Game 12: New Orleans Pelicans (2-9) @ Orlando Magic (4-7) - 7:00 PM ET

[Nemesis21]

Also for the love of God, JODIE MEEKS please get healthy soon.

I completely forgot about Meeks. Yea let's hope he's good to go soon. He could be a much needed boost off the bench and help scoring.

Exactly. Think if we had him for these past 12 games. I bet you we'd be over .500

[Nemesis21]

lol
I was waiting for the Meeks is our savior ... but in the green font
guy didnt play for like 2 years and is our savior
Im sure he wont be RUSTY after 2 years
and he wasnt that gr8 to begin with even when healthy

Where did anyone say he is our Savior? Please show me. You know damn well his scoring off the bench would be a much needed boost.

[Furinkazan]

lol
I was waiting for the Meeks is our savior ... but in the green font
guy didnt play for like 2 years and is our savior
Im sure he wont be RUSTY after 2 years
and he wasnt that gr8 to begin with even when healthy

Where did anyone say he is our Savior? Please show me. You know damn well his scoring off the bench would be a much needed boost.

You didnt but you paint him to be
this isnt nba 2k
he will be rusty and you expect him to give you some offense right away its silly and Im being polite

[PrimeThyme]

What worries me is that we have abandoned the youth movement for veterans that limit the ceiling of this team and don't make us any better. We have coaches that have been well regarded for player development and it was my hope that that would be priority number one. I'm definitely glad we have Vogel, but it's laughable that Jeff green is starting over AG right now, && that Mario can't get in the game when Jeff was going 0-8 with 2 turnovers all while playing sloppy non existent defense.

I think this is pretty malformed statement... The youth movement hasn't been killed but rather now the players that needed to make a step didn't make a step/playing out of position/just no good enough. AG was gifted the SF position as a chance to expand his game. Guys that were said to be holding him back (Oladipo, Harris) were traded in favor for him. He's just looked terrible thus far and looks very uncomfortable in this new role. Its weird that people are blaming Hennigan/Vogel for him for not seizing an opportunity that he was given. Hezonja has the same problem. He's actually regressed and looks like he shouldn't be on the court at this point. Will he be back? most likely, but at this point he should be sitting on the bench until he looks competent enough to play.

On top of that this is easily one of the least talented rosters in the NBA. If you're having a hard time getting run on this squad, that should really say something about the talent itself at this stage.

Trading Tobias Harris for vets, Trading Victor and draft pick for a vet, benching AG for a vet, giving Marios mintutes to vets is literally the definition of killing the youth movement. AG was gifted the SF position? No AG was forced to play SF because we decided to go get a player in Ibaka that played the same position as our best prospect. AG wasn't the problem and he still isn't. Once again, Mario was playing better before he got benched, better than Jeff green has been playing the last couple games, that's for damn sure.

[Orlwillbeback]

lol
I was waiting for the Meeks is our savior ... but in the green font
guy didnt play for like 2 years and is our savior
Im sure he wont be RUSTY after 2 years
and he wasnt that gr8 to begin with even when healthy

Where did anyone say he is our Savior? Please show me. You know damn well his scoring off the bench would be a much needed boost.

You didnt but you paint him to be
this isnt nba 2k
he will be rusty and you expect him to give you some offense right away its silly and Im being polite

Not only that but he's JODIE **** MEEKS

[Furinkazan]

plus Id rather realease the kraken called Mario at this point

[Nemesis21]

lol
I was waiting for the Meeks is our savior ... but in the green font
guy didnt play for like 2 years and is our savior
Im sure he wont be RUSTY after 2 years
and he wasnt that gr8 to begin with even when healthy

Where did anyone say he is our Savior? Please show me. You know damn well his scoring off the bench would be a much needed boost.

You didnt but you paint him to be
this isnt nba 2k
he will be rusty and you expect him to give you some offense right away its silly and Im being polite

Bulls**t! I or no one is painting him to be. [Mod Edit: Deleted personal attack.]

we know his scoring off the bench would be a boost.

[Magic_Kingdom]

What worries me is that we have abandoned the youth movement for veterans that limit the ceiling of this team and don't make us any better. We have coaches that have been well regarded for player development and it was my hope that that would be priority number one. I'm definitely glad we have Vogel, but it's laughable that Jeff green is starting over AG right now, && that Mario can't get in the game when Jeff was going 0-8 with 2 turnovers all while playing sloppy non existent defense.

For all the Skiles bashers who relentlessly ripped him for not playing our youth more -- Mario played in 79 games last season as a rookie and was a regular rotation player. After 12 games, he already has as many DNP-CD's this year under "Mr. Development" Vogel, and that is with Meeks out.

[Optimus_Steel]

Aaron Gordon had some pointed words about the way the team is playing and you know what thank you Aaron. Is time someone spoke up and said the play is unnaceptable. Even Vuc said if they dont get it together on offense is going to be not a fun year. This team is awful at one on one play and they keep resorting to it. The percentages for this team are just mind boggling bad.

30th in points per game
30th in FG% 23rd in 3pt %
28th in FT %
29th in point differential

somehow 28th in offensive rating

Basketball reference says that according to the numbers we should be at 3-9 lmao.

Watching this team is like voluntary walking on broken glass and continuing to do it just because.

[rcklsscognition]

If Mario and AG were future stars, they would show atleast glimpses of it by now. Neither of them is dynamic enough off the dribble to be a featured player on offense.

There may be something here to look into. Gordon is developing and implementing things into his game at the 3 well, I like that he is trying the 3, post ups, mid-ranges, etc, but he doesn't look dynamic off the dribble, nor does Mario, and that really is a very important part of being a star. If we don't start to see that out of Gordon this year, than I'd be much more comfortable envisioning him as a solid 2nd or 3rd tier option like every other player we have funneled through our system this rebuild.

[Bergmaniac]

We are currently at 48.8% TS% as a team. That's historically terrible. Especially considering we have had a really easy schedule so far. I keep expecting us to climb over the 50% mark, but it's not happening.

[rcklsscognition]

I think you can look at each player on the roster and figure out why they're not scoring/shooting well and these are things you can fix with coaching.

Payton: Not driving enough. Terrible catch and shooter, not that bad at pull ups. Focus on mid-range pull up jumpers, floaters, drives. It blows my mind we use Fournier as the point guard, even DJ at times, and have Payton as the 2 guard. It must be a defensive thing but still, it's just a disaster.

Fournier: Defense are triple teaming him in the paint on his drives because they are sagging off Payton and Gordon and Fournier isn't passing out to them often. Excellent catch and shooter. Put another 3 point threat on the court with Fournier and force more pick and fades with Vuc and Ibaka. Focus less on getting Fournier to the rim and more on opening up the pass.

Gordon: Terrible off the dribble shooter. Needs to have his feet set. Stick him outside the arc and keep making him take 3s until he figures it out. When Gordon gets the ball at the 3, our PF/C need to immediately box out and Gordon needs to immediately shoot the ball, or pump fake and immediately drive and not stop until he's at the rim. He's way too indecisive and using ridiculous dribbling.

Ibaka: Not a post threat. Pick and pop the guy to death. Pick up the speed and roll to the hoop every once and a while and use the floater. This guy should not be used in the post. They have improved switching him with Vuc because at the beginning of the season Vuc was out at the 3 and Ibaka in the post like every possession. Need that reversed.

Vucevic: Focus on the post. Rebounding and not being afraid of fouls, you're playing 28 minutes a game now, you can foul nearly at Dedmon level and still play your minutes.

[Furinkazan]

Where did anyone say he is our Savior? Please show me. You know damn well his scoring off the bench would be a much needed boost.

You didnt but you paint him to be
this isnt nba 2k
he will be rusty and you expect him to give you some offense right away its silly and Im being polite

Bulls**t! I or no one is painting him to be. We just aren't a moron like you and we know his scoring off the bench would be a boost.

You aint going to bring me down to your level.I wont resort to the insults just not going there after you to low level You would beat me there with your experience.

[Nemesis21]

You didnt but you paint him to be
this isnt nba 2k
he will be rusty and you expect him to give you some offense right away its silly and Im being polite

Bulls**t! I or no one is painting him to be. We just aren't a moron like you and we know his scoring off the bench would be a boost.

You aint going to bring me down to your level.I wont resort to the insults just not going there after you to low level You would beat me there with your experience.

I'm sorry I don't understand you, this is barely English.

[NEM]

Dude if your argument is that Jodie Meeks would make this a +.500 team, you should reevaluate your understanding of the game.

We have lost 7 games thus far, by the following margins:

Vs Miami 12
At Detroit 26
At Cleveland 6
At Chicago 32
Vs Minnesota 16
Vs Utah 13
At Indiana 19

You're telling me that Josie Meeks is so good that he would have made 2 of those games wins instead of the brutal losses that they were?

Also, Meeks isn't the type of player that can go and get his own shot. He needs to be spotting up or coming off screens. With our lack of basketball IQ, that was never gonna happen. Not to mention all the rust he would have had to shake off. He's just not a player that moves the needle in either direction and I think you're reaching.

[pepe1991]

Meeks literally had one really good year, with MDA and Lakers , years ago. He is spot up shooter only.
Will fit great, 1,9 FTA for career, most of years 1,5 FTA per game.

[sportsrock37]

Dude if your argument is that Jodie Meeks would make this a +.500 team, you should reevaluate your understanding of the game.

We have lost 7 games thus far, by the following margins:

Vs Miami 12
At Detroit 26
At Cleveland 6
At Chicago 32
Vs Minnesota 16
Vs Utah 13
At Indiana 19

You're telling me that Josie Meeks is so good that he would have made 2 of those games wins instead of the brutal losses that they were?

Also, Meeks isn't the type of player that can go and get his own shot. He needs to be spotting up or coming off screens. With our lack of basketball IQ, that was never gonna happen. Not to mention all the rust he would have had to shake off. He's just not a player that moves the needle in either direction and I think you're reaching.

I disagree with his premise, I don't think we'd be 500 with Jodie Meeks, but don't look at the final scores. Utah/Indiana were both winnable games if we got any kind of scoring spark. One 6-8 point spark when both teams were bricking everything in the 2nd quarter or late 3rd when the backups were in could have changed both of those games dramatically. I'm not saying Jodie Meeks would have been that guy, but I'm pretty sure he would have shot better than CJ Watson.

[MagicFan4Lyfe]

How desperate has the Magic fanbase become that we are hoping for Jodie Meeks coming back from injury?
Back in the Gabriel days we were hoping for Grant Hill back. In the Otis Smith days we were hoping Dwights back would be ok or Rashard's ankle was healthy.

Now we are praying for the return of a NBA journeyman. If this doesn't sum up Hennigan's destruction of the Orlando Magic, nothing else can.

[NEM]

How desperate has the Magic fanbase become that we are hoping for Jodie Meeks coming back from injury?
Back in the Gabriel days we were hoping for Grant Hill back. In the Otis Smith days we were hoping Dwights back would be ok or Rashard's ankle was healthy.

Now we are praying for the return of a NBA journeyman. If this doesn't sum up Hennigan's destruction of the Orlando Magic, nothing else can.

All on hennigan. ALL OF IT. You can only blame coaching so much. 4 coaches later and the team still blows. Ownership has shown willingness to spend money. It's all Hennigan. Hopefully when he goes, so will his cronies.

[Skin]

What worries me is that we have abandoned the youth movement for veterans that limit the ceiling of this team and don't make us any better. We have coaches that have been well regarded for player development and it was my hope that that would be priority number one. I'm definitely glad we have Vogel, but it's laughable that Jeff green is starting over AG right now, && that Mario can't get in the game when Jeff was going 0-8 with 2 turnovers all while playing sloppy non existent defense.

For all the Skiles bashers who relentlessly ripped him for not playing our youth more -- Mario played in 79 games last season as a rookie and was a regular rotation player. After 12 games, he already has as many DNP-CD's this year under "Mr. Development" Vogel, and that is with Meeks out.

Skiles has no credibility when it comes to developing stars. Vogel does. So we can squash any comparison to the two coaches and the ungrateful Vogel bashing, RIGHT NOW. OMG, you guys... smh.