Official Draft Thread 3: Picks #4 and #12

[KillMonger]

not worried about giving up firsts rounders at this point, at some point you have to stop compiling assets and start cashing them in to start trying to win imo.

[OrlDave]

I don't have an issue with who we picked (though Gordon and Tobias look a bit redundant at first glance), but I was disappointed by the draft process.

I think it likely that Hennigan could have traded down a couple of spots and still safely grabbed Gordon, which could have netted us some really nice assets.

And I hated how Philly read us like a book and grabbed Payton. That is a situation that I think could have been avoided if Hennigan had been more effective in previous deals...either negotiating for BoNK instead of WoNK, or securing a pick swap in the Afflalo deal.

There was some talk Utah was looking at Gordon @5. I know Simmons wanted him for Boston at 6 (not to say Ainge did or not). The point is, just because we the fans think Gordon might have fallen a couple spots, doesn't mean he would have. Part of why Philly got away with their theft is because the don't appear to care who is on their team, they just get the best assets. We actually want players. I'm curious if Philly's strategy pays off long term, it may very well not.

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[Nyce_1]

I hope people realize the 1st rounder we gave up was returning the heavily protected 1st rounder they owed us from the Vucevic/Harkless trade; it won't be our own 1st rounder.

I have ZERO problems with giving this up to get a guy we targeted in this draft.

[AddiFB]

I hope people realize the 1st rounder we gave up was returning the heavily protected 1st rounder they owed us from the Vucevic/Harkless trade; it won't be our own 1st rounder.

I have ZERO problems with giving this up to get a guy we targeted in this draft.

Bingo.

Sent from my mancave

[darthmerrick]

I hope people realize the 1st rounder we gave up was returning the heavily protected 1st rounder they owed us from the Vucevic/Harkless trade; it won't be our own 1st rounder.

I have ZERO problems with giving this up to get a guy we targeted in this draft.

Exactly. I think after 2017 it turns into a 2nd rounder anyways. We still have our own first rounders and the Lakers pick. People need to calm down. Elfrid could very well be the steal of the draft. As Ford said, if he had gone to a different school people would be talking about the second coming of Gary Payton. He's got an alpha in him too. I like!

Gordon was the best PF prospect in the draft. Randle is going to be injury prone and Vonleh will be a bust.
Aaron is 19 years old, a tenacious defender and great athlete. We finally have a guy on the team who is going to be a superstar!

#Lob Kingdom

[basketballRob]

I hope people realize the 1st rounder we gave up was returning the heavily protected 1st rounder they owed us from the Vucevic/Harkless trade; it won't be our own 1st rounder.

I have ZERO problems with giving this up to get a guy we targeted in this draft.

Exactly. I think after 2017 it turns into a 2nd rounder anyways. We still have our own first rounders and the Lakers pick. People need to calm down. Elfrid could very well be the steal of the draft. As Ford said, if he had gone to a different school people would be talking about the second coming of Gary Payton. He's got an alpha in him too. I like!

Gordon was the best PF prospect in the draft. Randle is going to be injury prone and Vonleh will be a bust.
Aaron is 19 years old, a tenacious defender and great athlete. We finally have a guy on the team who is going to be a superstar!

#Lob Kingdom

Well he'll be 19 in almost 3 mos.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Well, it cost us a first and a second just to move from 12 to 10...

Philly robbed us and it's redemption from the Bynum trade.

I wonder if Philly took Exum at 3 and we took Gordon at 4,

would Philly still take Payton at 10 to take advantage of us?

where do people come up with this stuff? Why would there be redemption when THEY'RE the ones that wanted Bynum? "Damn you Orlando for the decision, we made." -Hinkie

Yeah that makes a ton of sense.

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[Realist2001]

So far this draft has been great for the Magic. They got their future starting SF in Gordon, who can also play some PF in smaller lineups. They also got VO a running mate in Payton (it isn't Exum, but Payton was the 2nd guard that I wanted behind him). The AA trade was big time because they bring in a younger player with tremendous upside and at a fraction of the cost. The only thing that hasn't happened tonight that I thought would happen is the trading of Nelson for a pick and player. That may still happen though.

Pick and player for Nelson?

Yes there was talk before the draft that the Magic could send Nelson to a team who was looking to gain cap space this offseason since Nelson has a 8 million dollar team option. We would take the player they want to unload and of course a pick. Didn't happen in the draft, but could still happen this summer with future considerations.

So much for that talk

[yoyojw17]

Good insight from Billy D...

Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan knows Gordon and Payton well. Donovan spent part of last summer coaching the Under-19 team, and he thinks the reunion of Gordon and Payton will pay long-term dividends for the Magic.

"I think the Magic, in terms of the culture with those two guys, really hit two home runs in the draft, because those two kids are the kind of kids that can change the culture in terms of just their energy, their disposition, their attitude, their work ethic, their competitiveness," Donovan told the Orlando Sentinel.

"You can evaluate Elfrid's statistics or you can measure Aaron Gordon's vertical leap. But it's really, really hard to evaluate the intangible things. Both of those two guys have incredible intangibles."

Donovan cited examples.

Although Payton started all of Team USA's games, Donovan played Payton at shooting guard instead of at point guard, which is Payton's natural position.

Payton never complained about the switch, Donovan remembered.

Gordon, a forward, had just finished high school in San Jose, Calif., where he was named the state's Mr. Basketball twice. Still, Gordon didn't start a game for the U.S., even though he led the Americans in points per game (12.6) and rebounds per game (6.2).

Donovan recalled: "He never, ever once said, 'Hey, Coach, I'm not getting enough shots. Hey, Coach, why am I not starting?' None of that. And I really admired him."

The admiration between Gordon and Payton is mutual.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, through sheer happenstance, some NBA teams — though not Orlando — invited them to participate in the same pre-draft workouts. During those job auditions, Gordon and Payton often teamed up for games of 2-on-2 against other draft prospects.

Payton said: "It was just pick-and-roll. Lob city."

"And nobody could stop us," Gordon said. "In all the games that we played on the same team, we probably lost twice out of all the games. Interesting enough, we ended up on the same team [through the draft]. So this is my kind of guy. I wouldn't have picked anybody else in the draft to play with me."

They hope to replicate their prior successes together during the NBA's regular season.

Donovan thinks Gordon and Payton will complement each other and the rest of the Magic's roster well.

"When you're trying to do something significant," Donovan said, "you find out what guys are all about, and those two guys, Payton and Gordon, are about the right things.

"For whatever reason, there are certain guys who can see a bigger picture. They understand what winning is. I think both guys have got a competitiveness to them that winning is a priority for them. They want to win. they'll do whatever they have to do to help the team. They're two guys that are willing to sacrifice."

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-06-28/sports/os-magic-draft-billy-donovan-0629-20140628_1_billy-donovan-orlando-magic-nba-draft

[Smooth_E]

Elfrid Payton & Aaron Gordon

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI7szkY5fgI[/youtube]

[yoyojw17]

Elfrid Payton & Aaron Gordon

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI7szkY5fgI[/youtube]

if they could become 75% of that duo....this was definitely a home run draft!

[Magic#1]

Elfrid Payton & Aaron Gordon

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI7szkY5fgI[/youtube]

Let's not get carried away now. Those are two hall of famers. Wait, this is RealGM. Of course get carried away.
Seriously though, I get the comparison. There's just a lot these two still have to work on.

[Smooth_E]

Elfrid Payton & Aaron Gordon

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI7szkY5fgI[/youtube]

Let's not get carried away now. Those are two hall of famers. Wait, this is RealGM. Of course get carried away.
Seriously though, I get the comparison. There's just a lot these two still have to work on.

Potential bro