Official Spec Thread: Regular Season

[Kent]

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A cowboy hat... Hmmm...

[Kent]

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A cowboy hat... Hmmm...

I Google'd "if you're reading this" + "cowboy" and it's probably an announcement of Tim McGraw coming to the Amway Center.

I thought that the Magic court implied it was Magic-centric.

Nothing more to see here...

[KillMonger]

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I remember charles barkley once asking why the younger players in the league wait too long to work with legends? I think he was referring to when Dwight started to work with hakeem years into Dwight's career....i like that banchero understands the mission

[yoyojw17]

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I remember charles barkley once asking why the younger players in the league wait too long to work with legends? I think he was referring to when Dwight started to work with hakeem years into Dwight's career....i like that banchero understands the mission

Will be great to see him all of a sudden pull out these level ups in FIBA tournament!

[SOUL]

Nice to see him working out with scoring greats, KD is also a mid-range beast.

But you can also see how much more fluid he looks with his release, Paolo almost shoots on the way down while KD's looks like one fluid motion

[Knightro]

Nice to see him working out with scoring greats, KD is also a mid-range beast.

But you can also see how much more fluid he looks with his release, Paolo almost shoots on the way down while KD's looks like one fluid motion

I mean there's a reason why people think more favorably of Paolo than they do Franz from a long-term perspective even though Franz is better right now.

Paolo's just the kind of guy who seems like a near certainty to average 25-30 PPG for many years. And people love scorers.

But watching a video like this always reminds me of how much I chuckled when some folks on this board, and some people still do it, compare Banchero to Chris Webber.

Don't get me wrong, Webber was great passing big, but he was still clearly a big. He was a power forward who could play center and played near the basket. Maybe if he had come along 15 years later his whole career arc would have been different, but he didn't.

Paolo is a wing/forward who happens to be huge. He really doesn't play like a big man at all.

[Skybox]

You can see that super high release point that makes 7’ KD unguardable…6’10” Paolo is shooting 6’8ish (lower release). Looks great, but those tiny things could be difference between All-Star and HOF

[tooler]

The funniest part of Paolo training midrange with KD is I'm reminded again of Jayson Tatum training with Kobe and then jacking a lot of 2 point shots in his second season, which a lot of people thought was a regression overall. I don't want anyone to be surprised if the same thing happens with Paolo.

[tiderulz]

You can see that super high release point that makes 7’ KD unguardable…6’10” Paolo is shooting 6’8ish (lower release). Looks great, but those tiny things could be difference between All-Star and HOF

luckily he is only 20 and showing smarts and fortitude to work out with better players to see how they are better and what he can do to improve

[Audi]

Man. You could fit 3 of KD's little chicken legs into one of Paolo's.

[drsd]

Man. You could fit 3 of KD's little chicken legs into one of Paolo's.

Watching NBA players play HORSE is always interesting!

p.s. when is the last time an NBA sports agent worked as a on-court trainer? This is wild. And boy does Mike Miller look tiny defending Durant or Banchero.

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[drsd]

Here is a random fact: Jonathan Isaac is the current longest-tenured player, by two years! The only other Magician from the teens is Markelle Fultz. Every other player to came to this team from the 20s. Wow that's random.

[KokoKaizer]

Here is a random fact: Jonathan Isaac is the current longest-tenured player, by two years! The only other Magician from the teens is Markelle Fultz. Every other player to came to this team from the 20s. Wow that's random.

Fun fact, I swear he hasn't played the most games with the Magic too !

[drsd]

Here is a random fact: Jonathan Isaac is the current longest-tenured player, by two years! The only other Magician from the teens is Markelle Fultz. Every other player to came to this team from the 20s. Wow that's random.

Fun fact, I swear he hasn't played the most games with the Magic too !

Here's today's painful answer: the Magician with the most games played on the current roster is ......

Spoiler:

..

Cole Anthony (currently on 172)

.

[VFX]

My take on Anthony Black and Jett Howard is based less on how they looked in summer league, and more on how the roster is currently constructed. The Magic now have 6 guards, 4 on rookie contracts, all battling for playing time. Not one of them is even close to being an all-star. So what is the plan?

Savvy GM's trade assets when they have value. It's the only way to get something in return. There is risk in it -- what if Player X blows up on his next team -- but with no risk comes no reward.

Suggs and Fultz may have some value right now, but if you wait until they get hurt again this season, which they probably will, then you missed your chance.

Cole might have more value than we think. He improved a lot last season and could be due for a breakout year.

And yes, if someone likes Anthony Black, and is willing to give us something good in return, why not? There is no rule that says we have to wait and see what every prospect will eventually become before making a decision on them. They mystery is part of the perceived value. And then if Anthony Black becomes Elfrid Payton Part 2, then you made a good decision.

Given the roster, there’s every reason to use a dual point guard lineup and no reason not. That gives all four of Cole, Suggs, Black and Fultz chances to contribute. Harris becomes the odd man out and Howard becomes backup small forward.

Every one of our point guards except Suggs can comfortably play off-ball—Cole by spotting up and Black and Fultz by cutting—and along with giving all our point guards chances to produce, the team gets the benefit of having multiple playmakers on the floor. The Magic need to see if playing two point guards together helps the team, imo.

Im a little late on these comments... but wow. I'll respond to both of these posts at once.

Fultz - year 7 (contract year) - $17m
Suggs - year 3 rookie deal
Cole - last year of rookie deal
Black - hasnt played an nba game

Suggs and Fultz are nowhere within the same timeframe whatsoever in return. Not sure why they are both added into statements about needing to be moved due to losing value. Only one of them is, and that player has already missed the window being on an expiring deal. You can do the math on that.

Anthony Black isn't being moved. Get real. This isn't the organization that would do something like that. The only way that happens is if they start pushing for playoffs immediately and go against everything Weltman has parroted about "organic" roster construction and not taking short cuts.

Lastly, wtf are you talking about with dual guard lineups? Suggs is the only one that can play off ball if we are talking about guards not named Gary Harris. Cole isn't guarding bigger shooting guards on defense and Fultz does absolutely zero on offense without the ball in his hands. I dont think you know what "off-ball" means. We know nothing about Anthony Black on offense in the nba. The most we know is that he can guard 2, maybe 3, positions on the court effectively.

We should never see combinations of Fultz with Black and/or Suggs in two guard rotations. Harris, Howard, and even Houstan make more sense.

Playing a dual-guard lineup only works if you arent sacrificing defense and the ability to stretch the floor at other positions. Franz and Paolo arent knockdown shooters from 3 for that to make sense. The Magic need to move a point guard between one of Fultz and Cole. Thats the obvious solution everyone dances around and makes more complicated than need be. There is absolutely a reason why Jett Howard was selected, so Orlando doesn’t have to run a 2 guard lineup with undersized guys.

These are the same stupid arguments people made with AG,JI, and Vucevic as a front court lineup for years, when in reality you were always talking about 2 PF's that didn't reliably stretch the floor and a Center. "Positionless basketball" with overlapping skillsets and deficiencies is just bad roster construction that you've packaged into a cute cope instead of advocating for making decisions.

[J the Drafter]

Lastly, wtf are you talking about with dual guard lineups? Suggs is the only one that can play off ball if we are talking about guards not named Gary Harris. Cole isn't guarding bigger shooting guards on defense and Fultz does absolutely zero on offense without the ball in his hands. I dont think you know what "off-ball" means. We know nothing about Anthony Black on offense in the nba. The most we know is that he can guard 2, maybe 3, positions on the court effectively.

Im not talking about playing shooting guard. I’m talking about cutting to the basket, which is when an open player runs to the basket and receives a pass for a dunk or a layup. Fultz is a good cutter, and Black has demonstrated the skill in college. Players cut all the time. (Moving without the ball also covers spot-up shooting, but spot-up shooting isn’t as relevant to Black and Fultz.)

Just so you understand, playing a dual-guard lineup only works if you arent sacrificing defense and the ability to stretch the floor at other positions. Franz and Paolo arent knockdown shooters from 3 for that to make sense.

Everyone but Cole should be a good enough guard defender that defense isn’t an issue. Fultz and (hopefully) Black can do enough without the ball to keep defenses honest; at least neither of them have the Doncic/Harden problem where they stand around doing nothing if they don’t have the ball in their hands. And the advantages of having two point guards in the lineup seem significant—there are two players in the backcourt who can break down defenses, two players in the backcourt who can make decisions with the ball in their hands. The Magic can run an offense where one point guard sets up the second to make plays one dribble from the basket.

The Magic need to move a point guard between one of Fultz and Cole.

The Magic need to accommodate and utilize their point guard talent, not winnow it. Teams don’t win by getting rid of productive players.

[VFX]

Lastly, wtf are you talking about with dual guard lineups? Suggs is the only one that can play off ball if we are talking about guards not named Gary Harris. Cole isn't guarding bigger shooting guards on defense and Fultz does absolutely zero on offense without the ball in his hands. I dont think you know what "off-ball" means. We know nothing about Anthony Black on offense in the nba. The most we know is that he can guard 2, maybe 3, positions on the court effectively.

Im not talking about playing shooting guard. I’m talking about cutting to the basket, which is when an open player runs to the basket and receives a pass for a dunk or a layup. Fultz is a good cutter, and Black has demonstrated the skill in college. Players cut all the time. (Moving without the ball also covers spot-up shooting, but spot-up shooting isn’t as relevant to Black and Fultz.)

Just so you understand, playing a dual-guard lineup only works if you arent sacrificing defense and the ability to stretch the floor at other positions. Franz and Paolo arent knockdown shooters from 3 for that to make sense.

Everyone but Cole should be a good enough guard defender that defense isn’t an issue. Fultz and (hopefully) Black can do enough without the ball to keep defenses honest; at least neither of them have the Doncic/Harden problem where they stand around doing nothing if they don’t have the ball in their hands. And the advantages of having two point guards in the lineup seem significant—there are two players in the backcourt who can break down defenses, two players in the backcourt who can make decisions with the ball in their hands. The Magic can run an offense where one point guard sets up the second to make plays one dribble from the basket.

The Magic need to move a point guard between one of Fultz and Cole.

The Magic need to accommodate and utilize their point guard talent, not winnow it. Teams don’t win by getting rid of productive players.

So you are talking about two point guards on the floor. One of them doesn't have the ball at the point of attack or initiating the offense and one of them is guarding opposing shooting guards position-less or not. Cole can do both less efficiently. Fultz cant. Black remains to be seen. Suggs plays off guard because he doesn't need the ball to be effective on the court.

Do you watch Fultz play? How is him cutting to the basket "with the ball" considered "off-ball"?
He creates offense utilizing moves on-ball whether thats him cutting to the basket or pulling up in mid-range. Thats his entire game. No spot up shooting, no getting to the line, etc. He's OK defensively for a point guard.

Breaking down defenses for what exactly? Is Fultz driving into the paint to kick it out to Anthony Black, Paolo, or Jalen Suggs for a low % 3? You are advocating for a largely inefficient offense because you've seen some plays that have been made.

Just because something can work inefficiently doesn't mean it should because you found new ways of incorporating overlapping deficiencies into a lineup that makes no sense.

It’s no surprise that the same people advocating for AG to play 2/3 in a position less lineup never saw it happen. Because it’s 2k fantasy nonsense that doesn’t work in practice.

[Knightro]

Im not talking about playing shooting guard. I’m talking about cutting to the basket, which is when an open player runs to the basket and receives a pass for a dunk or a layup. Fultz is a good cutter, and Black has demonstrated the skill in college. Players cut all the time. (Moving without the ball also covers spot-up shooting, but spot-up shooting isn’t as relevant to Black and Fultz.)

I'm not trying to knock you, but teams can't really play offense like this. There's no magic formula where off ball movement will ever override bad shooting/no shooting.

If a team plays multiple bad/non shooters at the same time, defenders will just sag off both/all of them and there won't be any space to effectively cut. Or drive to the basket. Or basically do anything.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Here is a random fact: Jonathan Isaac is the current longest-tenured player, by two years! The only other Magician from the teens is Markelle Fultz. Every other player to came to this team from the 20s. Wow that's random.

Fun fact, I swear he hasn't played the most games with the Magic too !

Here's today's painful answer: the Magician with the most games played on the current roster is ......

Spoiler:

..

Cole Anthony (currently on 172)

.

Why is this painful?

[MasterGMer]

I have high hopes on Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz this year. Even if JI returns 70% of his past self, he could be an impact on the defensive end

I am not a big fan of Anthony Black because I think Suggs and Cole are the future of our guard rotation, plus Gary Harris will keep being the best 3pt shooter at SG. We just do not have enough playing time to distribute.

Training camp is two months away. Have fun during offseason guys! See you training camp