2024-2025 Regular Season Game 8: Orlando Magic (3-4) at Oklahoma City Thunder (6-0) - 9:15pm ET

[Knightro]

I thought Franz was fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[tiderulz]

Even though Franz wasnt horrible this game, I think its pretty clear that he should have never gotten a max contract. Thats the contract you give to someone who can be a top 2 player on a championship team, and I really believe hes a #3.

Max contracts were designed to sign your generational talents. Instead, nba GMs and FOs turned that into mockery.
Now every all star potential player gets one.
Franz
Fox
Adebayo
Ben Simmons

And many more. It's just "new normal". Players expect one as sort of recognition of value, teams give them out as sort of goodwill for future, but in reality they just hinder flexibility and steer the rebuild wheel into propelled mediocrity (treadmill).

Why OKC is so good this year ? Because they leveraged fact Holmgren and Williams are on cheap contracts, stacked talent around them and SGA and opened championship window. That team will in 2-3 years be way too expensive to keep, but it doesn't matter, they might win title before it closes. It's crazy how championship window for them works in revers. Where traditional rebuild would be waiting for stars to mature (and get expensive by default) they flipped a script.

i think it was the agents. They could always find a team without talent willing to give a max deal to steal talent away. And since there is a $$ limit, they know what they have to pay.

[mattyBoi]

Is Paolo making our GM look better or is our GM making Paolo look better? None of our opinion matters at the end of the day, only Paolo's does and there will come a time where he is tired of having to do everything himself. The current criticism is just trying to get ahead of that. GET PLAYMAKERS.

[Bergmaniac]

We got to get our defense tightened up, that doesn't need to be affected by the loss of banchero.... We get our defense back to our standard and maybe we can work out the offense.... Hopefully more practice time will help a lot.... KCP need to hit shots, I think I saw something that said most of his shots have been rated wide open or open and he's been missing.... The silver lining could be there is no way we're THIS bad shooting

The defence was fine in this game, our DRTG for the game was 101, which is excellent, especially for an away back to back against a top team. Sure there was some stretches which weren't great on that end for us and OKC took their foot off the pedal pretty early on, but overall there wasn't much to complain. The problem was the offense and obviously the 3 point shooting in particular. And the bench minutes were disastrous for us. Especially the Isaac minutes, somehow he finished with a 44 ORTG.

I love writing this in this GB thread where it will quickly not be seen after a few hours (for the sake of avoiding negativity), but let's have a round of applause to all the numerous posters here (including ones who post here very often) for ever saying that Franz was the best player on this team. It happened A LOT the past couple seasons, and I never once agreed with it. You guys do you tho, its only 3 games in too, so imo, I'd double down if I were you guys.

I still think he is or at least on par with Paolo and he was the best last year. We will most likely would have gotten spanked by Dallas and OKC if he was out and Paolo was playing, these are elite teams which will be big favourites against us at home even if we had everyone healthy.

Why are so many people in this thread acting as if Franz had a bad game last night? He scored reasonably efficient 22 points against the best defence in the league while getting a terrible whistle and with OKC's defence just completely ignoring our shooters most of the game to pack the paint. And we actually won the minutes he was on the court. Sure, his turnovers were high but he was quite good overall.

[eyriq]

JI and Jett with our worst performances. Goga and Franz with our best. Suggs was good but only mid defensively. KCP with a stellar night defensively.

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[Bergmaniac]

Also, the Magic really need to find someone else to sub for David Steele on long road trips and eventually replace him. Dante is horrible as a commentator. He says nothing insightful and his relentless over the top positivity is annoying.

[eyriq]

JDub indeed cooked Franz, though Franz won his other matchups.

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[eyriq]

Jalen Suggs taking a playmaking leap?

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[pepe1991]

Jalen Suggs taking a playmaking leap?

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Context matters. Over past 3 games Magic would have been one of worst offensive teams in past decade(s).

A potential assist is a situation where a ball-handler make a pass to a player who takes a field goal attempt within the determined amount of time an effort required of earning an assist, called an assist window, if the field goal is converted.

So data is fluky-prone. You can dribble life out of ball and throw hot potato to your teammate with 3 sec on the clock and get "potential assist" if he shoots (and he has to).
Also even within normal shot clock even bad shots from impossible situations are viewed as potential assists.

Suggs is doing his best play maker impression but it hurts his shooting a lot. He is more effective, for a team ,as spot up shooter and cutter. But without Banchero, current offense, due Weltman construction is just Franz, Suggs or bust.

[RichCollab]

It’s really simple. All we have to do is replace Cole with Maxey.

[yoyojw17]

Well... Franz/Da Silva/Goga had positive plus minuses... which was great to see against such a tough team. The bench though.... whew!

We just could not buy a 3... even with getting the attempts that we wanted. We are progressing the right direction. but there is only so much you can do on the road. Hope "Stella gets her groove back soon"

[KillMonger]

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[orlando_joe]

Jalen Suggs taking a playmaking leap?

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Context matters. Over past 3 games Magic would have been one of worst offensive teams in past decade(s).

A potential assist is a situation where a ball-handler make a pass to a player who takes a field goal attempt within the determined amount of time an effort required of earning an assist, called an assist window, if the field goal is converted.

So data is fluky-prone. You can dribble life out of ball and throw hot potato to your teammate with 3 sec on the clock and get "potential assist" if he shoots (and he has to).
Also even within normal shot clock even bad shots from impossible situations are viewed as potential assists.

Suggs is doing his best play maker impression but it hurts his shooting a lot. He is more effective, for a team ,as spot up shooter and cutter. But without Banchero, current offense, due Weltman construction is just Franz, Suggs or bust.

could it be that 2 of the teams have not lost only 2 left and play great d and magic missed 2 starters? all road games

[Audi]

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[KillMonger]

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[JoshuaPotter]

I couldn't find the game on the radio for whatever reason they turned it off for the second half. Something I have seen them rarely do and I do not think it was because it was close. Rough day for all but some bright spots are starting to emerge.

[ogmagicfan]

We got to get our defense tightened up, that doesn't need to be affected by the loss of banchero.... We get our defense back to our standard and maybe we can work out the offense.... Hopefully more practice time will help a lot.... KCP need to hit shots, I think I saw something that said most of his shots have been rated wide open or open and he's been missing.... The silver lining could be there is no way we're THIS bad shooting

Sent from my [Hands] using RealGM mobile app

Even though it goes against the common narrative, our defense will be worse without Paolo because he wears out teams on the offensive side of the ball

Without Paolo, teams expend less energy/time on defense and the Magic are forced to expend more energy/time on defense.

Same thing happens when we dont have Franz for both his offensive & defensive contributions

Advanced stats have so many shortcomings that can only be truly assessed if you're like us and watch the games

[fendilim]

Jalen Suggs taking a playmaking leap?

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Jalen has been playing with controlled tempo lately.

[ibraheim718]

How do you guys not check the stuff this guy posts? Is it because he rambles random stats that don't really prove anything?

Max contracts were designed so that EVERY team can have the leverage to keep their best players. It doesn't have anything to do with generational talents.. that's completely f'ing subjective.

[ibraheim718]

JDub indeed cooked Franz, though Franz won his other matchups.

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Williams mid range game is what makes him a problem for players to guard.. they're just not used to guarding a guy who takes so. many mid range shots. I'm sure with a couple of more looks at Williams Franz would adjust how he defends him.