2023-2024 Regular Season Game 79: Orlando Magic (46-32) at Houston Rockets (38-40) - 8pm

[ibraheim718]

Mosley gets an A.

The players get an A.

The front office gets an F.

My two cents.

Mosley gets an A for motivating and leadership
An A for Defensive acumen
An F for offensive game plan
A C- for rotation and in game coaching.

Front office get an F for not making a move at the deadline

[MagicMatic]

Mosley gets an A.

The players get an A.

The front office gets an F.

My two cents.

I imagine the F is based on allowing Harris and Fultz to become expiring contracts, using both lotto picks without a clear path to playing time, re-signing Cole (maybe?), and re-tool era baggage (?).

What's the critique?

Id like to think it wasn't a trend with this FO to have a blatant disregard for moving players before they lose all value.. but it definitely looks that way.

They could have sooner had a stopgap vet PG in on a 1+1 instead of keeping Fultz around. Gary is a bigger question, but not having a PG with experience of any kind on the roster is definitely a decision. Even one that AB can learn under if not for the actual minutes.

They did essentially nothing in the offseason aside from signing Ingles for the fact that they dont trust Houstan entirely yet and Okeke isn't an nba player.

Now people will question Mosely's rotations due to the fact the roster is incomplete. They didn't put him OR the youth in a good spot to succeed when they absolutely could have in either the past offseason or deadline.

[JoshuaPotter]

Can't believe all of the piling-on with Paolo...the guy LITERALLY carried this dead-ass offense on his back all season to an unexpected degree of success - of course he's burning out Just wait until the trade demands come if the FO doesn't get him some help - I can already hear how he sucks anyway - when he finally gets frustrated with his expected 1 on 5 offense to work out every possession. I guess Michael Jordan was a bum because he didn't win anything until Pippen and Grant showed up.

No defense for the FO. They shouldn't get a pass for being pleasantly surprised at how far the team progressed...they're supposedly mapping it all out. Why pat them on the back and give them another pass for sitting on their hands when the offensive needs are SO BLINDINGLY glaring?

Yay...we're competing for a top seed (at least until this week)...IF you're running a race and find yourself way ahead of your expected rivals, do you slow down and congratulate yourself or keep going? (also consider how bad your rivals - other than BOS - have been playing and how many are injured)...we should be pleased but far from satisfied. This team is nowhere near as good as its present spot in the standings. (For a change) we have enjoyed a year free of significant injuries to important players while noone else below us has. There are half a dozen teams presently seeded below us that probably would be favored against ORL in a series. I hope we get it together and show some fight in the remaining games but don't expect next year's projections to include any further ascendance unless we add some "ready-to-contribute" talent.

Credit to Mosely for making things happen with handcuffs on. Big Credit to Suggs for breaking out.

Naw, Mosely doesn't get a pass for his malpractice.

Honestly, I think everyone should get an A+ with the exception being the offense, which gets a C.

In terms of current results vs beginning of seasons expectations? Yes. 100%.

In terms of current results vs the state of? No.

- I think Mosely has been outcoached.
- Player availability hurts us. See our record when Isaac plays vs doesn't. Our record when G Harris / Suggs are in the backcourt,
- AB being sent to DNP-CD hell / what lineup sounds scarier what we fielded last night or minus Fultz and put AB in there.

[eyriq]

Mosley gets an A.

The players get an A.

The front office gets an F.

My two cents.

I imagine the F is based on allowing Harris and Fultz to become expiring contracts, using both lotto picks without a clear path to playing time, re-signing Cole (maybe?), and re-tool era baggage (?).

What's the critique?

Id like to think it wasn't a trend with this FO to have a blatant disregard for moving players before they lose all value.. but it definitely looks that way.

They could have sooner had a stopgap vet PG in on a 1+1 instead of keeping Fultz around. Gary is a bigger question, but not having a PG with experience of any kind on the roster is definitely a decision. Even one that AB can learn under if not for the actual minutes.

They did essentially nothing in the offseason aside from signing Ingles for the fact that they dont trust Houstan entirely yet and Okeke isn't an nba player.

Now people will question Mosely's rotations due to the fact the roster is incomplete. They didn't put him OR the youth in a good spot to succeed when they absolutely could have in either the past offseason or deadline.

The only justification I can think of for letting Harris and Fultz expire is that
a. They valued the chemistry but not enough to extend them and
b. They plan on replacing them with AB and Jett

This requires that AB and Jett are ready for the rotation in their sophomore years.

With immediate Fultz and Harris upgrades Suggs breaking into the SL might not have happened and AB and Jett development could be blocked. They seem to value culture and development over win-now.

[three3d]

Who wouldn’t want a lotto pick? Can you not see how flawed this team still is?

But that notwithstanding, I do want to make the playoffs. I was excited when it looked like we had at least the 4 seed locked up. If I wanted them to lose so we can get a lottery pick, I would have been thrilled with the outcome - not exasperated.

so we can add another AB to the bench or another Jett to the G League
I'd rather have our young lads get a taste of the defeat in the playoffs. It would be far more beneficial.

Therein lies the real problem. A lazy, incompetent FO.

Everyone in the cosmos knew the Magic’s roster had a glaring defect coming into the season - perimeter shooting. So they signed Joe Ingles, drafted a raw PG whose offensive game is worse than Elfried Payton’s was and a shooting guard they exiled to Osceola. They bypassed better players to take 2 guys who were projects in a season in which we planned to be competitive.These picks made the Chuma pick seem shrewd.

They even decided to sit on their hands at the trade deadline.

And here we are. It makes no sense to me that this FO is not a target for much more criticism.

This is exactly my point. The FO gets aways with doing absolutely nothing because ownership (DeVos) don’t put the fire on these guys to actually do the job they have supposedly been hired to do.

[MagicMatic]

I imagine the F is based on allowing Harris and Fultz to become expiring contracts, using both lotto picks without a clear path to playing time, re-signing Cole (maybe?), and re-tool era baggage (?).

What's the critique?

Id like to think it wasn't a trend with this FO to have a blatant disregard for moving players before they lose all value.. but it definitely looks that way.

They could have sooner had a stopgap vet PG in on a 1+1 instead of keeping Fultz around. Gary is a bigger question, but not having a PG with experience of any kind on the roster is definitely a decision. Even one that AB can learn under if not for the actual minutes.

They did essentially nothing in the offseason aside from signing Ingles for the fact that they dont trust Houstan entirely yet and Okeke isn't an nba player.

Now people will question Mosely's rotations due to the fact the roster is incomplete. They didn't put him OR the youth in a good spot to succeed when they absolutely could have in either the past offseason or deadline.

The only justification I can think of for letting Harris and Fultz expire is that
a. They valued the chemistry but not enough to extend them and
b. They plan on replacing them with AB and Jett

This requires that AB and Jett are ready for the rotation in their sophomore years.

With immediate Fultz and Harris upgrades Suggs breaking into the SL might not have happened and AB and Jett development could be blocked. They seem to value culture and development over win-now.

For A - They didn't know what they ceiling was for this season. By the trade deadline they had to have known that the team could accomplish A LOT more if they had just pulled the trigger on ANY upgrade. They really have no excuse. Fultz hasnt been good, so I dont get that argument. I also hate when people justify terrible decisions with intangible inarguable metrics like "chemistry" "friendship" and "culture". They are running a business with million dollar contracts. Why does Orlando feel the need to operate like its a place guys can come and get paid while having fun and not work like every other organization? They liked the chemistry with Fultz so much that they sacrificed his trade value 1.5 seasons ago. Cool I guess... How do we know his absence wouldn't have had similar results with actual asset return?

For B - Even if this is the case these guys aren't going to go from 0 mins, DNP, and Gleague to 30+ minute starters in one season. Maybe not even two seasons. The FO decided to have one foot in development and one foot in "competing" choosing not to commit to either means the half assed both. Is AB and Jett developing with in game experience right now? No. Are the guys playing in front of them insurmountably better than alternatives on the market? Also no.

[Bensational]

For A - They didn't know what they ceiling was for this season. By the trade deadline they had to have known that the team could accomplish A LOT more if they had just pulled the trigger on ANY upgrade. They really have no excuse. Fultz hasnt been good, so I dont get that argument. I also hate when people justify terrible decisions with intangible inarguable metrics like "chemistry" "friendship" and "culture".

“They could accomplish A LOT more” is just as intangible as “chemistry” and the rest. A lot more what? What more are they doing? The only real “more” that is of significance is winning a championship. Sure there’s a lot of smaller improvements to be made between here and there but they’re ultimately as inconsequential as “chemistry” if they don’t result in a championship.

For B - Even if this is the case these guys aren't going to go from 0 mins, DNP, and Gleague to 30+ minute starters in one season. Maybe not even two seasons. The FO decided to have one foot in development and one foot in "competing" choosing not to commit to either means the half assed both. Is AB and Jett developing with in game experience right now? No. Are the guys playing in front of them insurmountably better than alternatives on the market? Also no.

So they kept a foot in both approaches and found themselves in position to challenge for the #2 seed whilst also getting AB a starting role earlier in the season. And you consider this a failure?

How unrealistic are your goals? You sound like the sort of person who would put $100 into Bitcoin and then get pissed off the next day when you’re not yet a millionaire.

[SOUL]

You would think with some of the grades of the FO/coach and the complaining that we've messed up about 4 games, which is 50 wins,which would be the 5th best record in the NBA with a bad roster and clueless coach.. wow.. tough crowd.

[MagicMatic]

For A - They didn't know what they ceiling was for this season. By the trade deadline they had to have known that the team could accomplish A LOT more if they had just pulled the trigger on ANY upgrade. They really have no excuse. Fultz hasnt been good, so I dont get that argument. I also hate when people justify terrible decisions with intangible inarguable metrics like "chemistry" "friendship" and "culture".

“They could accomplish A LOT more” is just as intangible as “chemistry” and the rest. A lot more what? What more are they doing? The only real “more” that is of significance is winning a championship. Sure there’s a lot of smaller improvements to be made between here and there but they’re ultimately as inconsequential as “chemistry” if they don’t result in a championship.

For B - Even if this is the case these guys aren't going to go from 0 mins, DNP, and Gleague to 30+ minute starters in one season. Maybe not even two seasons. The FO decided to have one foot in development and one foot in "competing" choosing not to commit to either means the half assed both. Is AB and Jett developing with in game experience right now? No. Are the guys playing in front of them insurmountably better than alternatives on the market? Also no.

So they kept a foot in both approaches and found themselves in position to challenge for the #2 seed whilst also getting AB a starting role earlier in the season. And you consider this a failure?

How unrealistic are your goals? You sound like the sort of person who would put $100 into Bitcoin and then get pissed off the next day when you’re not yet a millionaire.

I mean. They are pretty close to losing a pretty advantageous standing in an extremely weak eastern conference because they are forced to pair flawed broken players with their rookie contract core. You don’t see that as something they could have avoided if they just managed the assets in a smarter way?

You seem like the kinda guy that would lose your entire life and then have a truck hit a puddle as you were walking home, drenching you, and you’d think “meh it’s ok it’s already raining”…. Same energy.

See I can come up with stupid examples too.

[Bensational]

I mean. They are pretty close to losing a pretty advantageous standing in an extremely weak eastern conference because they are forced to pair flawed broken players with their rookie contract core. You don’t see that as something they could have avoided if they just managed the assets in a smarter way?

You seem like the kinda guy that would lose your entire life and then have a truck hit a puddle as you were walking home, drenching you, and you’d think “meh it’s ok it’s already raining”…. Same energy.

I think they compiled a team that found the resiliency to overcome a lot of challenges thrown their way already. The Bucks are having to replace Giannis with Jae Crowder or Danilo Gallinari while they fight to hold on to the #2 seed. Injuries to star players happen.

The ball has been in the hands of our young stars most of the time, except for when an all-bench lineup is in. They’ve been focusing on developing the young guys, the winning has just been a fortunate byproduct.

And lol, I’m not sure what your example was trying to say. What are you going to do in that situation, chase the truck down and scream at the driver for going through a puddle?