Official Speculation Thread ‘18-19’: XIX: Rise of the BIG

[Def Swami]

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[MagicStarwipe]

I'm still stunned that so many NBA guys wear low top sneakers...It was always a given that you wore high-tops just for the ankle support.Ankles suck.

The notion that high top sneakers offers more ankle support than low tops is not really true. A few more inches of material on a shoe is not going to stop your ankle from rolling over. The support comes from the the base of the shoe, along with the fit and containment. Basically you need a well fitting shoe that doesn't sit too high off the ground, with a wide base or outrigger and a heel counter. All of that is in the bottom half of the shoe, so it doesn't really matter if it's a low top or a high top.

I learned all of this from watching Nightwing2302's (Weartesters) sneaker performance reviews on YouTube by the way.

[Knightro]

I stand by what I said last night.

Finding an actual starting caliber PG to slide Augustin to the bench (and Grant out of the rotation) and a backup wing who can chop Simmons from the rotation entirely and this is playoff team.

[MagicStarwipe]

I stand by what I said last night.

Finding an actual starting caliber PG to slide Augustin to the bench (and Grant out of the rotation) and a backup wing who can chop Simmons from the rotation entirely and this is playoff team.

I still don't really believe that. We haven't exactly beaten the toughest opponents. A struggling early in the season Boston and a 7-5 Spurs are the only "good" teams we have beaten. Wait until our schedule toughens up a bit.

[Knightro]

I still don't really believe that. We haven't exactly beaten the toughest opponents. A struggling early in the season Boston and a 7-5 Spurs are the only "good" teams we have beaten. Wait until our schedule toughens up a bit.

Oh look don't get me wrong, Orlando has plenty of warts, but replacing two awful rotation players with two decent ones would make anyone quite a bit better.

[MagicStarwipe]

I still don't really believe that. We haven't exactly beaten the toughest opponents. A struggling early in the season Boston and a 7-5 Spurs are the only "good" teams we have beaten. Wait until our schedule toughens up a bit.

Oh look don't get me wrong, Orlando has plenty of warts, but replacing two awful rotation players with two decent ones would make anyone quite a bit better.

Better, yes. Playoffs? I don't believe it. If that PG was an all-star level player then perhaps.

[trebone]

Id argue that Iwundu is outplaying Simmons right now and he should be getting Simms minutes when Isaac returns

I agree, and it's mainly because Wes shoots a lot less. If Simms only shot 3 or 4 times a game, it wouldn't be so bad!

That doesn’t make him even an average player though. Simms is playing like the worst rotation player in the league.

Iwundu just doesn’t really provide anything except the occasional hustle, while giving virtually zero offense.

Id rather have Iwundus zero offense than Simms negative offense, even if they are even in the defensive department

[j-ragg]

I agree, and it's mainly because Wes shoots a lot less. If Simms only shot 3 or 4 times a game, it wouldn't be so bad!

That doesn’t make him even an average player though. Simms is playing like the worst rotation player in the league.

Iwundu just doesn’t really provide anything except the occasional hustle, while giving virtually zero offense.

Id rather have Iwundus zero offense than Simms negative offense, even if they are even in the defensive department

Haha I get what you mean. Not wrong, I just think I’d rather have Simms for the threat of a dribble drive (eventually he has to go from worst percentages of all time to just awful right?).

Just excited to eventually have a normal, competent 3.

[pepe1991]

nothing will stop you from rolling ankle. You put all your weight when you fall .
Myth about higher top shoes as more safe is just that, myth.
I'm not 100% sold on ankle braces, they look stiff as hell.
I hear from some doctor that ankle braces increese chance of hurting knee , kind a makes sense, when you fall instand of rolling in your ankle your leg will roll somwhere else, probably knee.

[GatorbaitDD]

nothing will stop you from rolling ankle. You put all your weight when you fall .
Myth about higher top shoes as more safe is just that, myth.
I'm not 100% sold on ankle braces, they look stiff as hell.
I hear from some doctor that ankle braces increese chance of hurting knee , kind a makes sense, when you fall instand of rolling in your ankle your leg will roll somwhere else, probably knee.

this is the consensus thinking by most in the field. A rolled ankle is typically reducing impact to other areas of the lower body. Hip, knee to be specific.

[pepe1991]

nothing will stop you from rolling ankle. You put all your weight when you fall .
Myth about higher top shoes as more safe is just that, myth.
I'm not 100% sold on ankle braces, they look stiff as hell.
I hear from some doctor that ankle braces increese chance of hurting knee , kind a makes sense, when you fall instand of rolling in your ankle your leg will roll somwhere else, probably knee.

this is the consensus thinking by most in the field. A rolled ankle is typically reducing impact to other areas of the lower body. Hip, knee to be specific.

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[Optimus_Steel]

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Yup Simmons play has been as bad as it looked. He needs his minutes cut big time, unfortunately our talent is too weak to plug someone else in.

Not surprising to see Mario in that terrible list. He wasn't as bad last year but the year before he was bottom 5 in plus minus, PER, and all sort of advanced metrics, leading to the current regime not extending his contract. Dude just flat out sucks and is prob not NBA level player.

[VFX]

I stand by what I said last night.

Finding an actual starting caliber PG to slide Augustin to the bench (and Grant out of the rotation) and a backup wing who can chop Simmons from the rotation entirely and this is playoff team.

If by “starting caliber” you mean “all star” point guard, then yeah. Merely acquiring a starting level guard doesn’t make this squad a playoff team. Even if it did, it wouldn’t make Orlando remotely capable of competing with Toronto, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, or Boston in the east alone come time for the playoffs.

[MagicFan101]

I stand by what I said last night.

Finding an actual starting caliber PG to slide Augustin to the bench (and Grant out of the rotation) and a backup wing who can chop Simmons from the rotation entirely and this is playoff team.

He gets a lot of hate because of the situation he is pushed into but I like DJ. In the right role he can be on my team any day of the week. But clearly that role is coming off the bench.

Despite injuries in the starting lineup, notice how Cliff keeps Ross on the bench. Also, notice how effective Ross is in that role. Having DJ + Ross leading our second wave would be huge for avoiding letdowns which are all to frequent for us.

[Knightro]

If by “starting caliber” you mean “all star” point guard, then yeah. Merely acquiring a starting level guard doesn’t make this squad a playoff team. Even if it did, it wouldn’t make Orlando remotely capable of competing with Toronto, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, or Boston in the east alone.

Two things...

1. I simply said the Magic would be a playoff team. I won't be surprised at all if the 8 seed in the East makes the playoffs with sub 40 wins. I think the 7 seed could also be under .500 as well.

2. I didn't say they would be competitive against the top four teams in the East, because I don't think they would be.

I am of the opinion the Magic are going to win in the low 30s with the roster they have right now, warts and all. Replace the two worst players in that rotation with two competent players and why wouldn't they win in the upper 30s?

[pepe1991]

In most cases BPM is tied with performance of a team.

Most shocking names from the list are:
Eric Gordon -second worst. Guy got A LOT of allstar votes last year. Hoston is bad right now but not this level of bad.
Barnes- to be fair he is comming off injury and Dalls blows.
Tyus Jones- guy who most people wanted
Jaylen Brown - well that's shocking to me, probably doesn't do that well in smaller role, much like Rozier
Kelly Oubre- raw stats fat, advanced stats putrid
Klay Thompson, guy is 65th worst nba player by this, it just speeks volumen how we need to be careful with stats and how we look at them.

Most of others are medicore players but what gets them to the bottom are terrible teams not just their individual talent, or lack of the same.

I'm looking at BB reference page of Eric Gordon and i'm like

[drsd]

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The jist I take from this is "let the ankle heal so the ACL/MCL does not blow out."

This really explains why the Magic is so cautious with Isaac.


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[drsd]

I stand by what I said last night.

Finding an actual starting caliber PG to slide Augustin to the bench (and Grant out of the rotation) and a backup wing who can chop Simmons from the rotation entirely and this is playoff team.

I still don't really believe that.

I read this as you are sating the Magic does not need a superior player than Augustin starting at the point. If that is your point, I fundamentally disagree. Most metrics have Augustin as Orlando's worst starter. Furthermore, he is failing the eye-test, hard.


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[VFX]

If by “starting caliber” you mean “all star” point guard, then yeah. Merely acquiring a starting level guard doesn’t make this squad a playoff team. Even if it did, it wouldn’t make Orlando remotely capable of competing with Toronto, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, or Boston in the east alone.

Two things...

1. I simply said the Magic would be a playoff team. I won't be surprised at all if the 8 seed in the East makes the playoffs with sub 40 wins. I think the 7 seed could also be under .500 as well.

2. I didn't say they would be competitive against the top four teams in the East, because I don't think they would be.

I am of the opinion the Magic are going to win in the low 30s with the roster they have right now, warts and all. Replace the two worst players in that rotation with two competent players and why wouldn't they win in the upper 30s?

True, but what is the end goal here ? Is it to get by just enough, with a win-now coach, to get blown out by a top tier team with more talent?

Vuc, who like it or not shoulders a lot of the offense, is not going to be on this team next year - maybe even by the trade deadline. With that in mind, doesn’t it make more sense to continue to build, rather than squeeze out a few more wins for the sake of immediate results. This is the same mistake this organization has made continuously by sacrificing the long term results for the short.

Unless management acquires a younger point guard that can grow with Bamba and Isaac’s strengthened ankles, there really isn’t an end goal positive to getting an established point guard to make the playoffs for this season. That is unless you are a believer that moral victories matter even though this roster should look completely different if the FO is doing their job correctly.

[Knightro]

True, but what is the end goal here ? Is it to get by just enough, with a win-now coach, to get blown out by a top tier team with more talent?

Vuc, who like it or not shoulders a lot of the offense, is not going to be on this team next year - maybe even by the trade deadline. With that in mind, doesn’t it make more sense to continue to build, rather than squeeze out a few more wins for the sake of immediate results. This is the same mistake this organization has made continuously by sacrificing the long term results for the short.

Unless management acquires a point guard that can grow with Bamba and Isaacs strengthened ankles, there really isn’t an end goal positive to getting a point guard to make the playoffs for this season.

I wasn't suggesting it was the right idea either. The Magic would be best suited to get as high of a lotto pick as they possibly can, but that isn't what they're going to do.

Steve Clifford isn't going to tank. He's just not. It isn't in his DNA as a coach. Knowing that Clifford is here and is going to be afforded a LOT of time to get this thing right, it's time to start adding talent.

If the Magic can acquire a player or players right now in trades that are the same caliber of players that they would chase in free agency this summer, they should go ahead and do it if the cost isn't prohibitive.

But beyond all of that, if the Magic do look to acquire a PG THIS year, it would come at the expense of Vucevic or Ross or both which would not dramatically improve the team this season anyway.

What I was saying was more of a rhetorical thing.