Who do you want us to take at #1?

[PrimeThyme]

It’s fun nitpicking prospects, but at the end of the day, I still can’t contain my excitement for winning the number one pick.

Successful rebuilds need some level of luck, and we just didn’t get an ounce of it during the last one. This one has started off with WCJ (young above average starting center), 2 top 8 picks in a seemingly historic draft, and now a number one overall which we only sniffed once during our last one.

For the first time in a long time I see a pathway towards something beyond mediocrity and things appear to be finally breaking our way.

[Petre1978]

Any update on workouts? We have only 16 days until the draft.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OrlandoMagic/comments/uivcs2/orlando_magic_2022_draft_workout_tracker/

[Petre1978]

It’s fun nitpicking prospects, but at the end of the day, I still can’t contain my excitement for winning the number one pick.

Successful rebuilds need some level of luck, and we just didn’t get an ounce of it during the last one. This one has started off with WCJ (young above average starting center), 2 top 8 picks in a seemingly historic draft, and now a number one overall which we only sniffed once during our last one.

For the first time in a long time I see a pathway towards something beyond mediocrity and things appear to be finally breaking our way.

Absolutely. I agree.
I know everyone has his favorite in the draft but in the end the Fo ( who has a lot more intel than we armchair gm's) will choose who ever they think is the best for the team.

I will support every player they draft.

[Petre1978]

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[LDNMagic90]

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[PrimeThyme]

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What a bizarre tweet. Bancheros questions defensively aren’t as much about intensity as it is about his lack of lateral foot speed to guard wings and stretch 4’s on the perimeter.

They aren’t similar players. I’m not sure why people keep trying to force the comparison.

[The-Stallion70]

After considering it myself and acknowledging that Orlando is in a desirable position with assets, picks, young players etc, I think there is a chance that we get aggressive and make a move on draft night that makes the team immediately more competitive.

Whether it's for something like Lillard/Beal is beyond me but after hearing comments from Hammond and Weltman stating that they would like to do something like that and upon considering that we have assets that teams often do want when rebuilding, it is a possibility.

Which move you have in mind?

When I think about it, I don't think Lillard is moving but Beal may be a possibility. If we got him I wouldn't trade too much because I think he only has one year left or something like that but it may be worth it to try to woo him with the Gator fans here. I think the Magic have the assets to play around with something like that.

[Xatticus]

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What a bizarre tweet. Bancheros questions defensively aren’t as much about intensity as it is about his lack of lateral foot speed to guard wings and stretch 4’s on the perimeter.

They aren’t similar players. I’m not sure why people keep trying to force the comparison.

They look pretty similar to me. There were questions about Tatum's shooting coming out. He looked like a dude that had been crafted in personal gym workouts. He had a well-developed collection of technical skills, but he didn't look like he really knew how to use them. This is Banchero to me. They might differ a bit stylistically, but that has more to do with their different frames.

For what it's worth, I think Tatum is one of the most overrated players in the league right now. His offensive on/off stuff looks great, but that is because Boston doesn't have a ton of offensive talent and they lean heavily on him. That's fine as an approach to roster construction, because it is working for Boston, but make no mistake, Boston's offense isn't why they are good. They are just keeping their head above water at the offensive end. They finished the year 9th in offensive efficiency and they have been middle of the pack in the playoffs. Boston is good because they are an elite defensive team. Tatum is a part of that, to be sure, but Boston's success at the defensive end goes far beyond Tatum's contributions.

By the by, this is exactly how the Sixers did it back when they had Iverson. This is a tried and true formula for success in the NBA. Everyone lauded Iverson, but Philadelphia just kept their head above water at the offensive end by riding Iverson. They had elite defensive supporting casts (Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, and George Lynch) and that was why they were good. If you are young, you have no idea who these guys ever were because Iverson soaked up all the credit.

This is what Clifford tried to do with Orlando, but the combination of Fournier and Vucevic precluded the possiblity of an elite defense and they simply weren't good enough at the other end to even keep the team's head above water offensively.

I do believe that Banchero can be something akin to what Tatum is at the offensive end. He can be the engine that keeps your offense from cratering. He probably won't shoot as well as well as Tatum, so the upside isn't as high. The shot just doesn't look good to me. He is going to be a problem defensively though. Banchero isn't a wing. He is a big and he doesn't really know what he is doing at that end. You never want bad defensive players on the floor, but you especially never want bad defensive bigs on the floor. There is too much of an opportunity cost sacrificed by playing bad defensive bigs.

Everyone has been banging the drum for big wings because of what has happened in the playoffs in recent years. This is an incorrect interpretation of what has transpired. What we have learned is how important defense is. You can get by without an elite offense as long as you have your **** together at the defensive end.

Something that irks me is when people argue that defense is all about effort and that anyone can become a good defender. This is just wrong. Anyone can become a passable team defender, but that isn't enough to make you a good defender. You need to have talent. Further, if you can't handle yourself at the point of attack, you are going to get abused when it really matters. Teams are going to attack you. It has almost nothing to do with effort. You have the talent or you don't. You have the instincts or you don't. You can move your feet or you can't. You have the size or you don't. You have quick hands or you don't.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

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https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-draft

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Why do you keep posting this? You know it has very little to do with what teams are going to do, right?

Betting odds are based on what the public is betting, not some Vegas insider knowledge.

Vegas has gotten 1st pick right since 2013 so yeah it’s usually a pretty good sign.

2013 was the year Bennet went #1 and the Cavs shocked the world with the dumbest pick.

[tiderulz]

Something that irks me is when people argue that defense is all about effort and that anyone can become a good defender. This is just wrong. Anyone can become a passable team defender, but that isn't enough to make you a good defender. You need to have talent. Further, if you can't handle yourself at the point of attack, you are going to get abused when it really matters. Teams are going to attack you. It has almost nothing to do with effort. You have the talent or you don't. You have the instincts or you don't. You can move your feet or you can't. You have the size or you don't. You have quick hands or you don't.

i would say this goes both ways. You can have a few players as passable team defenders as long as you have some very good ones. On the flip side, you can have some passable 3&D or role playing offensive players, as long as you have some very good ones. As you mentioned, its all about roster construction. you need some inside players, some 3 pt shooters, some ball handlers, some wing defenders, a post defender. its the GM and front office doing their job and putting a team together.

[MAGICian619]

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Why do you keep posting this? You know it has very little to do with what teams are going to do, right?

Betting odds are based on what the public is betting, not some Vegas insider knowledge.

Vegas has gotten 1st pick right since 2013 so yeah it’s usually a pretty good sign.

2013 was the year Bennet went #1 and the Cavs shocked the world with the dumbest pick.

Vegas has gotten the 1st pick right since 2013 ***with their final odds***

There is still time for it to change. A singular "Chet looked great in his Orlando workout" report would likely flip the odds.

[swarlesbarkley]

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What a bizarre tweet. Bancheros questions defensively aren’t as much about intensity as it is about his lack of lateral foot speed to guard wings and stretch 4’s on the perimeter.

They aren’t similar players. I’m not sure why people keep trying to force the comparison.

They look pretty similar to me. There were questions about Tatum's shooting coming out. He looked like a dude that had been crafted in personal gym workouts. He had a well-developed collection of technical skills, but he didn't look like he really knew how to use them. This is Banchero to me. They might differ a bit stylistically, but that has more to do with their different frames.

For what it's worth, I think Tatum is one of the most overrated players in the league right now. His offensive on/off stuff looks great, but that is because Boston doesn't have a ton of offensive talent and they lean heavily on him. That's fine as an approach to roster construction, because it is working for Boston, but make no mistake, Boston's offense isn't why they are good. They are just keeping their head above water at the offensive end. They finished the year 9th in offensive efficiency and they have been middle of the pack in the playoffs. Boston is good because they are an elite defensive team. Tatum is a part of that, to be sure, but Boston's success at the defensive end goes far beyond Tatum's contributions.

By the by, this is exactly how the Sixers did it back when they had Iverson. This is a tried and true formula for success in the NBA. Everyone lauded Iverson, but Philadelphia just kept their head above water at the offensive end by riding Iverson. They had elite defensive supporting casts (Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, and George Lynch) and that was why they were good. If you are young, you have no idea who these guys ever were because Iverson soaked up all the credit.

This is what Clifford tried to do with Orlando, but the combination of Fournier and Vucevic precluded the possiblity of an elite defense and they simply weren't good enough at the other end to even keep the team's head above water offensively.

I do believe that Banchero can be something akin to what Tatum is at the offensive end. He can be the engine that keeps your offense from cratering. He probably won't shoot as well as well as Tatum, so the upside isn't as high. The shot just doesn't look good to me. He is going to be a problem defensively though. Banchero isn't a wing. He is a big and he doesn't really know what he is doing at that end. You never want bad defensive players on the floor, but you especially never want bad defensive bigs on the floor. There is too much of an opportunity cost sacrificed by playing bad defensive bigs.

Everyone has been banging the drum for big wings because of what has happened in the playoffs in recent years. This is an incorrect interpretation of what has transpired. What we have learned is how important defense is. You can get by without an elite offense as long as you have your **** together at the defensive end.

Something that irks me is when people argue that defense is all about effort and that anyone can become a good defender. This is just wrong. Anyone can become a passable team defender, but that isn't enough to make you a good defender. You need to have talent. Further, if you can't handle yourself at the point of attack, you are going to get abused when it really matters. Teams are going to attack you. It has almost nothing to do with effort. You have the talent or you don't. You have the instincts or you don't. You can move your feet or you can't. You have the size or you don't. You have quick hands or you don't.

Great post.

I logged in today to say that if we went with Banchero, we'd be on our way to building our own little Boston Celtics team with our young core:

Suggs === Smart
WCJ === Horford
Wagner === Brown
Banchero === Tatum

[zaymon]

Read on Twitter

What a bizarre tweet. Bancheros questions defensively aren’t as much about intensity as it is about his lack of lateral foot speed to guard wings and stretch 4’s on the perimeter.

They aren’t similar players. I’m not sure why people keep trying to force the comparison.

They look pretty similar to me. There were questions about Tatum's shooting coming out. He looked like a dude that had been crafted in personal gym workouts. He had a well-developed collection of technical skills, but he didn't look like he really knew how to use them. This is Banchero to me. They might differ a bit stylistically, but that has more to do with their different frames.

For what it's worth, I think Tatum is one of the most overrated players in the league right now. His offensive on/off stuff looks great, but that is because Boston doesn't have a ton of offensive talent and they lean heavily on him. That's fine as an approach to roster construction, because it is working for Boston, but make no mistake, Boston's offense isn't why they are good. They are just keeping their head above water at the offensive end. They finished the year 9th in offensive efficiency and they have been middle of the pack in the playoffs. Boston is good because they are an elite defensive team. Tatum is a part of that, to be sure, but Boston's success at the defensive end goes far beyond Tatum's contributions.

By the by, this is exactly how the Sixers did it back when they had Iverson. This is a tried and true formula for success in the NBA. Everyone lauded Iverson, but Philadelphia just kept their head above water at the offensive end by riding Iverson. They had elite defensive supporting casts (Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, Theo Ratliff, and George Lynch) and that was why they were good. If you are young, you have no idea who these guys ever were because Iverson soaked up all the credit.

This is what Clifford tried to do with Orlando, but the combination of Fournier and Vucevic precluded the possiblity of an elite defense and they simply weren't good enough at the other end to even keep the team's head above water offensively.

I do believe that Banchero can be something akin to what Tatum is at the offensive end. He can be the engine that keeps your offense from cratering. He probably won't shoot as well as well as Tatum, so the upside isn't as high. The shot just doesn't look good to me. He is going to be a problem defensively though. Banchero isn't a wing. He is a big and he doesn't really know what he is doing at that end. You never want bad defensive players on the floor, but you especially never want bad defensive bigs on the floor. There is too much of an opportunity cost sacrificed by playing bad defensive bigs.

Everyone has been banging the drum for big wings because of what has happened in the playoffs in recent years. This is an incorrect interpretation of what has transpired. What we have learned is how important defense is. You can get by without an elite offense as long as you have your **** together at the defensive end.

Something that irks me is when people argue that defense is all about effort and that anyone can become a good defender. This is just wrong. Anyone can become a passable team defender, but that isn't enough to make you a good defender. You need to have talent. Further, if you can't handle yourself at the point of attack, you are going to get abused when it really matters. Teams are going to attack you. It has almost nothing to do with effort. You have the talent or you don't. You have the instincts or you don't. You can move your feet or you can't. You have the size or you don't. You have quick hands or you don't.

What we want to have is players with different skill sets which can be used in different situations. Suggs have quick first step and can drive past defenders without a screen, Wagner could develop into very dangerous pick and roll ball hander, WCJ is adept at screening and hand offs. Its quite clear we need someone who can create in isolations. Wagner, Ross, WCJ and Hampton were good but at very low volume. Cole Anthony had the highest volume but he was in 43 percentile.
We need someone who is great in isolations, but at the same time doesnt destroy our ball movement. Banchero is good at both isolations and moving the ball.
Defensively Banchero is better defending isolations than Jabari so you cant just attack him. Smith has higher center of gravity and he will get blown by even more often in the nba.
We have very solid defensive foundation. We need more thick bodies to match up with Boston, Miami and Bucks.

[basketballRob]

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[Bensational]

ISOs are boring and always seem more risky than not in this era of basketball. It limits off-ball movement and the chance of getting a bucket/better look off an extra pass to an open look.

PnR ball handler + Versatile Big + Shooting & Off-ball movement will get you a good look probably more often than an ISO play, but I haven’t checked the numbers so I could be off.

The question is who will be our ball handlers? Franz, Fultz and Suggs are our current best guys. Does Paolo offer a significant upgrade over them? Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s not say he’s not or won’t ever be the better option. I’d rather continue investing in the growth of our current 3 than add Paolo as another set of hands needing time and reps.

Comparatively, Jabari steps right in as a shooting option to the above equation, and Chet could handle any role in it. What does Paolo do if Franz/Fultz/Suggs is running the play?

[basketballRob]

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[Black and Blue]

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Every time a commentator comments on how Chet’s skinny build scares them, I look at a picture of Jeff Weltman…who if he ate a bagel you would be able to see it travel down his body through his skin.

Obviously the “he is too skinny” argument for President of Basketball ops vs an NBA power forward is quite different, but all we need is some memory of a bully calling Weltman a stick to influence things and make him go “We’ll show em, Chet!”

[drsd]

I logged in today to say that if we went with Banchero, we'd be on our way to building our own little Boston Celtics team with our young core:

Suggs === Smart
WCJ === Horford
Wagner === Brown
Banchero === Tatum

The Celts are one banner from catching the Lakers in most NBA titles ever. From there: Orlando would only need to win the subsequent 18 titles to catch them both!

Go MAGIC!!!!!

..

[tiderulz]

ISOs are boring and always seem more risky than not in this era of basketball. It limits off-ball movement and the chance of getting a bucket/better look off an extra pass to an open look.

PnR ball handler + Versatile Big + Shooting & Off-ball movement will get you a good look probably more often than an ISO play, but I haven’t checked the numbers so I could be off.

The question is who will be our ball handlers? Franz, Fultz and Suggs are our current best guys. Does Paolo offer a significant upgrade over them? Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s not say he’s not or won’t ever be the better option. I’d rather continue investing in the growth of our current 3 than add Paolo as another set of hands needing time and reps.

Comparatively, Jabari steps right in as a shooting option to the above equation, and Chet could handle any role in it. What does Paolo do if Franz/Fultz/Suggs is running the play?

you think Suggs better ball handler than Cole? Sugg's handle is one of his biggest issues and question marks on improving, 2nd only to his shooting.

[VFX]

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Kind of a stupid video and question to answer. They aren't factoring in where each of them land and how they are utilized. If everything is even (its not) each of the prospects do something differently.