Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic, 7:00 PM EST

[basketballRob]

It's so nice watching a player that can get to the hoop almost at will, and once there can either get a shot off or find an open man before they stop or jump. If Markelle continues to be aggressive looking for his shot (and making them), it's a game changer.

I'm also glad he wasn't afraid to take the open looks from 3 he got, even if they weren't pretty shots. He just needs to shoot through that.

That's been the one thing that's been missing since the reboot is a guy who can consistently get to the basket and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

We did. Oladipo and Tobias. Unfortunately, we gave up on them easily to kept the wrong guys.

Did we end up with Ross and Fultz for Oladipo and Sabonis?

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[pepe1991]

He has the skills to do more. His one basket was beautiful. A eurostep crossover where he took off on his left foot and finished with a finger roll from his offhand. That is a high-degree-of-difficulty shot that he made look easy.

The issue is that he is content as a passenger at the offensive end and he is in the starting unit. We almost exclusively run pick-and-roll action involving Vucevic any time he is on the floor. I get it. It's easy and effective, but it does no favors to anyone not involved in the action.

I'm almost at the point where I'd rather see Aminu start and let Isaac run with Fultz and the second unit. We have developed Isaac as a defensive specialist. We shouldn't be surprised when that's what he becomes.

Not really. When you draft third offensive option from college that is always used in most basic ways possible, you get what you asked for.

There was not a single point of Isaac's career where anybody would think he has offensive upside of some star player. Yet most people still throw random Siakam comparisons.
Offense isn't about one super hard play you did once , 4 games ago, but constantly finding easiest paths for best results.
He can from time to time make nice play, but who can't in NBA?

Overall he lacks offensive versitality and awarness. Always did.

there is nothing wrong with the Siakam comparisons. Siakam looked lost on offense his first 2 years and was a horribly bad 3 pt shooter and was mostly known as an athletic, defensive player

Shows tremendous defensive ability, utilizing his huge wingspan and quickness ... Very fast in the open floor and will outwork his opponent, hustling down the floor on every possession ... On top of being a high level run jump athlete, shows great lateral speed ... Was very effective guarding both on the perimeter and in the post ... Can legitimately stay in front of guards out on the perimeter, which is unuaual for a 6-9 forward ... Does a good job of staying down and not biting on fakes. Blocks a lot of shots without even leaving his feet, utilizing strong fundamentals by not reaching and putting his arms stright up ... Gives great focus and energy on the defnsive end and causes havoc for offensive schemes with his great length ...

A 6'10” power forward with an imposing 7'3” wingspan, Siakam has several physical tools that give him a solid foundation as a draft prospect. In addition to his measurables, he has a motor that rarely stops along with great speed and agility to boot that allows him to move around the court with ease. He does have a thin frame, both in his upper and lower body, weighing just 227 pounds at the NBA Combine, and he will need to work on filling out his body and becoming stronger to compete with NBA players on a nightly basis....Not a highly skilled offensive player, Siakam relies mainly on his length, athleticism and motor to get easy points around the rim.

Siakam didn't play basketball AT ALL until he was 16.
He said himself that prior that Africa basketball without boards he had no interest in that sport and that he took a trip because it was free ticket to visit his sister who he didn't see for 6 years at that point in his life.

Siakam today has less experience in basketball than Isaac.

[KillMonger]

Not really. When you draft third offensive option from college that is always used in most basic ways possible, you get what you asked for.

There was not a single point of Isaac's career where anybody would think he has offensive upside of some star player. Yet most people still throw random Siakam comparisons.
Offense isn't about one super hard play you did once , 4 games ago, but constantly finding easiest paths for best results.
He can from time to time make nice play, but who can't in NBA?

Overall he lacks offensive versitality and awarness. Always did.

there is nothing wrong with the Siakam comparisons. Siakam looked lost on offense his first 2 years and was a horribly bad 3 pt shooter and was mostly known as an athletic, defensive player

Shows tremendous defensive ability, utilizing his huge wingspan and quickness ... Very fast in the open floor and will outwork his opponent, hustling down the floor on every possession ... On top of being a high level run jump athlete, shows great lateral speed ... Was very effective guarding both on the perimeter and in the post ... Can legitimately stay in front of guards out on the perimeter, which is unuaual for a 6-9 forward ... Does a good job of staying down and not biting on fakes. Blocks a lot of shots without even leaving his feet, utilizing strong fundamentals by not reaching and putting his arms stright up ... Gives great focus and energy on the defnsive end and causes havoc for offensive schemes with his great length ...

A 6'10” power forward with an imposing 7'3” wingspan, Siakam has several physical tools that give him a solid foundation as a draft prospect. In addition to his measurables, he has a motor that rarely stops along with great speed and agility to boot that allows him to move around the court with ease. He does have a thin frame, both in his upper and lower body, weighing just 227 pounds at the NBA Combine, and he will need to work on filling out his body and becoming stronger to compete with NBA players on a nightly basis....Not a highly skilled offensive player, Siakam relies mainly on his length, athleticism and motor to get easy points around the rim.

Siakam didn't play basketball AT ALL until he was 16.
He said himself that prior that Africa basketball without boards he had no interest in that sport and that he took a trip because it was free ticket to visit his sister who he didn't see for 6 years at that point in his life.

Siakam today has less experience in basketball than Isaac.

But how much does that account for really? Some maybe but not all, he's young enough to give the benefit of the doubt. I mean look at harkless iirc he was a dogsh't shooter here in Orlando but fast forward to now and he's a legit 3 and D wing.

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[drsd]

Of all NBA games yet played, Orlando has held its opponent to the lowest score. And by 8 points !!!

((Four teams have not yet played))

[UCFJayBird]

-Fultz looked awesome. If he ever finds that jumpshot again watch out. Even without it he's a force. So excited to watch him this season.
-Isaac is great defensively, but he's just so passive offensively. Need him to step up.
-Fournier is looking like he's going to have a good year, just wish he wouldn't get such tunnel vision at times. Literally watched him dribble for 10 seconds, refuse to pass, and take a horrible shot with 6 seconds on the clock because he was determined to shoot. But that's been an issue since the jump.
-Vooch Vooched.
-I liked Aaron's early aggressiveness. He had a few missed opportunities but I think it's clear based on preseason and this game that the team intends for Aaron to be more involved offensively. It was strange that he disappeared in the scheme after the 1st.
-Team overall is great defensively. Offensively when they move the ball and play team ball it's great, when they build any sizeable lead (this happened last year too, not just judging preseason/game1) they tend to start trying to stat pad themselves and lose focus and teams claw their way back quickly. Team needs to stay focused and keep to the plan even when up 15+.

[magicman112]

That's been the one thing that's been missing since the reboot is a guy who can consistently get to the basket and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

We did. Oladipo and Tobias. Unfortunately, we gave up on them easily to kept the wrong guys.

Did we end up with Ross and Fultz for Oladipo and Sabonis?

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Yes ultimately Ross we got Serge for Dipo and Tobias who we flipped to Toronto for Ross. Fultz we got for Simmons and a pick not sure where the pick was from.

[drsd]

-Vooch Vooched.

That made my day !


..

[basketballRob]

Not really. When you draft third offensive option from college that is always used in most basic ways possible, you get what you asked for.

There was not a single point of Isaac's career where anybody would think he has offensive upside of some star player. Yet most people still throw random Siakam comparisons.
Offense isn't about one super hard play you did once , 4 games ago, but constantly finding easiest paths for best results.
He can from time to time make nice play, but who can't in NBA?

Overall he lacks offensive versitality and awarness. Always did.

there is nothing wrong with the Siakam comparisons. Siakam looked lost on offense his first 2 years and was a horribly bad 3 pt shooter and was mostly known as an athletic, defensive player

Shows tremendous defensive ability, utilizing his huge wingspan and quickness ... Very fast in the open floor and will outwork his opponent, hustling down the floor on every possession ... On top of being a high level run jump athlete, shows great lateral speed ... Was very effective guarding both on the perimeter and in the post ... Can legitimately stay in front of guards out on the perimeter, which is unuaual for a 6-9 forward ... Does a good job of staying down and not biting on fakes. Blocks a lot of shots without even leaving his feet, utilizing strong fundamentals by not reaching and putting his arms stright up ... Gives great focus and energy on the defnsive end and causes havoc for offensive schemes with his great length ...

A 6'10” power forward with an imposing 7'3” wingspan, Siakam has several physical tools that give him a solid foundation as a draft prospect. In addition to his measurables, he has a motor that rarely stops along with great speed and agility to boot that allows him to move around the court with ease. He does have a thin frame, both in his upper and lower body, weighing just 227 pounds at the NBA Combine, and he will need to work on filling out his body and becoming stronger to compete with NBA players on a nightly basis....Not a highly skilled offensive player, Siakam relies mainly on his length, athleticism and motor to get easy points around the rim.

Siakam didn't play basketball AT ALL until he was 16.
He said himself that prior that Africa basketball without boards he had no interest in that sport and that he took a trip because it was free ticket to visit his sister who he didn't see for 6 years at that point in his life.

Siakam today has less experience in basketball than Isaac.

Isaac is a late bloomer in physical maturity. As far as we know Siakam could've been the same size as he was when he was 16 and Isaac's grown 7 or 8 inches.

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[pepe1991]

there is nothing wrong with the Siakam comparisons. Siakam looked lost on offense his first 2 years and was a horribly bad 3 pt shooter and was mostly known as an athletic, defensive player

Siakam didn't play basketball AT ALL until he was 16.
He said himself that prior that Africa basketball without boards he had no interest in that sport and that he took a trip because it was free ticket to visit his sister who he didn't see for 6 years at that point in his life.

Siakam today has less experience in basketball than Isaac.

But how much does that account for really? Some maybe but not all, he's young enough to give the benefit of the doubt. I mean look at harkless iirc he was a dogsh't shooter here in Orlando but fast forward to now and he's a legit 3 and D wing.

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I didn't say he can't be 3 and D guy, but that your average , 12-14 ppg wing, not your star player.

As for Siakam, if he had proper training before his mid teens, he would probably be one of the best players out there because you learn basics and fundamentals much faster (and better ) when you are younger. There are lot of sports ( gimnastics in particular ) where best athletes started it at age of 5.

[MaxFischer]

It is funny to me to continually see fan disappointment when Isaac has limited games offensively. Those waiting for his "breakout" are going to be waiting a long time. It is not in his basketball DNA to be that 20ppg player. He has a lot of work to do on his outside shot, and the team literally runs nothing for him offensively. He just stands outside the arc as a third or fourth option. IMO, at his best he will probably be a 10-16 ppg player, AND THAT IS FINE. Just enjoy watching him for everything else he can bring to the team.

[Omagic12]

Anybody know how the Olive Garden promo Works?

[Bensational]

At this point I'm close to acknowledging that he's going to be a highly talented role player/defensive specialist.

That's pretty obviously what he is right now.

He's young enough to where the possibility exists he could be more, but it's not there right now.

He has the skills to do more. His one basket was beautiful. A eurostep crossover where he took off on his left foot and finished with a finger roll from his offhand. That is a high-degree-of-difficulty shot that he made look easy.

The issue is that he is content as a passenger at the offensive end and he is in the starting unit. We almost exclusively run pick-and-roll action involving Vucevic any time he is on the floor. I get it. It's easy and effective, but it does no favors to anyone not involved in the action.

I'm almost at the point where I'd rather see Aminu start and let Isaac run with Fultz and the second unit. We have developed Isaac as a defensive specialist. We shouldn't be surprised when that's what he becomes.

That's where we're at right now. Isaac's offense is ready for more but still requires the patience of development. But he's so far behind everyone else in the pecking order.

But I think Isaac is showing huge growth in the types of baskets he's taking and making. That eurostep is beautiful to watch and he's done it consistently through preseason. But it's mostly been a transition bucket, so we need to see if he can fit it into the half court next.

He would benefit much more from Aminu's role, and more minutes with the young core. DJ will never find him, Fournier only very rarely. Vuc does the best at rewarding Isaac for his cutting and hard work odd the ball.

I feel like the Siakam we saw last year is a reasonable standard we can hope for from Isaac in his prime, along with elite defense. A lot of Siakam's buckets last year were from him being super aggressive and giving teams fits with his length. He played much more wild than someone as smooth and automatic as Kawhi.

[Rainwater]

The defensive consistency has to get better. I do not want us playing down to our competition this year. The spurts that we did have were great to see.

I am so happy for Markelle tonight. He adds an element that has been lacking in this franchise for a very long time. When we are not moving the ball like we are supposed to, Kelle can ISO and break his man down as his handles are superb. His passing is what has me excited. He has amazing court vision which is going to lead to plenty of easy baskets for our bigs and forwards. Coach Clifford is going to untap that massive potential he has.

Seriously wished the magic would have not resigned Vuc and just tanked and pulled in more assets. The Vuc signing was a short sighted move. The magic may have found something in fultz. They need to put more assets around him for the long term.

No thanks. We did that. I wanna see us develop what we have. No marquee FAs were coming here any time soon and continuity throughout the year will be vital.

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The logic behind blowing it up was that the magic are currently in position were they are in no man's land. They are good enough to make the playoffs but still bad enough to miss the playoffs. By blowing it and making sound draft decisions, the magic could have gotten some assets that can go with the magic young core.

And continuity would not have been a problem as long as Fultz, JI, and Mo are here, those are the three that really matter. While decent, Vuc doesn't really have a long term future here with the magic. By not signing Vuc you could have increased continuity, you could have given more time to Mo to really progress with his teammates.

I not sure of the magic salary cap situation but by not having money tied up in guys like Vuc and even AG, Orlando may have become a nice place to play if someone like Fultz did blow up. Superstars do like to pair now a days

I see both sides of the argument and I know the magic made their decision by resigning Vuc but I would have blown it up.

[magicman112]

Seriously wished the magic would have not resigned Vuc and just tanked and pulled in more assets. The Vuc signing was a short sighted move. The magic may have found something in fultz. They need to put more assets around him for the long term.

No thanks. We did that. I wanna see us develop what we have. No marquee FAs were coming here any time soon and continuity throughout the year will be vital.

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The logic behind blowing it up was that the magic are currently in position were they are in no man's land. They are good enough to make the playoffs but still bad enough to miss the playoffs. By blowing it and making sound draft decisions, the magic could have gotten some assets that can go with the magic young core.

And continuity would not have been a problem as long as Fultz, JI, and Mo are here, those are the three that really matter. While decent, Vuc doesn't really have a long term future here with the magic. By not signing Vuc you could have increased continuity, you could have given more time to Mo to really progress with his teammates.

I not sure of the magic salary cap situation but by not having money tied up in guys like Vuc and even AG, Orlando may have become a nice place to play if someone like Fultz did blow up. Superstars do like to pair now a days

I see both sides of the argument and I know the magic made their decision by resigning Vuc but I would have blown it up.

Tanking isn't worth it anymore with the new anti-tanking draft odds. Look what happened this summer the team with the worst record didn't get the first pick it went to a team that won 16 more games.

[KillMonger]

Siakam didn't play basketball AT ALL until he was 16.
He said himself that prior that Africa basketball without boards he had no interest in that sport and that he took a trip because it was free ticket to visit his sister who he didn't see for 6 years at that point in his life.

Siakam today has less experience in basketball than Isaac.

But how much does that account for really? Some maybe but not all, he's young enough to give the benefit of the doubt. I mean look at harkless iirc he was a dogsh't shooter here in Orlando but fast forward to now and he's a legit 3 and D wing.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

I didn't say he can't be 3 and D guy, but that your average , 12-14 ppg wing, not your star player.

As for Siakam, if he had proper training before his mid teens, he would probably be one of the best players out there because you learn basics and fundamentals much faster (and better ) when you are younger. There are lot of sports ( gimnastics in particular ) where best athletes started it at age of 5.

fair enough, but if you can get 12-14 PPG and All-NBA defense that is pretty good. Although i think he can be more than that, his shot has potential. He has potential as a finisher as well, good footwork and body control for someone who is a 7 footer, if he's active and cutting he can get as easy 4-6 points off of cuts alone if we have someone out there that can find him. Too early in my opinion to tell one way or another.

[Knightro]

Did we end up with Ross and Fultz for Oladipo and Sabonis?

Pretty much. Plus one second round pick.

Deal 1: Victor Oladipo, Ersan İlyasova and the draft rights to Dom Sabonis to Oklahoma City for Serge Ibaka

Deal 2: Serge Ibaka to Toronto for Terrence Ross and the Raptors 2017 1st.

Deal 3: The Raptors 2017 1st to Philadelphia for the Thunder's 2020 1st and the Nets 2020 2nd.

Deal 4: Thunder 2020 1st, Knicks 2019 2nd (acquired via Kyle O'Quinn trade in 2015) and Jonathon Simmons for Markelle Fultz

So basically Oladipo, Sabonis, two expiring contracts and a 2nd round pick (33rd overall) for Terrence Ross and Markelle Fultz.