frye and Kyle will get the bulk of the backup big man minutes. Any minute Nicholson plays over Kyle is a loss of value in my opinion. Sure he has post moves, but his defense, passing, and rebounding doesn't make up for what we lose by not giving those minutes to O'Quinn.