Can the Magic win a championship with Paolo and Franz as #1 and #2 options?

[Skin]

Can the Magic win a championship with Paolo and Franz as #1 and #2 options? Yes or no, justify or explain yourself.

[Residual-Heat]

voted yes but TBH its just way too early to tell.

[thelead]

Maybe. Too much development needed still to know for sure.

[RookieStar]

Yes... when though.

[Skin]

Yes... when though.

Since you said yes, are you guessing 3, 4, 5+ years?

Answering yes is so positive and optimistic, but the timeline seems like it's so depressing.

[RookieStar]

Yes... when though.

Since you said yes, are you guessing 3, 4, 5+ years?

Answering yes is so positive and optimistic, but the timeline seems like it's so depressing.

To me, Franz and Paolo ALONE without a veteran star to push them to the top will reach their roof in 4 years. Franz maybe 2-3. With the pieces we have right now and the current top dogs in the league about to fall off... yeah.. 3 years if we get a star help.

[Audi]

They will.

By 2030.

[Skybox]

I really think Franz is ideally #3 offensive guy...not a knock, just that he's capable of doing everything a team needs to win. The best scenario is him doing whatever is needed on both ends, on any given night, to win - not necessarily score 20+ every night. I think Paolo is, with a certain amount of reasonable development, a true #1 alpha. I really like a high-scoring guard jumping into the #2 spot.

Franz might be the best all-around player but "any knucklehead can score" -C. Barkley

[drsd]

They will.

By 2030.

Quote from Magic owner Rich DeVos from 1995:
"Why not us? Why not now?"

[SOUL]

No, trade them

[p0peye]

Definitively maybe. We need to surround them with shooters that can defend and rebound, then push hard for playoffs and see how they develop in that environment.

[Bensational]

Yes... when though.

Since you said yes, are you guessing 3, 4, 5+ years?

Answering yes is so positive and optimistic, but the timeline seems like it's so depressing.

How many years did it take Jokic, Giannis, Curry or LeBron to win a title?

Not many players lead teams to championships in their first 5 years.

[thelead]

Definitively maybe. We need to surround them with shooters that can defend and rebound, then push hard for playoffs and see how they develop in that environment.

Rebounding is a BIG concern for me with these two guys. If we’re being honest, they’re sub-par at it… and they’re both big forwards. We’re going to need WCJ and the guards to do A LOT of heavy lifting to close out defensive possessions by rebounding the ball. Cole’s stat padding on the rebounding side isn’t stat padding with Franz and Paolo on the court… it’s a necessity. Suggs and AB should be big for us too as they have a great nose for the ball. It’ll limit fast breaks to have the guards focused on rebounding but we have little choice. Other than that, we just need continuity and growth across the board but I believe in the guys we have.

[Message Boar]

The realistic answer is too soon to tell.

But I choose to be an optimist an vote yes.

[eyriq]

Yes. Paolo just had one of the best rookie seasons we've seen in a while with immediate impact on team identity and winning. I think he's on track to be a top 10 player in the league and a superstar. Franz had the best DRPM Magic history, and looks like a defensive superstar in the making. Tops it off with a decent #2 offensive skill set. I think he can be a top 30 player.

[Kent]

Yes. Paolo just had one of the best rookie seasons we've seen in a while with immediate impact on team identity and winning. I think he's on track to be a top 10 player in the league and a superstar. Franz had the best DRPM Magic history, and looks like a defensive superstar in the making. Tops it off with a decent #2 offensive skill set. I think he can be a top 30 player.

Agreed.

I feel like Paulo is going to be a superstar in this league soon. His quiet nature will be the reason people sleep on it happening.

[Skybox]

Definitively maybe. We need to surround them with shooters that can defend and rebound, then push hard for playoffs and see how they develop in that environment.

Rebounding is a BIG concern for me with these two guys. If we’re being honest, they’re sub-par at it… and they’re both big forwards. We’re going to need WCJ and the guards to do A LOT of heavy lifting to close out defensive possessions by rebounding the ball. Cole’s stat padding on the rebounding side isn’t stat padding with Franz and Paolo on the court… it’s a necessity. Suggs and AB should be big for us too as they have a great nose for the ball. It’ll limit fast breaks to have the guards focused on rebounding but we have little choice. Other than that, we just need continuity and growth across the board but I believe in the guys we have.

This is a BIG concern and, if WCJ doesn’t become a more elite rebounder…he might have to move on. WCJ is a really good player, but if PB & FW remain on their present trajectories, they may become stars that really require a designated old-school big man in the middle who gobbles up boards, protects the rim, and sets picks and, otherwise, stays out of the way. That could be a lesser player than WCJ but a better team need…we’ll see, ideally our two 6’10 forwards learn to rebound. I also think WCJ isn’t blind and will very deliberately up his boards this season. Good rebounding guards are often the result of selfless bigs who box out…Brook Lopez is renowned for clearing out opposing bigs so a teammate can rip and run…that’s as “team” as it gets- maybe that develops to an extent.

Hate to beat a dead horse, but it’s sort of how I view Fultz- good player, but his lack of shooting makes him a bad fit. I’m more confident that WCJ can alter and develop his game to accommodate the two guys that will make this team go.

[pepe1991]

Yes. Paolo just had one of the best rookie seasons we've seen in a while with immediate impact on team identity and winning. I think he's on track to be a top 10 player in the league and a superstar. Franz had the best DRPM Magic history, and looks like a defensive superstar in the making. Tops it off with a decent #2 offensive skill set. I think he can be a top 30 player.

Paolo put up stats, but didn't really help team "win". Maybe some overarching gravity & defensive focus point, but you don't usually co-relate negative BPM, 0,47 win share (/48 min), 53% TS on 28% usage, near identical on/off court, -4,2 net rating ( lowest among starters) as "winning basketball" player.
Those are rookie numbers so no big deal, but he wasn't "winning" basketball player as a rookie. At best ,he was net neutral.

Franz had the best DRPM Magic history

That's not something you should really put too much stock into it, Evan Mobley had highest DRPM in NBA history
It's data that outdated itself and has very little comparison to past numbers, i mean Ivica Zubac smokes Ben Wallace in any era, including 2006, Vuc smokes prime Duncan and KG. The way it's measured, probably due inflation of (garbage) possessions leads toward very much junk-data.
Once you figure mesurments have Tobias Harris as better defender than Scottie Pippen... yea. Garbage bin.


Can Magic win championship with those two? Maybe? Two early to tell. We don't know how league will shape up. There are plenty of young superstars who will peak in same time as them. And let's not pretend guys like Jokic or Giannis are going anywhere any time soon. Those guys are yet to turn 30. Jokic is 28. Guy has solid 7 years of dominance in him.

Doncic is top 3 player today, guy is 24. Tatum is 25.

Paolo and Franz first need to make playoffs.

[MasterGMer]

I have full faith in Paolo and Franz. And I think they can be our Championship core in the near future.

My goodness, Franz just won the World Cup being the best or second best player on the team. Plus Paolo is only 20 YEARS OLD!

If you do not see the potential in them, something is definitely wrong. But I agree, we are just two young. And we might be 2 or 3 years away being the contending team in the Eastern Conference if we run it back. But we have a bright future. And I won't even touch Franz and Paolo in all trade talks

But that doesn't mean we do not need to upgrade our PG, SG and C position

However, I think either or both Fultz and Cole will have a future here with Magic, I just do not know. I hope this upcoming season both players improve a lot from past season. If they want to be here, they need to show it

However, to me, the wild card is Jonathan Isaac. I know injuries have derailed his career, but even if he could prove he is 70% of his old self. We gonna have something really good in him.

Maybe we have a plan!

[ORLMagicGirl15]

We're about to pay them like we believe they can.