WOW! This New York Knicks forum is stacked with topics and users! How can people even keep up with all the new posts?
I'm "new" here. Normally not a poster; I did post one or two things about Mario during his Orlando tenure, though.
Just my two cents on Mario and this new step in his career:
Ever since Hezonja got some real attention, the year before he got drafted, I got interested in him and intrigued by him. I like persons who are "different" or whatever. You know, dapping opposing coaches right after making a three pointer, saying Messi should come see him instead of the other way around (that was just an innocent joke, btw), the highlight real dunks...
So yeah, I got very interested in him and therefore, ever since game 1 of his first season with Orlando, I've watched almost every game he played in.
That, to be honest, were three long years full of mismanagement of players, useless veteran players getting playing time over younger players, fired coaches and so on, and so on.
Now, about Mario:
Yeah, he was extremely inconsistent during his three years. Everybody knows that. But was that his fault? Partly. Maybe. I mean, in those three years he got/had to play 4 different positions, for different coaches, and always with older, mostly useless veterans getting playing time ahead of him. Ow, and he constantly got put in the doghouse by his coaches, having the shortest leash of every player on the team.
But, during all these troublesome years, he definitively got to show his skillset quite some times. Especially during his rookie years and certainly during last season (only after half of the Magic got injured btw, but anyway).
During his second season he was playing despite being injured (why, nobody knows). His stats certainly showed that. Also the "eye test" showed he was certainly less mobile, less powerful than during his rookie year and during last year.
But in his first and in his recent year, he showed some real skills and potential, no matter how inconsistent he is. He still makes stupid decisions and mistakes sometimes, but in the last months of last season he certainly inproved a lot on his ball handling skills and made a lot less mistakes and turnovers than before.
Now, finally fully healthy, he is what he should have been and what he could have been: a very talented player with a beautiful shot, great passing skills and vision (too bad sometimes his teammates couldn't keep up with his vision and passing, resulting in weird turnovers), great physical tools and faster than he appears at first. Good rebounding skills as well.
I like him; i like him VERY much. Despite his inconsistency and his stupid mistakes he made (he improved a lot in year 3). He has the total package for me and has every tool to become a very good, useful player in this league.
Besides, he has a good dose of confidence and swagger (NOT too be confused with arrogance by the way).
Some people may think Mario is or was a selfish player, but instead it is exactly the other way around: although he certainly likes to showcase his skills sometimes, he is a VERY unselfish player, always looking for his teammates, showing his passing skills and vision and finding teammates in sometimes the most unpossible ways.
I have a lot of faith in him, and he certainly will succeed in this league. Besides, he is good friends with KP if I'm not mistaken.
I'm glad he is finally on a different team now, he really needed a change of scenery.
Good luck Mario! Good luck, Knicks!
RIP mags
