2022-2023 Regular Season Game 77: Orlando Magic (32-44) at Washington Wizards (34-42) - 7pm

[drsd]

Simply playing Mo more would have likely lost us this game. Not sure why coach is now wanting to play Goga this late in the season.

Because Goga might actually be a rotation player next year?

Cool. Let him be in the rotation next year.

It was interesting seeing M-Wagner and Bitadze with joint court time this game.

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[Bakomagic]

This is ridiculous. Will someone explain exactly what you want is to do? Our best players are our young guys. Paolo is a rookie. Do you want to sit him out even though he wants to play. Franz is in his 2nd year. Do you wanna sit him out when he wants to play. Also we are NOT mathematically eliminated. Long shot yes but still alive. What message are you sending to your young guys if you force them to sit when they want to play while still technically alive

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There is ZERO chance we win all of our games and the Bulls lose all of theirs. Funny enough (and sadly), cutting Pat Bev and letting him walk to Chicago kickstarted a lot of these events.

As to what we should have done... not much. One can be frustrated with reality without things being in their control, no?

I, personally wouldn't sit any of the guys but playing Mo over Goga might have been enough to lose the game.

I’d argue that’s starting off 5-20 kick started these events.

[Blue_and_Whte]

I like tanking as a rebuilding strategy. We are not rebuilding. We are building around Paolo and Franz. I think this is a very important distinction. It increases the psychological value you get from winning.

And I’d love to continue building around paolo and Franz with either Wemby, Scoot, or Miller but We’re in that sweet spot where the the win itself won’t matter but learning how to win does.

Teams that have been together a long time and won a lot know how to close out games, which is why we could play a GS team with just Thompson, Green and their other rotation guys in their line up, be up for most of the game and end up losing by 10 in the last 5 mins. Knowing how to win by understanding game management is a big deal.

However I also recognize that typically generational talent wins games/ titles. Is PB5 generational? He very well could be. I definitely don’t think Franz is, I think he’s a very good 2nd star, in that Middleton tier of star. We could use more talent.

[Bakomagic]

We still could draft Wemby,

It is not guaranteed that #1 will be better than 5,6,7,8,9 or 10,

We could acquire a star via trade, we can sign a star to a max contract in free agency.

[zaymon]

I like tanking as a rebuilding strategy. We are not rebuilding. We are building around Paolo and Franz. I think this is a very important distinction. It increases the psychological value you get from winning.

And I’d love to continue building around paolo and Franz with either Wemby, Scoot, or Miller but We’re in that sweet spot where the the win itself won’t matter but learning how to win does.

Teams that have been together a long time and won a lot know how to close out games, which is why we could play a GS team with just Thompson, Green and their other rotation guys in their line up, be up for most of the game and end up losing by 10 in the last 5 mins. Knowing how to win by understanding game management is a big deal.

However I also recognize that typically generational talent wins games/ titles. Is PB5 generational? He very well could be. I definitely don’t think Franz is, I think he’s a very good 2nd star, in that Middleton tier of star. We could use more talent.

I think " learning how to win" is quite hard to quantify. Most of the time your best players create the atmosphere and others must follow. I would say having more meaningful games motivates them to work harder at practice. Is it same as learning how to win ? I dont think its quite the same. Winner mentality is forged earlier in life in most cases.
Middleton is 6'7-6'8 while Franz is 6'10 and better playmaker and dribbler. Shooting is what will matter in the end. If Franz shoots 40% from 3 he will be closer to Durant (not at that level ) than Middleton

[shadrock]

I love the winning. This will carry over to next year because we finally have a team direction. I’m so freakin proud of these guys. I tuned into the 4th quarter and just basked in the beautiful defensive tenacity.

It wont carry over. People wont even remember this game in October. It feels nice now but anyone with half a brain can see this is our last real chance to swoop up draft equity before we move up the standings. Could have set ourselves up for a decade with a Wemby or a Scoot, now we are looking at Gradey Dick.

Disappointed that our front office still cannot see the bigger picture. Gutless organisation who goes wherever the wind blows them.

People like you are the reason I can’t stand the majority of Magic fans

Do you actually think that we have any chance in hell to get the #1 pick again (back to back)?? If so, then you are not very smart.

News Flash - even if we were 0-84 or whatever, the NBA would never allow for Orlando to get back to back #1 picks in a row. It will never happen.

We have our star. His name is Paolo - give the Fn tank talk a rest. We have been tanking for 12 Fn years. How greedy can you possibly be? Jeeeeez - you are a wack job man.

What planet are you living on?

**Post removed because i dont actually care what you think.**

[SOUL]

Cool it with the name calling or there will be reports.

[JBSouthpaw]

I get the argument for tanking.
But I like that management is saying. “ these are our players, let’s see what they can do”

Neither the players nor the coaches and management learn anything from beating the Wizards' reserves. The Wizards tanked the game blatantly, they not only "rested" their 3 stars, but also made sure to shut down Monte Morris at halftime and instead played a rookie with more DNP-CD than games this season for most of the second half in his place. The rooke predictably went 2 of 10 even though we never guarded him on the perimeter.

It is what it is. Maybe we will get lucky in the lottery, but why not help ourselves a bit? Even if you are in favour of playing Franz, Paolo and Suggs as much as possible for the experience, we could have helped ourselves by resting WCJr., Fultz or Harris more in the last month. Or by playing Moe more instead of Goga, we could have lost this one just by doing this.

If Cleveland decide to rest all of their starters in the two upcoming games against us, which is certainly possible because they may be meaningless for them (the second game almost certainly so), we should do the same. But we won't.

I disagree, the end of this year sets expectations for next year for these players. We are done tanking, we are putting our players out there to win. Take this offseason seriously, we are expecting more next year.
Wrong or right, they are drawing a line.
I’m glad to see it.
Doesn’t mean moves aren’t going to be making moves either.

[bigdogdylan5]

I love to see us winning but it would be horrifying to see us drop from 5 to 8.

Horrified? Really ???

The current NBAdraft.net mock for 5 to 8 is: Amen Thompson-5, Nick Smith-6, Anthony Black-7, and Gradey Dick-8. Are you seriously saying that it is "horrible" that the Magic get Dick over getting Thompson?

I agree with pepe's point that really what one should be "horrified" by is that the Magic is at a 50% reduction in odds to go top-4. That's the point of tanking.

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Semantics I meant from a lottery odds perspective