Playoffs G4: Toronto Raptors (2) @ Orlando Magic (7)

[zaymon]

Not Necessarily.... Next Season we're getting bamba back, fultz back and #16.... Should be better next season with that infusion of talent and internal improvement.

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Well Bamba will not be ready physically, Fultz is like a rookie and 16 will be a rookie. I am not so certain we will be better but i hope so for sure.

Most said Isaac couldn't play over 20 minutes a game this year.

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Isaac was a difference maker on defense right from the start, Bamba was a liability. If Bamba suprises us next year great, but i wouldnt count on it

[Howard Mass]

This team needs more backcourt and wing scoring. Markele Fultz could bring that next season but even if he can, more help is going to be needed there.

[thelead]

In the biggest game of our season, Norman Powell would be the third highest scorer on our team right now. That's a problem.

The biggest problem is that our all star center, who is looking for a huge payday, has only shown up for 1 of 16 quarters so far. He consistently has made mistakes and rushed easy plays. He does not play winning basketball in the modern NBA.

By that type of analysis, nobody should be kept on this team as they all sucked ass.

You haven't been watching AG then. And our 6th man has played well in a few games as well.

[ShotCreator]

You don’t seem to understand that we, as Magic fans, have little external efficacy towards our FO making smart basketball moves. The ONLY reason this team is where it is now is because of lotto picks. And even then we’ve either blown those (Elfried, Mario) or traded them for a pile of magic beans (Dipo, Sabonis). So no, many of is don’t think this WeHam Portmanteau is going to be any different. But a higher draft pick statistically leads to better players, regardless of who is calling the shots.

So essentially you’re admitting that you’re working off a “the guys who were here before sucked so the guys here now obviously will also suck!” rationale?

Sorry man, but that doesn’t work for me.

This team just improved by 17 wins from one season to the next. No matter what anyone wants to say about it, that’s real tangible progress.

Getting beat in 5 games (which mind you almost every single poster on this board picked the Magic to lose in 4 or 5) to a really good Toronto team doesn’t make me any less excited and interested to see how the front office and coaching staff will look to build off the clear progress that was made this season.

We’re playing a juggernaut. They tend to make average to solid teams look terrible.

[FFBlitzace]

The benchmark in game 5 doesn't have to be a victory, but anything less than a tough, close, competitive game is unacceptable. If Vuc comes up soft again, it's definitive, in my opinion. If Fournier sucks again (he was trash this game no matter what the box score says), it's definitive, in my opinion. I think Ag has earned the benefit of the doubt. Isaac is still early in development and we can expect ups and downs with him. Ross is who he is, which is a good player, but he's not able to be the only guy in a 5 man unit. Doesn't mean he can't be an important part of a winner, it just means he can't be your only guy in a unit. Basically, it's a big game for Fournier and Vuc. If they can't find a way in an elimination game to at least be net neutral players in the game, I don't know what kind of mental gymnastics you'd have to pull in order to defend them.

[Optimus_Steel]

Toronto very well could win a championship this year.

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Exactly. While I'm dissapointed this Tor team is stacked and they got an MVP type player and several all-star players, they are deep. They are on way different class than we are. They are elite.

[Knightro]

I’ll entirely eat crow in regards to Gordon. He was feasting when we were down by a lot with Vuc on the bench with a higher tempo. We can kiss that version of him goodbye if we bring back Vuc regardless of what we pay him.

I’d put the tempo thing on Clifford more than Vucevic.

For better or worse, Clifford is always going to prefer a slower paced, mistake free, no easy points system.

That’s what he’s always preached since he’s become a head coach and it’s unrealistic to expect it to change now.

This team is going to go as far as Weltman and Hammond can provide Clifford with more talent in the backcourt.

[Ducklett]

We gotta let Vuc and Ross go. This should show everyone on this board we aren't trending the right direction on the backs of Vuc, Ross, and Evan. We need to turn it over the youth and tank to find a superstar. It sucks that the league is set up like that, but no superstar, no championship.

[FFBlitzace]

Fournier strikes me as the type of guy that will guarantee a game 5 win in his interview tonight and then go 3-15 in the game with 4 turnovers.

Throughout the season, there’s been bits of praise for Evan’s post-loss interviews where he ‘tells it like it is.’

Has he followed it up with his play? No.

Exactly. He's the first guy to talk, but he never backs it up. He does tell the truth a lot, like how they can't be satisfied after a couple good games, or how they have to do this or do that. But he just continues to be bad. Truth is great, but truth alone doesn't put the ball in the hole.

[zaymon]

This team needs more backcourt and wing scoring. Markele Fultz could bring that next season but even if he can, more help is going to be needed there.

Scoring, ball handling and playmaking. If we want more wing scoring we would need to bench Isaac.

[npiper17]

I don’t understand why people don’t seem to understand that the future of this team is not Vucevic and Fournier.

Vuc is not going to be offered a 4 year deal to stay and with Evan, we’re waiting out that delightful 5 year (with no team option) albatross for which we have OKC’s VP of Foresight, Insight and Bullsh*te to thank.

[itsme23]

Their starting fives defence is insanely good.

[ivDT]

Toronto very well could win a championship this year.

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an nba championship?

[thelead]

I’ll entirely eat crow in regards to Gordon. He was feasting when we were down by a lot with Vuc on the bench with a higher tempo. We can kiss that version of him goodbye if we bring back Vuc regardless of what we pay him.

I’d put the tempo thing on Clifford more than Vucevic.

For better or worse, Clifford is always going to prefer a slower paced, mistake free, no easy points system.

That’s what he’s always preached since he’s become a head coach and it’s unrealistic to expect it to change now.

This team is going to go as far as Weltman and Hammond can provide Clifford with more talent in the backcourt.

How do you play fast paced with a Vuc-style center? It's impossible.

[Knightro]

We gotta let Vuc and Ross go. This should show everyone on this board we aren't trending the right direction on the backs of Vuc, Ross, and Evan. We need to turn it over the youth and tank to find a superstar. It sucks that the league is set up like that, but no superstar, no championship.

I understand how and why you feel that way about superstars and you’re not wrong, but there’s only usually 0-2 superstars in a given draft.

The Magic would have to basically commit to MULTIPLE seasons at the bottom in order to effectively play the tank ball game and even then they’d still have to get incredibly fortunate and lucky with their ping pong balls.

If you’re fine with that, so be it, but it’s pretty unrealistic to expect them to go that route coming off the season they’ve just had.

Just my two cents.

[Detective]

GG Magic fam. Gordon is a real one

[MagicStarwipe]

The benchmark in game 5 doesn't have to be a victory, but anything less than a tough, close, competitive game is unacceptable. If Vuc comes up soft again, it's definitive, in my opinion. If Fournier sucks again (he was trash this game no matter what the box score says), it's definitive, in my opinion. I think Ag has earned the benefit of the doubt. Isaac is still early in development and we can expect ups and downs with him. Ross is who he is, which is a good player, but he's not able to be the only guy in a 5 man unit. Doesn't mean he can't be an important part of a winner, it just means he can't be your only guy in a unit. Basically, it's a big game for Fournier and Vuc. If they can't find a way in an elimination game to at least be net neutral players in the game, I don't know what kind of mental gymnastics you'd have to pull in order to defend them.

I don't know what those stats will be, but you can bet your ass that they WILL be found

[407Junkie]

The Clippers would beat the Magic in a playoff series. Bully them right out the tournament.

[Message Boar]

Everybody just do something non-basketball related and take a deep breath. I'm disappointed (and tired) too, but I refuse to be desperate and depressed because a better basketball team on a hot shooting night beat a worse team on a cold shooting night. It's probably better to think more objectively about the future some time that isn't mere minutes after a tough loss.

Have a drink. Eat something good. Watch a funny movie. Call an old friend. Make love.

[npiper17]

Fournier strikes me as the type of guy that will guarantee a game 5 win in his interview tonight and then go 3-15 in the game with 4 turnovers.

Throughout the season, there’s been bits of praise for Evan’s post-loss interviews where he ‘tells it like it is.’

Has he followed it up with his play? No.

Exactly. He's the first guy to talk, but he never backs it up. He does tell the truth a lot, like how they can't be satisfied after a couple good games, or how they have to do this or do that. But he just continues to be bad. Truth is great, but truth alone doesn't put the ball in the hole.

The reason I don’t get too angry with him is that I don’t think he’s capable of backing it up. He’s an average NBA player who has no business occupying the role he currently has with the Magic on any NBA team. But is that his fault? If someone offered me 5yrs/$85m to do something I knew I couldn’t do, I’d still take it.