Eye opening analytical breakdown of Paolo and Franz, wow this doesn’t look good.

[Driguez]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

Some fans: “…anyway, ignore that…let me tell you about something I call the Paolo Problem”

Are we scapegoating? With or without a PG Paolo’s recent performance is a Paolo problem. If he’s this teams lord and savior he then needs to get it together bc this 27-29 team sure needs saving.

[tiderulz]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

Some fans: “…anyway, ignore that…let me tell you about something I call the Paolo Problem”

Are we scapegoating? With or without a PG Paolo’s recent performance is a Paolo problem. If he’s this teams lord and savior he then needs to get it together bc this 27-29 team sure needs saving.

and you dont think this year is due to injury? after progress across the board from his 1st to 2nd year.

[Bensational]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

That could be an oversimplification of the situation though-

Tyus Jones hasn’t elevated Phoenix and they have 3 stars in their primes. He has a negative net rating with all 3 of them and their team has a worse record than the Magic right now.

KD/Booker/Beal/Jones/Nurkic have a ortg of 103 and a netrtg of -17.

What’s the diagnosis for KD and Booker’s struggles? Do they need an even better PG? Do they need Steph/Kyrie/Chris Paul to make it all work? (By the lineup numbers they just need Beal the hell of that team).

[Idiosyncratic]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

That could be an oversimplification of the situation though-

Tyus Jones hasn’t elevated Phoenix and they have 3 stars in their primes. He has a negative net rating with all 3 of them and their team has a worse record than the Magic right now.

KD/Booker/Beal/Jones/Nurkic have a ortg of 103 and a netrtg of -17.

What’s the diagnosis for KD and Booker’s struggles? Do they need an even better PG? Do they need Steph/Kyrie/Chris Paul to make it all work? (By the lineup numbers they just need Beal the hell of that team).

It is. Acting like anyone else is responsible for a player's production but themselves is always risky analysis. I am team adding a vet PG, but we need more than just that. We need a shooter too, we need our players to develop and we need them to make the wide-open shots they are already missing.

I have seen enough of Paolo/Suggs PG reps though. Paolo doesn't make the smart play enough. He dribbles into the doubles half of the time and then passes it off late in the clock. Again I am team add a PG (but also let AB experiment more to end the year), I just don't think it is the panacea some think it will be. I also still believe these defacto "PG" reps in the end will have made our guys more complete players, even if it was rough at times. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they're wrong. IDK, I think trying unique stuff is fine in a league where it is hard to win a title when the same superstars often control a large portion of the chips.

[pepe1991]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

That could be an oversimplification of the situation though-

Tyus Jones hasn’t elevated Phoenix and they have 3 stars in their primes. He has a negative net rating with all 3 of them and their team has a worse record than the Magic right now.

KD/Booker/Beal/Jones/Nurkic have a ortg of 103 and a netrtg of -17.

What’s the diagnosis for KD and Booker’s struggles? Do they need an even better PG? Do they need Steph/Kyrie/Chris Paul to make it all work? (By the lineup numbers they just need Beal the hell of that team).

I was never big fan of neither Jones brothers, but Suns problem isn't offense, they are 11th best offense, Suns problem is defense, and adding guy like Jones did opposite for their defense.

Suns never needed a PG, Booker is better passer than majority of guards. Guy averages near 7 apg on 2,3 TO. Matter of fact he is 11th in entire nba in APGs.
Addition of Jones to Suns is similar to addition of KCP to Magic. It's just wrong player to add to that team.

In addition i think Suns original build, from start of a season was jarringly flawed. They had no size and severe lack of big men quality. When you enter season with over a hill Nurkić, over a hill Plumlee and Bol Bol what's there to expect?


As for a Beal, he is good reminder that not all players reach their prime in late 20s and early 30s. His prime was 23-27. Today he is very expensive Terry Rozier 2.
And yea, Beal just sunk that ship. Mega max on small market for player that isn't clear cut top 5 in nba is success euthanasia.

Wizards aren't really "small market" but never lured any stars

[Idiosyncratic]

Paolo: “I think me, Franz, and Suggs should be more offensive hubs. I don’t necessarily want to be a point guard.”

That could be an oversimplification of the situation though-

Tyus Jones hasn’t elevated Phoenix and they have 3 stars in their primes. He has a negative net rating with all 3 of them and their team has a worse record than the Magic right now.

KD/Booker/Beal/Jones/Nurkic have a ortg of 103 and a netrtg of -17.

What’s the diagnosis for KD and Booker’s struggles? Do they need an even better PG? Do they need Steph/Kyrie/Chris Paul to make it all work? (By the lineup numbers they just need Beal the hell of that team).

I was never big fan of neither Jones brothers, but Suns problem isn't offense, they are 11th best offense, Suns problem is defense, and adding guy like Jones did opposite for their defense.

Suns never needed a PG, Booker is better passer than majority of guards. Guy averages near 7 apg on 2,3 TO. Matter of fact he is 11th in entire nba in APGs.
Addition of Jones to Suns is similar to addition of KCP to Magic. It's just wrong player to add to that team.

In addition i think Suns original build, from start of a season was jarringly flawed. They had no size and severe lack of big men quality. When you enter season with over a hill Nurkić, over a hill Plumlee and Bol Bol what's there to expect?


As for a Beal, he is good reminder that not all players reach their prime in late 20s and early 30s. His prime was 23-27. Today he is very expensive Terry Rozier 2.
And yea, Beal just sunk that ship. Mega max on small market for player that isn't clear cut top 5 in nba is success euthanasia.

Wizards aren't really "small market" but never lured any stars

At least their bad fit only cost 1 year 3 mil.

Also gotta say 11th in offense is terrible for a team built only on offense. But yes the Suns are seriously flawed, let's hope it stays that way next year.

[fendilim]

[jezzerinho]

As I said before it's too early to write the verdict on Paolos career, but I will say the signs are that Paolo has taken Orlandos success while he was out as some kind of slight, as opposed to a positive. He's trying so hard to show he's the big dog that he's ruining the structure of the team (what little there is). I'd be more worried about the team dynamics side, the drop-off in defence and the lack of self awareness than the poor efficiency scoring.

It speaks to a fracture in the supposedly watertight team ethic.

Mose has built his reputation on positive reinforcement. What happens now when he has to rein in his "star" guy?

[three3d]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

[jezzerinho]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

Big "if". But yeah, if we'd added a proper vet PG 2 years ago, we'd have developed pur 3 stars so much further. There are reps and there are good reps. We're just piling on reps, good or bad.

[Skybox]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

Big "if". But yeah, if we'd added a proper vet PG 2 years ago, we'd have developed pur 3 stars so much further. There are reps and there are good reps. We're just piling on reps, good or bad.

THIS!! When Weltman finally breaks down and tries to repair his mess of a roster construction - it will be that much more difficult to UNDO the bad habits and playing style that Paolo, Franz, Suggs, and the rest have been fighting through for their early careers. We have developed NOTHING, we have made our biggest assets worse at basketball by forcing them to play the wrong way to get any kind of positive result. It may be too late to undo when he finally eats some humble pie and faces the mess he's created.

You look at massively skilled guys like Randle or Wiggins or Lavine and wonder how different they might look if they had been placed in better initial situations. Wiggins has become a very good all-around player after wasting a few years putting up empty buckets in MIN as the "savior" he wasn't born to be - I always try to imagine how high he might have ascended as Pippen to LBJ's Jordan.

[Skybox]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

Is this scenario unimaginable?...

Can't wait to read how Weltman is uncertain about maxing Paolo due to his "inefficiency" this summer, despite being the one most responsible for it.

Things get ugly with Miller and "poof"...a handful of crappy draft picks and some old guys for Paolo. 4D Chess. Super Genius - try and keep up

[89Magicfan]

Is it possible that Paolo is only 22 and still needs to refine some things in a huge role that most NBA players aren’t in during a season where’s suffered first major injury and most double teams in his short 2 and a half year career?

[three3d]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

Is this scenario unimaginable?...

Can't wait to read how Weltman is uncertain about maxing Paolo due to his "inefficiency" this summer, despite being the one most responsible for it.

Things get ugly with Miller and "poof"...a handful of crappy draft picks and some old guys for Paolo. 4D Chess. Super Genius - try and keep up

36 years of history tell us that no Hall of Fame player starts and finishes their career in Orlando. Shaq’s jersey hanging up in the rafters is a reminder of just how bad that organization has been.

[Audi]

We’re going to go into Paolo’s contract season with more questions than answers. Not addressing the pg issue at the deadline hasn’t allowed us to see if Paolo can be more effective and productive without the ball control in his hand. Half of next season will be spent just learning how to play with a point guard if they do in fact, decide to add one.

Is this scenario unimaginable?...

Can't wait to read how Weltman is uncertain about maxing Paolo due to his "inefficiency" this summer, despite being the one most responsible for it.

Things get ugly with Miller and "poof"...a handful of crappy draft picks and some old guys for Paolo. 4D Chess. Super Genius - try and keep up

36 years of history tell us that no Hall of Fame player starts and finishes their career in Orlando. Shaq’s jersey hanging up in the rafters is a reminder of just how bad that organization has been.

Shaq is a terrible example. What happened with him has not, can not, and will not ever happen again.

[J-Mezzy]

Independently of Franz

We can’t give Paolo a super max extension

[Rainwater]

I remember Franz struggled last season and especially in the playoffs and many questioned if he should get max. Now it’s seems like it’s Paolo turn to get questioned. And just like Franz he will be fine. I feel like people need to calm down.

[MasterGMer]

I hope we reserve our judgement after the playoff.

[thelead]

I just need both of them to become better/more consistent shooters. You can’t have two high usage guys that are not dependable from deep in 2025.

[Skybox]

Paolo's spent his whole life with the ball in his hands...but I bet he dreams of catching an easy lob once in a while instead of crashing into 3 bigs with a little guy smacking at his hands and the ball. That must look so nice to him to just cut and point to the rim and have the crowd go nuts for the easiest basket of his life.