RealGM

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-unlikely-story-of-how-kristaps-porzingis-found-his-way-to-the-knicks-072828935.html



As an organization, the Magic became enamored with the long-term possibilities of Porzingis and became aggressive in persuading him to remain in the 2014 draft. So aggressive, in fact, Miller worked a guarantee out of Hennigan that Orlando would choose Porzingis with the No. 12 pick in 2014. Orlando owned two picks, including No. 4. If Porzingis preferred to play one more year with Sevilla in the Spanish ACB before coming to the NBA, the Magic would support him.

"Rob had a thorough, comprehensive plan," Miller told The Vertical. "He had invested as much, or more time, into Kristaps as anyone in the league. He really studied him. They had a plan for supplemental training, development. It wasn't just, 'Let's just draft him and see what happens.' This was a plan. Kristaps knew the plan and just wasn't ready."

It never did sway Porzingis. He had a vision of his future, a plan of how he imagined it would play out, and that didn't include making the leap to the NBA only because a team had a willingness to choose him in the lottery. Porzingis told his brother Janis and Miller: Next year, I'll be ready. Not yet.

"To me, when I came to the NBA, I wanted to be ready," Porzingis told The Vertical. "How your career starts matters in the NBA, it matters. I needed to play against grown men another year in Spain. The lottery, that didn't matter to me. Being ready, that mattered to me."

Hennigan was heartbroken, but a part of him admired the maturity and staying power of Porzingis' decision. In a lot of ways, it reaffirmed the reasons Hennigan felt his front office had been right about the prospect. The kid had substance, principle.

After Porzingis' pro day workout in Las Vegas this June – a public workout for all 30 NBA teams – Hennigan felt empty walking out of the gymnasium. This time, Orlando had the fifth pick in the 2015 draft. And he believed his chances of getting Porzingis had evaporated. "He won't get past four," Hennigan told friends on his way out of the workout.

I feel its clear as day at this point that the 3 Targets over the last 2 years were probably Payton/Porzingis/Hezonja...

But as always... Things don't always go your way so you make the best of them...

We just havent been able to get the lottery balls to fall where we need them. We have been just slightly short in every draft it really mattered.

Yet again this reaffirms my belief in Rob. He was completely prepared, but not only that, he tried to take steps to steer events in our direction. Granted it didn't work, but the man is a very good at finding talent.

Optimus_Steel wrote:We just havent been able to get the lottery balls to fall where we need them. We have been just slightly short in every draft it really mattered.

Exactly. In a perfect world, the balls fall in our favor and we are looking at drafts of Oladipo, Wiggins, Payton, and Porzingis. Pair those guys with Vuc, Harris, and Fournier....we would be much more competitive right now, in addition to having a much brighter future. Not only that but our guys actually fall in to the rolls they look to be destined to perform.

-Porzingis looks like he can be "the guy" down the road.
-Oladipo slides in to a cemented 6th man role and brings energy off the bench.
-Floor spacing with Fournier and Porzingis.
-2nd/3rd/4th Options are great with Wiggins, Vuc, & Harris.
-Guys that play well off the ball so Payton can be a playmaker.

You guys should have done this trade I proposed pre draft.

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=43977815#p43977815

This whole thread is pretty hilarious in hindsight.

#3 for #5 + ORL 2016 1st (Top-3 Protected?) makes too much sense for both franchises.

Porzingis makes all the sense in the world for Orlando, bringing much needed shooting and shot-blocking.

Payton-Oladipo-Gordon-Porzingis-Vucevic is actually an intriguing core. I don't think Orlando can afford to come out of this draft without a shooter. They can take Hezonja, but playing him at SF and Gordon at PF means you have two undersized guys on the wing.

Philly doesn't mind trading back because the glut of big men, can take whoever Hinkie prefers out of the Mudiay-Hezonja-Winslow trio, all of whom project to start on the 2016 team.

I suppose ORL can sit there at #5 and hope Porzingis falls, but I think Hinkie may believe Porzingis is the 3rd-best player in the draft and would take him anyway, or trade back with SAC or DEN.

mksp wrote:You guys should have done this trade I proposed pre draft.

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=43977815#p43977815

This whole thread is pretty hilarious in hindsight.

#3 for #5 + ORL 2016 1st (Top-3 Protected?) makes too much sense for both franchises.

Porzingis makes all the sense in the world for Orlando, bringing much needed shooting and shot-blocking.

Payton-Oladipo-Gordon-Porzingis-Vucevic is actually an intriguing core. I don't think Orlando can afford to come out of this draft without a shooter. They can take Hezonja, but playing him at SF and Gordon at PF means you have two undersized guys on the wing.

Philly doesn't mind trading back because the glut of big men, can take whoever Hinkie prefers out of the Mudiay-Hezonja-Winslow trio, all of whom project to start on the 2016 team.

I suppose ORL can sit there at #5 and hope Porzingis falls, but I think Hinkie may believe Porzingis is the 3rd-best player in the draft and would take him anyway, or trade back with SAC or DEN.

Only if we knew that was actually on the table. I am pretty confident Hennigan didn't leave PorzinGOD to fate and did his due diligence to trade up, but Philly/NY were probably asking too much as they probably knew that's who we really wanted.

Seems like all it took for NY to move down was to take Calderon off the books. Tbh, it does seem like a nice move to move up by taking up Calderon. He would have been a great fit for Ola amd Payton, IMO.

If Henny wanted Porzingis as bad as these quotes make it sound...I highly doubt there was a reasonable trade that could have been done to land him. Either he didn't really want him that bad or there wasn't a trade to be made.

fendilim wrote:Seems like all it took for NY to move down was to take Calderon off the books. Tbh, it does seem like a nice move to move up by taking up Calderon. He would have been a great fit for Ola amd Payton, IMO.

I doubt it was just Calderon, Magic had plenty of cap space to absorb him (and waive him if they wanted to)...I think Jackson with the triangle offense in mind would have asked for Vucevic ...and I can see that being too risky a move for any GM

whatever man we have aaron gordon

to hell with Kristaps

And hezo

If he stayed in the 2014 draft, Rob would've taken Exum with #4, then Porzingis with #12.

Exum/Oladipo/Harris/Porzingis/Vucevic

I like Rob Hennigan as the GM but the one year they do well in the Lottery was during the weak 2013 Draft.

If Porzingis had stayed in the 2014 Draft and The Magic had won the Lottery in 2014 or 2015. This team would look dramatically different.

For where they have drafted the past 3 years, I think Rob Hennigan has done a very good job but we all do like to sometimes think of what could have been.

I'm not sure how relevant this article is about the 2015. draft cause Hennigan clearly said they've been scouting Hezonja for a couple of years and that he's been their guy since the beginning.

Finally we can put to rest the whole "we wanted Hezonja based on the reaction in the warroom" rubbish. Rob was all in for Zinger. Gutted we missed on him. AG and Porzingis would be a dream.

what's the use of dwelling on it? what's done is done

shadrock wrote:Finally we can put to rest the whole "we wanted Hezonja based on the reaction in the warroom" rubbish. Rob was all in for Zinger. Gutted we missed on him. AG and Porzingis would be a dream.

I don't think Aaron Gordon was part of the plan... Feel like he was the BPA and Henny's hope that he could turn into a stretch 4 (Which I keep saying). Especially with them going after guys like Paul Millsap, Patrick Patterson, Channing Frye, and now the story with Kristaps Porzingis. There is no questioning in what he wants right now...

To me it would've most likely been Payton/Oladipo/Hezonja/Porzingis/Vucevic in a perfect world... Remind you, they gave away a draft pick to get Elfrid, and the reaction to the Hezonja pick seemed all too authentic to believe they were just really "all in" on Porzingis last year...

Most likely though they would've chosen Porzingis over Hezonja if he was there.

BTW, don't be surprised if you hear Dragan Bender's name pop more often... I can see the Magic giving up AG if he's available...

JF5 wrote:

shadrock wrote:Finally we can put to rest the whole "we wanted Hezonja based on the reaction in the warroom" rubbish. Rob was all in for Zinger. Gutted we missed on him. AG and Porzingis would be a dream.

I don't think Aaron Gordon was part of the plan... Feel like he was the BPA and Henny's hope that he could turn into a stretch 4 (Which I keep saying). Especially with them going after guys like Paul Millsap, Patrick Patterson, Channing Frye, and now the story with Kristaps Porzingis. There is no questioning in what he wants right now...

To me it would've most likely been Payton/Oladipo/Hezonja/Porzingis/Vucevic in a perfect world... Remind you, they gave away a draft pick to get Elfrid, and the reaction to the Hezonja pick seemed all too authentic to believe they were just really "all in" on Porzingis last year...

Most likely though they would've chosen Porzingis over Hezonja if he was there.

BTW, don't be surprised if you hear Dragan Bender's name pop more often... I can see the Magic giving up AG if he's available...

more like Payton/Oladipo/AG/Porzingis/Vucevic