What's up for the rest of the season?

[basketballRob]

I think we end up with the 6th seed. We hold the tiebreaker with Indiana, and Philadelphia is falling fast. With less traveling and only 3 b2bs left, I think we have a good shot at staying healthy. I think the coaching staff is still searching for the right rotations, so I don't think we've peaked.

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[TheChaser]

well, the rest of the season is definitely the easier portion of it...you guys are so positivem, i got ta, uh, step out or a secon

[JazzUte88]

What’s going on with Markelle Fultz shot in practice? It just seems weird he has these games where he’s totally checked out of shooting the ball and then the other night he attempts a couple 3s.

[Skybox]

NYK have a ton of injuries, Embiid is out, MIL adjusting to a new coach, our schedule lightens...if we stay healthy, we could certainly rise, but we are very likely to get smoked in the first round, IMO.

[eyriq]

NYK have a ton of injuries, Embiid is out, MIL adjusting to a new coach, our schedule lightens...if we stay healthy, we could certainly rise, but we are very likely to get smoked in the first round, IMO.

Winning a game would be worth celebrating

[RookieStar]

NYK have a ton of injuries, Embiid is out, MIL adjusting to a new coach, our schedule lightens...if we stay healthy, we could certainly rise, but we are very likely to get smoked in the first round, IMO.

Winning a game would be worth celebrating

Depends on who we are facing. MIL? I like out chances to win 2 games esp if Doc is coaching lol.

How ironic would it be MIL goes 3-1 against us and we gentleman sweep them to get out ofbthe 1st round by inserting an unknown 6'8ish rookie to guard their star player...

[JF5]

We'll make the playoffs... but we'll likely get our asses kicked in unless we're playing the Knicks.

[fendilim]

We'll make the playoffs... but we'll likely get our asses kicked in unless we're playing the Knicks.

Yep. No one in the trade market really moves the table for us, imo.

[RookieStar]

We'll make the playoffs... but we'll likely get our asses kicked in unless we're playing the Knicks.

Knicks Bucks even Celts ( only if House gives new locker room material ) i think we can win a game or 2.

CLE is who i really fear. A shotblocking C. A star SG that get calls in driving and shoot 3s. Plus a lot of 3pt shooting Magic killers.

[Optimus_Steel]

NYK have a ton of injuries, Embiid is out, MIL adjusting to a new coach, our schedule lightens...if we stay healthy, we could certainly rise, but we are very likely to get smoked in the first round, IMO.

Winning a game would be worth celebrating

I’ll be pretty happy if we win a game in the first round.

[OrlandoSaban]

Our FO has shown that they think this team is hard to improve. So, it looks like we are who we are - at least until summer. Presently 27-24, in the 8th seed, with a favorable schedule ahead and very good health at the moment...what do you expect the rest of the season to look like?

I think we could realistically go 18-13 if we maintain good health, Cole and Suggs find their shot, Isaac plays like an (ineligible) DPOY, and Paolo & Franz continue their excellent play. That's a very strong 45 wins - which I consider attainable and maybe a stretch.

That likely gets us a 5th or 6th seed and a date with CLE or NY or maybe MIA, if they make a run. We lose because it's not that hard to scheme for a team with unreliable backcourt scoring. Perhaps Paolo & Franz look really good and put up big numbers and everyone goes home excited about next year (and forgets what could have been if we added at the TD). Maybe Suggs and/or Cole have a good shooting night or two and we take it to 6 games.

*Vision B...We sign Dinwiddie after he's bought out and he is an inspired revelation who plays like he did for a young BRK team a few years ago. We bring up Jett Howard and he quickly asserts himself as a reliable long-range, high-volume bomber and he replaces Harris and Cole in the rotation. Anthony Black also takes a leap and largely replaces Ingles in the rotation, defending 1-4 and running the second unit with intensity and pace. Jett Black becomes a great story in the NBA, despite the slow start. Dinwiddie makes it clear that he loves this team and the future he envisions in ORL and he can't sign an extension quickly enough. and they lived happily ever after.

I say we tank and try to get another Mo Bamba type player. We desperately needs a player like him for next season

[Skybox]

Our FO has shown that they think this team is hard to improve. So, it looks like we are who we are - at least until summer. Presently 27-24, in the 8th seed, with a favorable schedule ahead and very good health at the moment...what do you expect the rest of the season to look like?

I think we could realistically go 18-13 if we maintain good health, Cole and Suggs find their shot, Isaac plays like an (ineligible) DPOY, and Paolo & Franz continue their excellent play. That's a very strong 45 wins - which I consider attainable and maybe a stretch.

That likely gets us a 5th or 6th seed and a date with CLE or NY or maybe MIA, if they make a run. We lose because it's not that hard to scheme for a team with unreliable backcourt scoring. Perhaps Paolo & Franz look really good and put up big numbers and everyone goes home excited about next year (and forgets what could have been if we added at the TD). Maybe Suggs and/or Cole have a good shooting night or two and we take it to 6 games.

*Vision B...We sign Dinwiddie after he's bought out and he is an inspired revelation who plays like he did for a young BRK team a few years ago. We bring up Jett Howard and he quickly asserts himself as a reliable long-range, high-volume bomber and he replaces Harris and Cole in the rotation. Anthony Black also takes a leap and largely replaces Ingles in the rotation, defending 1-4 and running the second unit with intensity and pace. Jett Black becomes a great story in the NBA, despite the slow start. Dinwiddie makes it clear that he loves this team and the future he envisions in ORL and he can't sign an extension quickly enough. and they lived happily ever after.

I say we tank and try to get another Mo Bamba type player. We desperately needs a player like him for next season

It’s true…we do need someone who can shoot 3’s

[eyriq]

We are pretty much a coin toss to win the 6th seed right now. Beautiful. The Knicks are the slight favorite to win the 3rd seed.

Knicks vs Magic would be epic. They don't scare me.

[basketballRob]

Assuming Isaac is healthy and can play 25-30 mpg in the playoffs, our starting rotation should be Suggs, Franz, Banchero, Isaac, and Wendell. I think we need to get a better look at Goga with Moe on the second unit. Franz and Paolo will probably play 40 mpg in the playoffs, but we still need some rim protection on that second unit. Fultz, Harris, Franz/Paolo, Moe/Paolo, Moe/Goga. Cole gets bumped out of the playoff rotation. Cole could be a well-rested spark plug that doesn't play every game.



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[flying_mollusk]

B-R sim has us finishing 18-13.
ESPN BPI has us finishing 16-15.

B-R sim has the top 6 floor at 45 wins
ESPN BPI has the floor at 44 wins

So we are pretty much projected to be right on bubble for the 6th seed

We could see a 10+ game improvement, have the best record since Dwight left, and do this with our best players being 22 or under....pretty depressing.

Keep the timeframe of the last successful Magic rebuild in mind.

Draft Dwight, miss playoffs in his first two years, make playoffs in his third year, get knocked out in round 1, make big splash acquisition in offseason, win 50 games, then become a contender.

This year would be year 3 of Franz and Suggs.

That's a great parallel. We are trending in the right direction and at the right pace. The Howard build had some coaching & executive changes and a big free agent signing in Lewis before it took off in year 4. I don't think the journey will be nearly as tumultuous this time around.

Hedo, Dwight, and Nelson were added in year 1, Lewis in year 4. It only had three lotto picks selected by the Magic; Dwight, Fran, and Redick, and Redick was never leaned on and Fran never came over.

This rebuild feels much better. We have stability with our executive and coach and are flush with lotto talent.

I always thought that was one mistake of the post TMac rebuild. We got Dwight then traded TMac for Francis and Mobley, then won 33 games 2 years in a row. We should have tanked one more year after drafting Dwight and could have drafted Chris Paul. Agreed we seem to be doing it right this time around.

[Skybox]

I'd say the rebuild is going very very well. Fiscally sensible. Drafted our core "stars" to build around. They are actually way ahead of common developmental curves. Lots of additional assets. We don't owe anyone anything in terms of draft equity tied up. No bad deals given out - no bad money on the books...really strong situation.

but I don't like putting timelines next to other historical builds...it doesn't apply. When opportunity or need presents itself - they can be and, IMO, should be addressed. Being ahead or behind of historical rebuilds of ORL and other franchises is irrelevant.

This isn't politics or warfare...it's an entertainment business with no real dangerous implications beyond enjoyment or lack of (for non-employees). Why settle for mediocrity just because it's better than before? Take chances-it's a game.

...or, we should just acknowledge that doing just enough is good business. Not failing is enough to keep the fans around, buying $9 beers. Not every owner and GM is wired like Pat Riley or Mark Cuban. "Going for it" is bad business in a lot of fields - here too, I guess.

[eyriq]

I'd say the rebuild is going very very well. Fiscally sensible. Drafted our core "stars" to build around. They are actually way ahead of common developmental curves. Lots of additional assets. We don't owe anyone anything in terms of draft equity tied up. No bad deals given out - no bad money on the books...really strong situation.

but I don't like putting timelines next to other historical builds...it doesn't apply. When opportunity or need presents itself - they can be and, IMO, should be addressed. Being ahead or behind of historical rebuilds of ORL and other franchises is irrelevant.

This isn't politics or warfare...it's an entertainment business with no real dangerous implications beyond enjoyment or lack of (for non-employees). Why settle for mediocrity just because it's better than before? Take chances-it's a game.

...or, we should just acknowledge that doing just enough is good business. Not failing is enough to keep the fans around, buying $9 beers. Not every owner and GM is wired like Pat Riley or Mark Cuban. "Going for it" is bad business in a lot of fields - here too, I guess.

To me it's about maximizing the future value of the build. Which path results in the best team? The pure organic build, moving organically through asset collection, core identification, playoff contention, re-tooling, and championship contention, gives us the best odds of building a sustainable championship contender.

Let's get AB and Jett roles and then re-tool around 5 lotto talents.

[Skybox]

I'd say the rebuild is going very very well. Fiscally sensible. Drafted our core "stars" to build around. They are actually way ahead of common developmental curves. Lots of additional assets. We don't owe anyone anything in terms of draft equity tied up. No bad deals given out - no bad money on the books...really strong situation.

but I don't like putting timelines next to other historical builds...it doesn't apply. When opportunity or need presents itself - they can be and, IMO, should be addressed. Being ahead or behind of historical rebuilds of ORL and other franchises is irrelevant.

This isn't politics or warfare...it's an entertainment business with no real dangerous implications beyond enjoyment or lack of (for non-employees). Why settle for mediocrity just because it's better than before? Take chances-it's a game.

...or, we should just acknowledge that doing just enough is good business. Not failing is enough to keep the fans around, buying $9 beers. Not every owner and GM is wired like Pat Riley or Mark Cuban. "Going for it" is bad business in a lot of fields - here too, I guess.

To me it's about maximizing the future value of the build. Which path results in the best team? The pure organic build, moving organically through asset collection, core identification, playoff contention, re-tooling, and championship contention, gives us the best odds of building a sustainable championship contender.

Let's get AB and Jett roles and then re-tool around 5 lotto talents.

I don't disagree but, to me, the most sustainable way to do it is to get there quick, while your stars are still very young and inexpensive, if you're incredibly lucky enough (ORL is) to have them ready at such a young age. Nothing more sustainable than to create a situation with a much longer window...adjustments can be made, as needed, as long as the two or three main pieces aren't getting into max territory...It's true we have a big window-many of us disagree on how vital it is not to waste any of it.

Just because Giannis and Garnett, etc took a few years to be relevant is not reason to pump the brakes...Paolo & Franz are not Wemby or Coulibally, etc...they are near complete already.

[eyriq]

I'd say the rebuild is going very very well. Fiscally sensible. Drafted our core "stars" to build around. They are actually way ahead of common developmental curves. Lots of additional assets. We don't owe anyone anything in terms of draft equity tied up. No bad deals given out - no bad money on the books...really strong situation.

but I don't like putting timelines next to other historical builds...it doesn't apply. When opportunity or need presents itself - they can be and, IMO, should be addressed. Being ahead or behind of historical rebuilds of ORL and other franchises is irrelevant.

This isn't politics or warfare...it's an entertainment business with no real dangerous implications beyond enjoyment or lack of (for non-employees). Why settle for mediocrity just because it's better than before? Take chances-it's a game.

...or, we should just acknowledge that doing just enough is good business. Not failing is enough to keep the fans around, buying $9 beers. Not every owner and GM is wired like Pat Riley or Mark Cuban. "Going for it" is bad business in a lot of fields - here too, I guess.

To me it's about maximizing the future value of the build. Which path results in the best team? The pure organic build, moving organically through asset collection, core identification, playoff contention, re-tooling, and championship contention, gives us the best odds of building a sustainable championship contender.

Let's get AB and Jett roles and then re-tool around 5 lotto talents.

I don't disagree but, to me, the most sustainable way to do it is to get there quick, while your stars are still very young and inexpensive, if you're incredibly lucky enough (ORL is) to have them ready at such a young age. Nothing more sustainable than to create a situation with a much longer window...adjustments can be made, as needed, as long as the two or three main pieces aren't getting into max territory...It's true we have a big window-many of us disagree on how vital it is not to waste any of it.

Just because Giannis and Garnett, etc took a few years to be relevant is not reason to pump the brakes...Paolo & Franz are not Wemby or Coulibally, etc...they are near complete already.

Fair. I think the general objective is to get as good as possible organically and maintain maximum flexibility to re-tool once organic development is played out, but if some talent matures quicker I think it shortens the evaluation window. We may not get to fully evaluate AB and Jett but it seems like they are definitely going to be thorough with Suggs. We'll see what Suggs, Franz, and Paolo can do in the playoffs, and then likely start cashing in this flexibility during an off-season re-tool.

[Skybox]

To me it's about maximizing the future value of the build. Which path results in the best team? The pure organic build, moving organically through asset collection, core identification, playoff contention, re-tooling, and championship contention, gives us the best odds of building a sustainable championship contender.

Let's get AB and Jett roles and then re-tool around 5 lotto talents.

I don't disagree but, to me, the most sustainable way to do it is to get there quick, while your stars are still very young and inexpensive, if you're incredibly lucky enough (ORL is) to have them ready at such a young age. Nothing more sustainable than to create a situation with a much longer window...adjustments can be made, as needed, as long as the two or three main pieces aren't getting into max territory...It's true we have a big window-many of us disagree on how vital it is not to waste any of it.

Just because Giannis and Garnett, etc took a few years to be relevant is not reason to pump the brakes...Paolo & Franz are not Wemby or Coulibally, etc...they are near complete already.

Fair. I think the general objective is to get as good as possible organically and maintain maximum flexibility to re-tool once organic development is played out, but if some talent matures quicker I think it shortens the evaluation window. We may not get to fully evaluate AB and Jett but it seems like they are definitely going to be thorough with Suggs. We'll see what Suggs, Franz, and Paolo can do in the playoffs, and then likely start cashing in this flexibility during an off-season re-tool.

Absolutely...I've made it clear I'm in for Fireworks at the Trade Deadline (and the last one, and the summer, etc)...but I can totally buy in to taking some baby steps too. But, sticking with a Fultz, for example (instead of simply pitching a few srps for something functional) is like "punishing" Paolo & Franz, retarding their organic development for no apparent reason, except Weltman's greedily clinging to his pawns (srps) rather than going on any kind of offensive.

I don't care that Jett and AB are coming along slowly, or being held back, or whatever is happening...but not swapping unsuitable vets for more suitable vets (even just as a short-term band aid) is like putting handcuffs on your MVP's.

I could argue both sides of a Dejounte Murray deal - that's high stakes, of course. But no excuse, IMO, for just sitting on a PG rotation of Fultz and AB as we sail into a strong position with a favorable schedule and playoffs ahead. No great expectations but why not make it a little easier. I'm saying a "developmental season" is fine, but it doesn't have to look like player abuse...even a minor substitution, at the expense of a srp or two (or three even) makes for better quality development for all of the remaining players.

I don't love Tyus Jones' ceiling and I don't foresee him leading any team to the promised land. But he does everything efficiently. He makes very few mistakes. Steve Clifford would love him. Even as a rental, like coming in to do a seminar on ball movement for a few months, would be okay with me. Ideally, and realistically, he returns to his position of "Best backup PG in the league" after his visiting stint as "Professor of Playing the Right Way" in ORL. Don't build around him, don't pay him $17m x 4...but don't do nothing to help your players play better- that is certainly what "development" should be about. I don't feel bad about the idea of a couple of srps for that...it's how I see Ingles...he's not going to be here for the glory days, but he'll have made an impact on the development of some of the key guys before he's gone.