Game #26 Clippers @ MAGIC Wednesday 12/7 4pm [NOTE TIME]

[wakelaunch1]

this loss sucks but it's not like a "bad" loss, as of just yet anyway.

getting pg and kawhi on the court is just one step, of many. getting them to play decently well together is simply the next.

this loss also shows that you can't take any team lightly.

Even guys on bad teams play like their NBA lives are on the line. There are so many talented players in the NBA.

Almost any first half lead isn't safe as we saw last season in the Clippers 35 point comeback.

Hopefully PG and Kawhi can play on a consistent basis and actually get back in game shape and rhythm.

What is weird about PG is that he seems to play well after a lot of time off and then plays poorly immediately thereafter. Quite odd.

I personally think any team that has Kawhi or PG as their point guard is going to suck. Reggie isnt a point guard either. This roster is so poorly designed and so expensive. Kawhi/ PG are the same player at this point. Kawhi has better handles but neither should be a guard. Both would be better not starting the offense. They both want to stand around till the ball is given to them. They need to trade the bottle neck at forward for a starting point guard. Someone who can get into the lane and get more movement in the offense. Force PG or Kawhi to come off screens and get downhill.

[Roscoe Sheed]

this loss sucks but it's not like a "bad" loss, as of just yet anyway.

getting pg and kawhi on the court is just one step, of many. getting them to play decently well together is simply the next.

this loss also shows that you can't take any team lightly.

Even guys on bad teams play like their NBA lives are on the line. There are so many talented players in the NBA.

Almost any first half lead isn't safe as we saw last season in the Clippers 35 point comeback.

Hopefully PG and Kawhi can play on a consistent basis and actually get back in game shape and rhythm.

What is weird about PG is that he seems to play well after a lot of time off and then plays poorly immediately thereafter. Quite odd.

I personally think any team that has Kawhi or PG as their point guard is going to suck. Reggie isnt a point guard either. This roster is so poorly designed and so expensive. Kawhi/ PG are the same player at this point. Kawhi has better handles but neither should be a guard. Both would be better not starting the offense. They both want to stand around till the ball is given to them. They need to trade the bottle neck at forward for a starting point guard. Someone who can get into the lane and get more movement in the offense. Force PG or Kawhi to come off screens and get downhill.

I get what you mean, but in tonight's game they both got decent shots but just couldn't make them.

Wall is more of a true point guard than Jackson and may help.

There aren't many good point guards available to trade for.

[wakelaunch1]

this loss also shows that you can't take any team lightly.

Even guys on bad teams play like their NBA lives are on the line. There are so many talented players in the NBA.

Almost any first half lead isn't safe as we saw last season in the Clippers 35 point comeback.

Hopefully PG and Kawhi can play on a consistent basis and actually get back in game shape and rhythm.

What is weird about PG is that he seems to play well after a lot of time off and then plays poorly immediately thereafter. Quite odd.

I personally think any team that has Kawhi or PG as their point guard is going to suck. Reggie isnt a point guard either. This roster is so poorly designed and so expensive. Kawhi/ PG are the same player at this point. Kawhi has better handles but neither should be a guard. Both would be better not starting the offense. They both want to stand around till the ball is given to them. They need to trade the bottle neck at forward for a starting point guard. Someone who can get into the lane and get more movement in the offense. Force PG or Kawhi to come off screens and get downhill.

I get what you mean, but in tonight's game they both got decent shots but just couldn't make them.

Wall is more of a true point guard than Jackson and may help.

There aren't many good point guards available to trade for.

Notice that last season we had our best offensive production when the ball went through Isaiah Hartenstein. He was a facilitator and got the ball moving. This team is missing that. Mann moves a little, Batum also moves a little but they seem to all want to stand around because there is limited movement in the offense and usually settle for jumpers.

[nickhx2]

this loss sucks but it's not like a "bad" loss, as of just yet anyway.

getting pg and kawhi on the court is just one step, of many. getting them to play decently well together is simply the next.

this loss also shows that you can't take any team lightly.

Even guys on bad teams play like their NBA lives are on the line. There are so many talented players in the NBA.

Almost any first half lead isn't safe as we saw last season in the Clippers 35 point comeback.

Hopefully PG and Kawhi can play on a consistent basis and actually get back in game shape and rhythm.

What is weird about PG is that he seems to play well after a lot of time off and then plays poorly immediately thereafter. Quite odd.

agree on the point about taking teams lightly. if you do it, you will get burned.

i'm not super sure i agree with the thing about PG because i think when he returned last year after the UCL he was near lights out. what i do think, however, is when he's literally anything less than 100% healthy he is like a B to C tier player. and when he's 100% he's usually an A-tier player that gives you a decent amount of S-tier play. the problem is that less than 100% means he could be 95% healthy and he gives you a totally dorky night, like tonight. that's just my own personal thought, though.

[nickhx2]

other thoughts of my own:

kawhi's moving ok, which is encouraging to see. imo anyone thinks he's washed and done for is wrong. he needs time.

PG needs time too. but not as much as kawhi. the only issue is i think he just is gonna be hit with various maladies just often enough to never really be in sync with the team as much as we would want. still a ton of season left to go, so we just have to be hopeful.

batum/zubac/covington were really good. like so much so that i'm just really confident that once kawhi/pg get into peak form the team is going to look silly good on defense and scary on offense.

not sure what to say about mann at this point. still pretty much the heart and soul of the team, but i mean, where do you fit him into it when you have powell/kennard? not to mention morris.

also, moses brown had the stats tonight but i don't know. i don't think he's giving us impact minutes the way we want. i think the team would have fared better with MD on the floor instead of him.

[esqtvd]

this loss sucks but it's not like a "bad" loss, as of just yet anyway.

getting pg and kawhi on the court is just one step, of many. getting them to play decently well together is simply the next.

this loss also shows that you can't take any team lightly.

Even guys on bad teams play like their NBA lives are on the line. There are so many talented players in the NBA.

Almost any first half lead isn't safe as we saw last season in the Clippers 35 point comeback.

Hopefully PG and Kawhi can play on a consistent basis and actually get back in game shape and rhythm.

What is weird about PG is that he seems to play well after a lot of time off and then plays poorly immediately thereafter. Quite odd.

They're still thinking out there. Like Yogi Berra said, I can't think and hit at the same time. You can't shoot and think at the same time. Should I shoot this? Is my foot on the line? Should I be passing off?? Kicking out?

And forget defensive rotations, they require all 5 guys in sync.

The pathetic lottery-bound Magic caught us with our pants down, seeking redemption in front of their home crowd and each gave maximum effort. Put them on a road trip in LA and they file the L before tipoff.


This is still preseason. No diving for loose balls. Everybody knows the NBA season doesn't start until Christmas Day.

KL and PG put in the minutes if not the work. Combined 9-27 [my computerlike mind says that's 33.3%]. This will pass. Like a kidney stone, but it will pass.

[esqtvd]

I personally think any team that has Kawhi or PG as their point guard is going to suck. Reggie isnt a point guard either. This roster is so poorly designed and so expensive. Kawhi/ PG are the same player at this point. Kawhi has better handles but neither should be a guard. Both would be better not starting the offense. They both want to stand around till the ball is given to them. They need to trade the bottle neck at forward for a starting point guard. Someone who can get into the lane and get more movement in the offense. Force PG or Kawhi to come off screens and get downhill.

I get what you mean, but in tonight's game they both got decent shots but just couldn't make them.

Wall is more of a true point guard than Jackson and may help.

There aren't many good point guards available to trade for.

Notice that last season we had our best offensive production when the ball went through Isaiah Hartenstein. He was a facilitator and got the ball moving. This team is missing that. Mann moves a little, Batum also moves a little but they seem to all want to stand around because there is limited movement in the offense and usually settle for jumpers.

--I loved Isaiah but he couldn't say on the court. He fouled like a bad curry. And against mobile centers he was unplayable. Shooting 22% on 3s with the Knicks. He is NOT a stretch-5.

A NICE 15 minutes from Moses tonight, 7 points, 8 rebs and 3 blocks. Do the math.

--Reggie is a decent enough point guard with extraordinary secondary ballhandlers like PG and Kawhi. You just need somebody to bring the ball up then hit the occasional 3 and be the emotional sparkplug. He is.

J-Wall is an extraordinary talent and stat producer but so is Westbrook. Not complementary players. J-Wall is the better choice to hand the 2nd unit over to. Give him a shooter and 3 defenders. But the starting unit does not need a ball-dominant G who can't shoot.

And I still don't understand why J-Wall and Reggie have to be one against the other. Ty has been playing them both together at times and don't be surprised to see them both out there in crunchtime when things get real. Would have helped tonight on that 5-second violation that gave away the game in regulation.

--Batum 16-4-5, plus+13. Nobody missed Kawhi and PG more than Nico. Role players need a role. Joe Pesci is not Hamlet.

[Captain Ballmer]

batum/zubac/covington were really good. like so much so that i'm just really confident that once kawhi/pg get into peak form the team is going to look silly good on defense and scary on offense.

The thing is, Superstars makes everything easy around them.. normally, But it's quiet the opposite in our case since the starting of the season.

There is really no point, takes or statement at this point regarding the coaching, or role players that relevant enough for this franchise' title run. We just need our stars to game up.

[KL2]

The other obnoxious thing about the return of Leonard and PG is that they’re trying to ease them in too cautiously. The minutes restriction I understand but avoiding the Kings just to barely beat Charlotte. Then hedging you’ll beat Orlando to avoid the Heat.

At least PG is at 33-34 minutes right now and if I’m not mistaken Leonard looks to be about 30.

I wish Lue would figure another way to use/rest guys too.

[PeteyPablo]

I watched about 85% of the game. I missed most of the 4th QTR. What happened ???

Did their defense let down? I saw a lot of open threes and Bol Bol was too much for the Clippers in the paint.

[wakelaunch1]

I get what you mean, but in tonight's game they both got decent shots but just couldn't make them.

Wall is more of a true point guard than Jackson and may help.

There aren't many good point guards available to trade for.

Notice that last season we had our best offensive production when the ball went through Isaiah Hartenstein. He was a facilitator and got the ball moving. This team is missing that. Mann moves a little, Batum also moves a little but they seem to all want to stand around because there is limited movement in the offense and usually settle for jumpers.

--I loved Isaiah but he couldn't say on the court. He fouled like a bad curry. And against mobile centers he was unplayable. Shooting 22% on 3s with the Knicks. He is NOT a stretch-5.

A NICE 15 minutes from Moses tonight, 7 points, 8 rebs and 3 blocks. Do the math.

--Reggie is a decent enough point guard with extraordinary secondary ballhandlers like PG and Kawhi. You just need somebody to bring the ball up then hit the occasional 3 and be the emotional sparkplug. He is.

J-Wall is an extraordinary talent and stat producer but so is Westbrook. Not complementary players. J-Wall is the better choice to hand the 2nd unit over to. Give him a shooter and 3 defenders. But the starting unit does not need a ball-dominant G who can't shoot.

And I still don't understand why J-Wall and Reggie have to be one against the other. Ty has been playing them both together at times and don't be surprised to see them both out there in crunchtime when things get real. Would have helped tonight on that 5-second violation that gave away the game in regulation.

--Batum 16-4-5, plus+13. Nobody missed Kawhi and PG more than Nico. Role players need a role. Joe Pesci is not Hamlet.

im not saying Hark was the answer, I m just saying this team needs an offense jump starter. Both kawhi, PG, and Jackson dribble too much and slow down the pace. We need someone to get the ball moving. Wall is meh. He is a Crawford spark plug. No defense, no shooting but creates for himself on the fastbreak.

We need someone to unlock the offense in a half court set. we have like 100 wings, and a couple goofy centers. There is no flow

[madmaxmedia]

I want to live in the world where we got Bol Bol instead of Fi like 18 spots earlier.

In fairness, Bol Bol was drafted by Miami in the mid-second round and promptly traded to the Nuggets for a SRP and cash. He played a whole year as a two-way, then was dumped in a multi-player deal on Boston, who forwarded him over to the Magic for a garbage pick [top-45 protected].

So he's on his 4th team in 3 years and any NBA team could have had him for peanuts at any point along the way.

Even more reason for us to have picked him up!

Yeah, it's not like he's been a top shelf prospect or anything. But I do think Bol (and Diabate!) are the kinds of guys that can help make up for our collective age on the floor. We got a lot of older skills players, a young athletic center doesn't have to be that skilled to be a good complement for us. Moses Brown did exactly that last night, he's an even lesser prospect but was in position to make a few plays for us because of his physicality and energy.

I love Zu, so this is more about the overall make up of the team and not specifically about our center position. But we got too many wings already, so center is a position where you can find some fast-twitch guys and their lack of refinement doesn't matter as much. Not just because of our other players but also because of the nature of the position.

A hyper fast young point guard would be great too, but you really need some specific skills out of that position so good athletic ones are hard to obtain.