Everything Orlando vs Toronto (minus GT's)

[KillMonger]

And 11 more years until championship.

We'll get there some day but we got to build on what we got, if we wanted to blow it up we should have done it before. Doing it now is pointless because we would have nothing to sell. It's paltry but at least we can sell fans on being a playoff team going forward. I endured 7 years of trash, being in the lottery every year. Don't want to go back to lottery purgatory.


Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

We were very healthy this year in terms of impact players. We will not be a playoff team if any starter or Ross misses significant time off the court. That’s the problem with maxing our cap with this team.

I would be more worried about that if the roster came back next year as is. That's not the case we'll at least have fultz and bamba back with the 16th pick. If Fultz is good enough he'll be able to move DJ back to the bench.

Honestly I'd start Ross and bring fournier off the bench since he wants to only shoot. Add the 16th pick to that which I hope is NAW and bamba to that bench as well. That to me is a balance that we don't have right now, with that bench you can't really focus on one player.

That's one of our problems now, our starting lineup is lacking shooters and playmaking and our Bench lacks balance. Now our Bench is pretty much all T Ross, you lock him up we got nothing

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

[AdamTheGreek]

Still recovering from Game 3 and Game 4, those hurt. I was in Amway Center for Game 3, got into a founders suite for $95, great deal. We gave them Game 3, we were playing catch-up all game. Can't give up a 16-0 run in the third.
Then we looked mentally frustrated for Game 4 once our first quarter lead vanished. Kawhi and Siakam have been phenomenal carrying that Raptors team. Isaac should've played more in Game 3. The starters all should've played more in Game 4 (Ross only getting up 5 shots is bizarre).

I actually have hope for Game 5 still, especially if Toronto expects us to roll over.

New Penny & Pops Podcast.
'Magical Moments' this episode is Game 5 against Toronto...in 2008. The first playoff series we had won since 1996:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/137665379/can-drake-please-show-up-for-game-5-toronto-leads-3-1-episode-28-april-22-2019
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-drake-please-show-up-for-game-5-toronto-leads-3/id1114413480?i=1000436115833
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/59A1e3Xfad4z4L0RHIy8zw

[Ducklett]

We'll get there some day but we got to build on what we got, if we wanted to blow it up we should have done it before. Doing it now is pointless because we would have nothing to sell. It's paltry but at least we can sell fans on being a playoff team going forward. I endured 7 years of trash, being in the lottery every year. Don't want to go back to lottery purgatory.


Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

We were very healthy this year in terms of impact players. We will not be a playoff team if any starter or Ross misses significant time off the court. That’s the problem with maxing our cap with this team.

I would be more worried about that if the roster came back next year as is. That's not the case we'll at least have fultz and bamba back with the 16th pick. If Fultz is good enough he'll be able to move DJ back to the bench.

Honestly I'd start Ross and bring fournier off the bench since he wants to only shoot. Add the 16th pick to that which I hope is NAW and bamba to that bench as well. That to me is a balance that we don't have right now, with that bench you can't really focus on one player.

That's one of our problems now, our starting lineup is lacking shooters and playmaking and our Bench lacks balance. Now our Bench is pretty much all T Ross, you lock him up we got nothing

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

It is just as likely that Bamba, Fultz, and 16 have zero impact and buried on the bench as they do being high impact players.

[KillMonger]

We were very healthy this year in terms of impact players. We will not be a playoff team if any starter or Ross misses significant time off the court. That’s the problem with maxing our cap with this team.

I would be more worried about that if the roster came back next year as is. That's not the case we'll at least have fultz and bamba back with the 16th pick. If Fultz is good enough he'll be able to move DJ back to the bench.

Honestly I'd start Ross and bring fournier off the bench since he wants to only shoot. Add the 16th pick to that which I hope is NAW and bamba to that bench as well. That to me is a balance that we don't have right now, with that bench you can't really focus on one player.

That's one of our problems now, our starting lineup is lacking shooters and playmaking and our Bench lacks balance. Now our Bench is pretty much all T Ross, you lock him up we got nothing

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

It is just as likely that Bamba, Fultz, and 16 have zero impact and buried on the bench as they do being high impact players.

maybe...time will tell

[pepe1991]

As for Vučević, there is always option to give him 1 year $30M ...

[MagicFrenchie]

Could'nt catch the last two games as I was on a trip. Only followed the final results.
Man I'm so depressed right now, how things turned quickly bad. I tought they could at least snatch one victory at home...
but on the ther hand we're facing potential finalists and seeing the pacers pistons taking clean sweeps...we are not that bad.

[zaymon]

As for Vučević, there is always option to give him 1 year $30M ...

Or 2 years same length as Fournier. It would be interesting but i doubt he signs it.

[pepe1991]

Read on Twitter

Is this man for real?

His older bro is kind a scrub

[tiderulz]

Read on Twitter

Is this man for real?

His older bro is kind a scrub

he fouled Maker on that first dunk.

[pepe1991]

Read on Twitter

Is this man for real?

His older bro is kind a scrub

he fouled Maker on that first dunk.

yep, still impressive.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

seems to be a theme.... getting beat off the dribble and not getting rebounds when needed.

[Message Boar]

I had a wedgie playing ball today. This is a good omen. We usually always win when I have a wedgie.

Okay, this is going to be a night where that theory is going to get tested to the max. I think we have a shot if we play hard and have a better shooting night than we've been having. Yes, the Raptors are great defensively, but we can't make our open looks to save our lives either.

(Sorry if i missed the game thread, mods plz move/delete)

[rcklsscognition]

I had a wedgie playing ball today. This is a good omen. We always win when I have a wedgie.

Okay, this is going to be a night where that theory is going to get tested to the max. I think we have a shot if we play hard and have a better shooting night than we've been having. Yes, the Raptors are great defensively, but we can't make our open looks to save our lives either.

(Sorry if i missed the game thread, mods plz move/delete)

Does the depth of the wedgie correspond to margin of victory? If so, how much will we win by?

[Message Boar]

^ about 12 points, by my measurements.

[dsg2021]

I had a wedgie playing ball today. This is a good omen. We always win when I have a wedgie.

Okay, this is going to be a night where that theory is going to get tested to the max. I think we have a shot if we play hard and have a better shooting night than we've been having. Yes, the Raptors are great defensively, but we can't make our open looks to save our lives either.

(Sorry if i missed the game thread, mods plz move/delete)

Let it be known

[RookieStar]

Well it's do or die. Please win 1 more Magic!!!

[dsg2021]

Post-Game 5 notes:

Spoiler:

- Cuts hit on, finishing drives, and midrange 2's produced more good offense than getting trapped looking for a shot on the perimeter, or PnR action. ORL players need to work on their floaters and close-midrange shots for punishing defenses from perimeter-trapping. As well as continue developing their team passing. Faking a 3 also produced good results tonight, too. That's something to look at, and perhaps the 2-range shouldn't be so overlooked if it can produce better offensive games than these ugly ones. Again, it doesn't have to 2-orientated, but enough to punish and open the 3 and paint back up.
- Bad 1 on 1 defense continued, from mainly game 4. Also, Kawhi can not ever be left alone, most of his 3's were open (even if for just a second, it was enough). He broke down a lot of ORL runs that got the lead back to around 13 down, with those same 3's.
- TOR adjusted and grew more comfortable as the series went on. ORL did the exact opposite, they grew less and less comfortable. A little bit disappointed that the Magic defense grew weaker over the series. And I was hoping the ORL offense being rocked all series would have at least led to some more creativity. It did for Vooch's looks later on, but not so much for the Fournier, D.J., and Ross actions.
- But still, we stole one game. And we had 1 win, 2 blowout losses, and 2 close-ish losses. All in all, not bad against a much more talented and experienced team. And we had a nice 42 win season too, above .500.
- Lots of credit to our deeper bench for bringing the lead down from like 32 to 19 at the end. Much respect for the hustle and pride.
- Every ORL player fought hard, maybe just not as comfortable and smart to playoff-tested opponents. I think the experience is going to bring a lot of motivation and further development for ORL players.
- The 1st round experience can get better for ORL in the next three years, but yeah, it might still be 4-1, 4-2, 4-3 losses. Valuable experience added, but not much else going except for mid 1st gambles. On the other hand, if the Magic remain cut-throat on cap space, as they've usually been with the new FO, they can try hunting for bargain contracts (starting with their own Vooch and Ross), and maybe get creative like trading cap space for assets, and betting bigger next time they're in talks for a Doncic-like talent. Doncic was as obvious as they come, so I hope ORL can eventually find one or two break-the-D-down, true star player that is hard to find and sorely missed from our franchise in the last 8 years or so. Oh, and you also avoid the ugliness of being what seems like perpetual 1st round fodder, something ORL has avoided in its franchise history at least.