D'Lo Watch: All things D'Lo related

[PrimeThyme]

Should we pull up the numbers on Vuc and how Gasol completely exposed him?

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

But which one of DLO or Vuc will benefit us more moving forward? If that’s what it came down to, I think the choice is obvious.

Trust me, I'm not arguing that we should have to make that choice. I don't want either of them at max money. I really don't want to pay either of them north of 20 mill tbh (23 mill is where id firmly draw a line).

I think Vuc is the better player, but I do get there is an argument for D-lo being the bigger need therfore making a bigger impact. I just don't think it would be the type of impact some here seem to think. Especially not enough to justify max or even near max money. I'm just not sold.

Id actually be fine with us moving towards more of a youth movement and betting on Bamba/Fultz developing over giving that kind of money to D-lo or vuc.

[OrlandoDream]

Should we pull up the numbers on Vuc and how Gasol completely exposed him?

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

But which one of DLO or Vuc will benefit us more moving forward? If that’s what it came down to, I think the choice is obvious.

Overpaying Vuc will not be smart as opposed to paying DLO. DLO fits a need that Vuc cant fill. Vuc is replaceable. We need a starting level PG, facilitator and scorer at the wings more then a C who has 3-4 years of high play left. DLO just turned 23, made his first all start and has a very bright future. Pay the man.

[VFX]

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

But which one of DLO or Vuc will benefit us more moving forward? If that’s what it came down to, I think the choice is obvious.

Trust me, I'm not arguing that we should have to make that choice. I don't want either of them at max money. I really don't want to pay either of them north of 20 mill tbh (23 mill is where id firmly draw a line).

I think Vuc is the better player, but I do get there is an argument for D-lo being the bigger need therfore making a bigger impact. I just don't think it would be the type of impact some here seem to think. Especially not enough to justify max or even near max money. I'm just not sold.

Id actually be fine with going more of a youth movement and betting on Bamba/Fultz developing over giving that kind of money to D-lo or vuc.

Totally understand. I think there needs to be a layer of context. If we have arguably one of the worst back courts in the league and just spent back to back picks on crazy long 6-11+ front court guys (as well as resigned AG) I think Russell makes more sense rather than resign players that further emphasize the log jam we have in the front court. Getting a wing at #16 will also help.

Russell/ DJ /Fultz
Fournier/ #16
Isaac / Iwundu
AG /(FA or #46)
Birch/Bamba

We still don’t know what Fultz is and can’t risk the future on him. I think Russell draws us talent moving forward.

[zaymon]

After all the talk we draft a person not a player people still think Dlo is a Weltman guy ?

[Viper1500]

I’d love to find a way to sign D Lo and keep Ross


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[tiderulz]

if we cant get Dlo, could we try and swing Dinwiddie?

[Nyce_1]

if we cant get Dlo, could we try and swing Dinwiddie?

Depends on what Nets do. If they keep Dlo with Kyrie, maybe.

[basketballRob]

Love the angelic talk about DeAngelo Russel, a guy jettisoned from the Lakers for exposing a teammates extra marital affair. Go for Kemba.

Who cares, he has reinvented himself and he would be the best guard on this team by a mile. That said, this sounds unrealistic for us.

I think he was 19 then.

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[basketballRob]

I'm afraid we missed the boat on Dlo being signed at a reasonable number - we should've had our eyes on him when he was either injured or riding the bench in BK - not after highlight playoff performances. We need to consider how likely it is over the next few years that we draft or sign a player like him. Don't want to give him the max, but we would likely need to if we really value his marked improvements, age, and timeline fit.

He won't be getting paid off of anything he did in the playoffs. Yes, he scored 19ppg but did it with a 35 fg% and 32 3pt fg% while posting a -5.1 BPM (-4.9 obpm, 89 ortg, 117 drtg) for that series. He largely got exposed and showed why there is no world where I would consider giving him a max contract. I would max Vuc before I maxed D-lo and I have no interest in doing that either.

If you want to use playoff performance Vuc shouldn't get 10m a year.

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[VFX]

if we cant get Dlo, could we try and swing Dinwiddie?

Dinwiddie is an amazing consolation for his contract and production. I’d be thrilled. If we can do it without trading #16, and can get an outside scorer, we’d be set.

[SOUL]

He won't be getting paid off of anything he did in the playoffs. Yes, he scored 19ppg but did it with a 35 fg% and 32 3pt fg% while posting a -5.1 BPM (-4.9 obpm, 89 ortg, 117 drtg) for that series. He largely got exposed and showed why there is no world where I would consider giving him a max contract. I would max Vuc before I maxed D-lo and I have no interest in doing that either.

Should we pull up the numbers on Vuc and how Gasol completely exposed him?

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

[PrimeThyme]

I'm afraid we missed the boat on Dlo being signed at a reasonable number - we should've had our eyes on him when he was either injured or riding the bench in BK - not after highlight playoff performances. We need to consider how likely it is over the next few years that we draft or sign a player like him. Don't want to give him the max, but we would likely need to if we really value his marked improvements, age, and timeline fit.

He won't be getting paid off of anything he did in the playoffs. Yes, he scored 19ppg but did it with a 35 fg% and 32 3pt fg% while posting a -5.1 BPM (-4.9 obpm, 89 ortg, 117 drtg) for that series. He largely got exposed and showed why there is no world where I would consider giving him a max contract. I would max Vuc before I maxed D-lo and I have no interest in doing that either.

If you want to use playoff performance Vuc shouldn't get 10m a year.

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We arent tho. Neither player will be paid based on their playoff performances. Im just making the case that its easier for me to justify Vuc's playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-los.

[basketballRob]

He won't be getting paid off of anything he did in the playoffs. Yes, he scored 19ppg but did it with a 35 fg% and 32 3pt fg% while posting a -5.1 BPM (-4.9 obpm, 89 ortg, 117 drtg) for that series. He largely got exposed and showed why there is no world where I would consider giving him a max contract. I would max Vuc before I maxed D-lo and I have no interest in doing that either.

If you want to use playoff performance Vuc shouldn't get 10m a year.

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We arent tho. Neither player will be paid based on their playoff performances. Im just making the case that its easier for me to justify Vuc's playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-los.

I do think Butler guarded DLo.

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[PrimeThyme]

Should we pull up the numbers on Vuc and how Gasol completely exposed him?

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for making that bet tho. Again, if you can sign D-lo in the 17-20 range (or even 21-23) you are happy. I'm not making the case that he isnt a good player. My whole argument is that I wouldn't pay him max money. I think any team that does will regret it.

[VFX]

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for making that bet tho. Again, if you can sign D-lo in the 17-20 range (or even 21-23) you are happy. I'm not making the case that he isnt a good player. My whole argument is that I wouldn't pay him max money. I think any team that does will regret it.

It’s entirely understandable to not want to pay him max (which he will likely require). However, it can also be viewed as a good use of renounced capspace should we not resign Vuc and Ross. Russell provides a lot of what Orlando is missing and can fill in at either guard spot should Fultz provide anything moving forward. Outside of resigning the youth, and signing draft picks, that money won’t be utilized many other places. If management plan on moving other pieces, that’s another story entirely. I would love to see what JI, AG, and Bamba could do with legitimate playmakers moving forward.

[Xatticus]

Should we pull up the numbers on Vuc and how Gasol completely exposed him?

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some guys believe any shot they take is a good shot because they have made it before and there is a chance that it will go in. I think it has more to do with what the coaching staff lets them get away with. It's why I despise this notion of an offensive hierarchy and the endless debates on this forum about them. A good shot is a good shot whether it goes in or not.

[Xatticus]

Go for it. Vuc obviously won't be getting paid off his playoff performance either. He was arguably a top 10-20 player with the stats he put up this year though. Raptors are also arguably the best defense in the league and Gasol is one of if not the best post defender in the NBA.

Its easier for me to justify Vuc's poor playoff performance than it is for me to justify D-lo's as his was mostly a product of awful shot selection which is something that has plagued him most of his career.

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for making that bet tho. Again, if you can sign D-lo in the 17-20 range (or even 21-23) you are happy. I'm not making the case that he isnt a good player. My whole argument is that I wouldn't pay him max money. I think any team that does will regret it.

I'm with you in that I believe that Russell is severely overrated on this forum; perhaps because he happened to scorch us this season. We have a huge issue at the point guard position though, and so I'd be much more amenable to paying Russell than paying Vucevic. It has less to do with Russell versus Vucevic than it does to the fact that Augustin is our starting PG. I see this as a huge problem for the development of our young players.

Augustin doesn't create passing lanes and he rarely sees open teammates. His passes are seldom on time or accurate. It annoys the hell out of me when he throws a pass to the feet of a man in the corner, or when he completely misses a wide open cutter, or when he fails to see someone all alone on the perimeter while they are jumping up and down and waving their hands in the air to get attention.

We need a real point guard if we are going to develop the off ball skills of young bigs. Russell is far from ideal as an option for me though.

[PrimeThyme]

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for making that bet tho. Again, if you can sign D-lo in the 17-20 range (or even 21-23) you are happy. I'm not making the case that he isnt a good player. My whole argument is that I wouldn't pay him max money. I think any team that does will regret it.

It’s entirely understandable to not want to pay him max (which he will likely require). However, it can also be viewed as a good use of renounced capspace should we not resign Vuc and Ross. Russell provides a lot of what Orlando is missing and can fill in at either guard spot should Fultz provide anything moving forward. Outside of resigning the youth, and signing draft picks, that money won’t be utilized many other places. If management plan on moving other pieces, that’s another story entirely.

I personally wouldn't consider signing D-lo a good use of cap space just because we renounced Vuc/Ross and as a result had cap space. That cap space does not have to be used this year imo. We really haven't had cap space for years now due to us signing players solely because we had the cap space to do so. With how Weltman has been building this team I would not expect him to suddenly shift gears on that front either. If Isaac/Bamba/Fultz develop we have shown in the past that we can attract quality free agents or one of those could be moved for an actual star level player down the road.

I also think Fultz/D-lo are going to thrive with the ball in their hands as the primary playmaker for a team. While I suppose there is combo guard potential there for Fultz I wouldn't exactly be ecstatic about the idea of those two co-existing together in the same backcourt long term.

[PrimeThyme]

Vuc also had bad shot selection for a number of years, which is why he was so inefficient despite being a good scorer/shooter for a big man. I think players just naturally find out what shots are good and bad for them in time, since he's only 23.

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't blame you or anyone else for making that bet tho. Again, if you can sign D-lo in the 17-20 range (or even 21-23) you are happy. I'm not making the case that he isnt a good player. My whole argument is that I wouldn't pay him max money. I think any team that does will regret it.

I'm with you in that I believe that Russell is severely overrated on this forum; perhaps because he happened to scorch us this season. We have a huge issue at the point guard position though, and so I'd be much more amenable to paying Russell than paying Vucevic. It has less to do with Russell versus Vucevic than it does to the fact that Augustin is our starting PG. I see this as a huge problem for the development of our young players.

Augustin doesn't create passing lanes and he rarely sees open teammates. His passes are seldom on time or accurate. It annoys the hell out of me when he throws a pass to the feet of a man in the corner, or when he completely misses a wide open cutter, or when he fails to see someone all alone on the perimeter while they are jumping up and down and waving their hands in the air to get attention.

We need a real point guard if we are going to develop the off ball skills of young bigs. Russell is far from ideal as an option for me though.

Completely get that. It was kind of an irrelevant point for me to even make as I am firmly in the camp of not giving either a max or near max money.

I definitely agree that Russell is overrated on this board. I think people just fall in love with his playstyle in today's day and age. He does have stretches where he can take over a game offensively but as you saw in the Philly series/many other points in his career that same playstyle consisting of stepback/contested threes and jumpers can just as easily take his team out of the game as well. He is very streaky and alot of that has to do with his shot selection and him lacking the ability to consistently get to the line.

We do need to address the point guard situation sooner rather than later. Its one of the reasons why I was fine with us taking a shot on a player like Fultz. Even then though I still think we need to find a way to get a stopgap upgrade at the position this offseason in case Fultz still isnt ready to play. Whether through trade or free agency I don't think we can go into October with DJ as our starting point guard.

[Bensational]

D'Lo isn't a perfect player, but he's such a significant step towards addressing what we lack, I don't mind if the Magic overpay by $5M. He would be earning the same as Beal, Porter and Batum to name a few, and he's much closer to Beal than he is to Porter or Batum.

I feel that long term, D'Lo's trade value will remain high enough that he can still be moved for big improvements. Similar to DeRozan or LaVine.

I don't see a reason to be concerned about maxing out D'Lo. He doesn't seem like a risk to flip from here, he gives us a scoring playmaker who can operate from the perimeter, he gives us shooting, he gives us passing.

He's the best of what is potentially available to us for now.