Preseason Game 6: Miami Heat (3-0) at Orlando Magic (3-2)

[j-ragg]

Really hope AG is just getting this selfish bs stuff out of his system now while stats don’t really count. I saw him take 3 bad shots on 1 possession. Wtf man

[MagicStarwipe]

Really hope AG is just getting this selfish bs stuff out of his system now while stats don’t really count. I saw him take 3 bad shots on 1 possession. Wtf man

Yep. Hope we can run some better stuff for him too though to get him easier looks.

[RookieStar]

Is it just me or have we been clanking our FTs abnormally?

I mean it seems like this was the Dwight years where good ft percentage comes to die.

[RookieStar]

Also regarding our lack of scoring in the second unit? Wouldnt it be better for DJ to be in the 2nd unit? Another 3pt threat to threaten teams especially with Ross and Bamba there. That will open up the inside for Aminu and MCW to score inside while Fultz will be surrounded with bettet scoring options.

[Def Swami]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

[MagicMatic]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

It’s been an issue for a while now. Not surprising anymore - the status quo.

[magicman112]

I feel like the team is getting pinched from a few different fronts all at once.

- Players not making shots. Just a general cold funk for some guys (notably AG, but most guys are shooting lower than averages)
- Limited offensive plays. We just settle on the Vuc PnR and don't get aggressive in getting others going. Possibly because they're not hitting shots and won't get going.
- No sense of urgency. The guys might be coming in a little complacent and might need a wakeup call once the season begins.
- Niggling injuries. Our guys are a little banged up, and the depth aren't doing the greatest job of stepping up.

It's great that Bamba is scoring so efficiently (needs to make some big steps on defense though). Isaac looks great. Aminu is an amazing depth piece.

It will take time, but Fultz needs to get his confidence back in chasing his own shot, especially with a 2nd unit so devoid of scoring options.

Aminu has a good feel for the game from what I've seen. And people forget that Bamba (like Isaac) missed the 2nd half of his rookie year so it's technically still his rookie year. All in all pretty sloppy game but Vuc and Fourn have been out and they got time to work on things before the opener.

[thelead]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

Fultz turning the corner is our only hope without a major trade. Fultz took a decent amount of shots during the preseason but still seemed passive. The mid-range shot doesn’t look bad but he’s hesitating and, IMO, it’s messing with his rhythm. I kind of wish we were a terrible team that could just throw him out there for 30+ minutes every night like we did with Dipo.

[doct3r dr3]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

[pepe1991]

Mine biggest issue with Isaac remains the same.
He simply does not provide offense.
In this preseason, much like at any other stage he played ,he simply does not have another gear. He just finished preseason on 9 ppg and around 38% FG. While being bad 3 point shooter . To this date there was not a single competition that he played, including college where he was some 15+ ppg scorer. He also never showed any flashes to belive he can scoring option.

IN general starters attemped 4 threes, what's up with that?

Fultz, just don't expect anything and maybe you won't be dissapointed. He just isn't what most people think or want to think. He is player that is at this stage fringe rotation guy, if that. In reality if you don't know his past you would probably cut him.

As Knighro i think said, bench only has one dimension, it will be made of 4 players that can't score and Ross or bust on every possession.

Imo season will be sucess or failure based on:
- can Vuc repeat his performance
- can Evan regain shooting form
- can Gordon find another gear
- can Ross stay healthy and hot whole year
- how much DJ declined

[thelead]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

No. Pick a scrub that could actually measure up to at least Nicholson.

[Bensational]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

No. Pick a scrub that could actually measure up to at least Nicholson.

Nicholson put us in the real torture chamber. The one where we don't get to watch him play on our court or in our jerseys anymore. It's a humanitarian crisis.

[GelbeWand09]

To be honest i'm more worried about our defense the last 3 games than the offense. We made the PO because we where the 3rd best defensive team in 2019. If we slip even a bit on that side, i woudnt be surprised, if the 7th place becomes the 9th place this season.
We have to be a Top 6-8 defensive team again, to even have a chance to sniff the PO, with our limited offense.

On offense we always live with our ballmovement. In preseason with limited minutes & strange lineups, this is much harder to do. When we where good in the post Dwight era, we always done it well, like last season & in our hot starts. So i'm not too worried about our offense being worse til i seen it in normal games.

And WTF Gordon. At least get hard to the rim & initiate contact to get to the freethrowline, when you can't hit anything. Last 3 Games: 38 FGA to 2 FTA while shooting 15,7% from the field

[Blue_and_Whte]

To be honest i'm more worried about our defense the last 3 games than the offense. We made the PO because we where the 3rd best defensive team in 2019. If we slip even a bit on that side, i woudnt be surprised, if the 7th place becomes the 9th place this season.
We have to be a Top 6-8 defensive team again, to even have a chance to sniff the PO, with our limited offense.

On offense we always live with our ballmovement. In preseason with limited minutes & strange lineups, this is much harder to do. When we where good in the post Dwight era, we always done it well, like last season & in our hot starts. So i'm not too worried about our offense being worse til i seen it in normal games.

And WTF Gordon. At least get hard to the rim & initiate contact to get to the freethrowline, when you can't hit anything. Last 3 Games: 38 FGA to 2 FTA while shooting 15,7% from the field

i think guys like to try different things during the preseason and have free reign to do that. I’m not concerned YET.

[MagicFrenchie]

Preseason.
clippers are 2-3 with some ass whoopings defeats.

Move on.

[nicnac215]

To be honest i'm more worried about our defense the last 3 games than the offense. We made the PO because we where the 3rd best defensive team in 2019. If we slip even a bit on that side, i woudnt be surprised, if the 7th place becomes the 9th place this season.
We have to be a Top 6-8 defensive team again, to even have a chance to sniff the PO, with our limited offense.

On offense we always live with our ballmovement. In preseason with limited minutes & strange lineups, this is much harder to do. When we where good in the post Dwight era, we always done it well, like last season & in our hot starts. So i'm not too worried about our offense being worse til i seen it in normal games.

And WTF Gordon. At least get hard to the rim & initiate contact to get to the freethrowline, when you can't hit anything. Last 3 Games: 38 FGA to 2 FTA while shooting 15,7% from the field

Gordon has an identity crisis. He takes more 3’s than shots at the rim and he is one of the most athletic forwards in the league and a great finisher at the rim. He shot 67% from 0-3ft last season. Something is wrong with his brain. He needs a coach to bench his ass if he doesn’t increase his fga% from 0-3ft or ship him to a team for an actual shooter

[pepe1991]

Imo Gordon harms himself with working out with guys like Tmac and Kobe who have supreme insticts and incredible footwork that they are simply born with and that's something that you can't teach. I posted week ago video of T mac showing jab step and mid range shot Isaac, T mac did it so damn smootly and you see Isaac doing it and looks like wounded giraffe.

You can work whole life with Hakeem and you will never become him.

[Knightro]

Gordon might have one of the widest gaps of any player in the league from when he plays within himself and when he tries to do too much.

When Gordon makes the simple play - when he makes a good cut, when he sets his feet on a wide open 3PTer, when he races up the wing in transition, when he seals his man under the basket... he’s very effective!

But when he tries to do things beyond his scope? When he takes more than like 2 dribbles, when he tries to force midrange jumpers off the bounce, when he tries to post up without sealing his man in deep first... he’s awful.

I get that he wants to be an all-star and prove to people that he’s more than just a dunker, but at the same time he already got his first big contract and it should be painfully clear to him by now (even if it’s hard to accept) that the team is more successful when he does less v. when he tries to do more.

I’m firmly in favor of shopping him for a guard.

[Knightro]

Not feeling too hot about the season based on what I saw in preseason. Still need a playmaker and scorer. Someone has to go to fill that hole.

Pretty much the same as last year.

If Vucevic and Ross play well, they’ll be competitive and have a chance to win every night.

If one of them plays poorly, the odds of them winning dropping dramatically.

[JazzUte88]

Why is MCW on this roster if your guys FO is trying to develop Fultz into even a half decent player that he showed before?

I'm just really confused on that one.