drsd wrote:My "vendetta" is that Orlando is usually playing 4 on 5 on half-court offensive sets. As, as I watch the games wit my eyes, I can see that G-Harris is just camped in one of the two corners in case one of the other 4 players need to make a desperation outlet pass. And he gets about 5 such passes a game. That is not offense. No way and no how. Look at what Redick did as a SG on this team. Always running around forcing teams to switch n screens. G-Harris does none of that.
But this isn't Harris' fault. He doesn't run around and utilize off-ball screens very often because he's simply not tasked with running around off screens very often. The Magic want him to be a catch-and-shoot floor spacer. Redick was one of the best movement shooters in the history of the NBA and every team he played took advantage of that skill set.
Redick wasn't doing any that stuff on his own independent of the plays being run.
You're blaming Harris for something he's being asked to do which doesn't make sense to me.
drsd wrote:I guess my "vendetta" started when many here started screaming that Orlando must get a high volume scoring-PG. I have never favored that in a context of Banchero/F-Wagner. The mysterious scorer is not going to get a high volume of shots. A player like Jamal Murray, in my opinion, doesn't fit this team.
This is silly and just not correct. Let's look at the 5 best offenses in the NBA this season and look at the player on their team with the THIRD highest usage rate.
Celtics: 25.1%
Pacers: 23.7%
Thunder: 23.1%
Clippers: 26.5%
Thunder: 21.7%
Right now the Magic have Paolo at 29.7%, Franz at 25.7% and then the third highest USG guy on the team right now is Cole Anthony at 23.7% - you couldn't dump him and Fultz and bring in a high end lead guard to absorb all of their possessions while also helping the top two guys become more efficient?
drsd wrote:G-Harris is a decent backup SG. That's it.
No argument from me here. He's a perfectly acceptable rotation shooting guard.
drsd wrote:More interesting to me, especially as this conversation itself is not really the point of the Magic's needs, is related to Suggs future on this roster. Is he a PG or a SG? Now: that is an interesting question. It gets back to your point, "Harris is not even close to the biggest problem on this team," unless one believes that Carter is to be upgraded (or that Isaac is a permanent replacement), then the Magic is looking to replace only one of the five starters: G-Harris. That's it. The other four starters are fairly clear for opening night next year.
I always think that starters are more critical than bench players. In that, yes, upgrading G-Harris is more important than upgrading the bench of Anthony, Fultz, Bitadze, and Okeke (and Fultz and Okeke need to go!).
To me personally? Jalen Suggs is CLEARLY a shooting guard with some passing chops that will allow him to do some secondary playmaking on closeouts and in transition and things like that.
He doesn't have the ball handling or the tempo to ever be a full time point guard.
And the reason why Harris is the one being most looked at being replaced in the starting lineup is because he's A. he's the only one of the existing starters that is free agent to be and B. Suggs is better suited to be the starting SG
What would make the Magic better next year and in the future?
Suggs starting at "point guard" and the Magic "upgrading" Gary's shooting guard spot with someone in free agency like KCP or Gary Trent Jr or Klay Thompson, or possibly even trading for a SG like Huerter or LaVine?
Or...
Suggs slides into Gary's starting shooting guard spot and the Magic upgrade their point guard slot with someone like D'Angelo Russell or trading for Dejounte Murray or even a really big swing on someone like Trae Young?
I think it's New PG/Suggs at SG 10 times out of 10.