2024-2025 Regular Season Game 41: Philadelphia 76ers (15-21) at Orlando Magic (22-18) 6:00PM

[jezzerinho]

Weird post, imo.

You're complaining that something that can't happen isn't happening.

We don't have a full strength team so we can't evaluate how close to contending it is. Well, yeah. Obviously.

But why does that invalidate the incredible effort of those remaining guys who are going out and getting the fans the most unlikely of win ratios?

They shouldn't bother because you wanted to evaluate the starters??

I don't get it. Sure, I think Weltman should make moves , and should have done 2 offseasons ago. But his lack of activity in no way undermines the incredible effort of the team and it's coaches in keeping in the playoffs a team that would otherwise probably be in the tank zone.

Came off to me as more just lamenting our bad injury luck, and that plus our historically conservative FO that likes to "evaluate the roster we have" rather than make moves, can lead to frustration that we don't have a good idea of exactly how good we are/can be and what our ceiling is as currently constructed. That prevents us from taking the next step as we lack the requisite data to make an informed decision WRT what that next step should be.

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

[tooler]

Came off to me as more just lamenting our bad injury luck, and that plus our historically conservative FO that likes to "evaluate the roster we have" rather than make moves, can lead to frustration that we don't have a good idea of exactly how good we are/can be and what our ceiling is as currently constructed. That prevents us from taking the next step as we lack the requisite data to make an informed decision WRT what that next step should be.

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

The general consensus is it's all on coaching and health. Cleveland's new coach took their offense from 20th to 1st. Don't expect a similar turnaround.

Hell, just getting them within the top 20 would be nice.

[RookieStar]

Came off to me as more just lamenting our bad injury luck, and that plus our historically conservative FO that likes to "evaluate the roster we have" rather than make moves, can lead to frustration that we don't have a good idea of exactly how good we are/can be and what our ceiling is as currently constructed. That prevents us from taking the next step as we lack the requisite data to make an informed decision WRT what that next step should be.

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

I dunno... the reason why we are so scary and we still won despite our top 4/5 out is because of our defense. If we signed fvv over kcp ypu would bet they will hunt fvv all the time. A 5'11 unatheltic PG is too juicy not to be targeted. That would make Mos switiching defense with longbois null

[VFX]

Came off to me as more just lamenting our bad injury luck, and that plus our historically conservative FO that likes to "evaluate the roster we have" rather than make moves, can lead to frustration that we don't have a good idea of exactly how good we are/can be and what our ceiling is as currently constructed. That prevents us from taking the next step as we lack the requisite data to make an informed decision WRT what that next step should be.

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

The big question here, and what Im poorly attempting to say obviously, is about the offense. Defense wasn't a question at any point last season and it isn't this season. That is what they prioritized regardless along with depth.

The arguments here went back and forth about whether or not the FO needed to acquire players to help their investments become better offensively by taking off pressure. My point is that we simply will not know because of the depth of injuries this season. There isn't enough data and Weltman will not make decisions now due to that.

Cleveland traded 3 frps, 3 pick swaps, two good role players, and an Allstar for Mitchell. They are on track and the trade has paid off this season. That aside, they chose their window and drafted accordingly. We will see if it ultimately pays off. So far it has.

I completely disagree that Orlando is on the same path. Cleveland drafted well and then made a massive high risk blockbuster move for what they were missing. Their window is now. Orlando drafted everybody and decided to keep the holdovers they had before they even had their core. No risk. They have a longer timeframe.

Now, maybe they get to that level offensively and they have absolutely everything they need on the roster. We just wont know this season. M.Wagner is out until next year and it seems like they can't go a game without some 1-2 week injury per player. Goga and Tristan get injured on Paolo's return immediately and Suggs is out the game prior.

The point is that we don't even have a season of data to say whether the offense actually looks good. We have 5 games and a prime excuse as to why they shouldn't change a single thing about their blueprint going into next season. That's unfortunate because these early years of cultivating assets matter more than people want to believe when the expectations are not yet Championship or bust. These victories tell us nothing long term except that Mosely can manage a roster of young players and that re-signing a crazy amount of depth worked out instead of answering real questions.

[thelead]

All I know is that Caleb Houstan isn’t playing due to his defense. He started and went 1 for 6 from deep last night while shooting 32% from deep for the season. Please don’t tell me we can’t find a replacement that can shoot while playing the same poor level of defense.

[RookieStar]

All I know is that Caleb Houstan isn’t playing due to his defense. He started and went 1 for 6 from deep last night while shooting 32% from deep for the season. Please don’t tell me we can’t find a replacement that can shoot while playing the same poor level of defense.

Yeah like Iwundu, Frazier and other SRP we had, its time to move on...

[SOUL]

No. I'm merely saying that wins or losses at this juncture are equally of importance IN TERMS of identifying what path they should be taking. I'm happy with the wins all things considered. It means the guys on the team prioritize winning and Mosely has them buying in.

I'm looking at the season from a macro viewpoint and not "WIN GUD LOSE BAD". I know thats difficult for some here to understand.

With this in mind, you can still take a lot of positives even if it's on the back of a lot of players who may not be here with things "actually matter" or when we are true contenders.

Paolo got that hunger to be out there and prove himself while seeing certain things being involved with coaching, Franz has learned he can carry a team and has to be selfish more to help us win and there can be more Batman-Batman dynamics instead of honing himself to be the best Robin. AB is learning game to game just how important it is for him to be aggressive, Suggs got some important reps in with all the attention on him and hopefully learns how to mitigate/harness his intensity and effort, TDS getting lots of valuable minutes, Goga learning he's not just an emergency big but a big that does a lot of important things for us... all while the entire team learns how having an identity and playing with effort will always keep you in games. The other parts will obviously have to be filled in and addressed too.

Feel there's a ton of things to take from this season outside of wins and losses from guys who have a solid chance of being with us for a while. Injuries suck, but a lot of this stuff is invaluable.

[Knightro]

Thats your takeaway from the post?

No. I'm merely saying that wins or losses at this juncture are equally of importance IN TERMS of identifying what path they should be taking. I'm happy with the wins all things considered. It means the guys on the team prioritize winning and Mosely has them buying in.

I'm looking at the season from a macro viewpoint and not "WIN GUD LOSE BAD". I know thats difficult for some here to understand.

There's no fast forward button. There's no simulate to the end option like in a video game.

Like they're gonna play these games no matter who is healthy and who isn't.

And while I get that you're saying you're looking at things from a macro viewpoint, you've also repeatedly made the claim that the Magic's offense won't be good with your primary justification being "it wasn't good last year" - so what are we really doing here?

[eyriq]

Came off to me as more just lamenting our bad injury luck, and that plus our historically conservative FO that likes to "evaluate the roster we have" rather than make moves, can lead to frustration that we don't have a good idea of exactly how good we are/can be and what our ceiling is as currently constructed. That prevents us from taking the next step as we lack the requisite data to make an informed decision WRT what that next step should be.

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

There are a lot of takes out there but the take that really blows my mind is this one. Ready to contend? Our best players are 23, 23, and 22. Young teams aren't contenders. Thinking we are is going to leave you very frustrated and disappointed, when you actually should be ecstatic over how ahead of schedule we are.

[BadMofoPimp]

I do like that Paolo, Suggs and Franz each had the chance to be the leader and main scorer for multiple games this season. It will only help them down the road once all 3 are healthy and put 20 games in together. They could become very dangerous.

[VFX]

Thats your takeaway from the post?

No. I'm merely saying that wins or losses at this juncture are equally of importance IN TERMS of identifying what path they should be taking. I'm happy with the wins all things considered. It means the guys on the team prioritize winning and Mosely has them buying in.

I'm looking at the season from a macro viewpoint and not "WIN GUD LOSE BAD". I know thats difficult for some here to understand.

There's no fast forward button. There's no simulate to the end option like in a video game.

Like they're gonna play these games no matter who is healthy and who isn't.

And while I get that you're saying you're looking at things from a macro viewpoint, you've also repeatedly made the claim that the Magic's offense won't be good with your primary justification being "it wasn't good last year" - so what are we really doing here?

Who is proposing a fast forward?

Pointing out that the criticisms since the trade deadline of last season, offseason, and this season are continually being pushed aside because “there isn’t enough data, let’s wait and see”. Now it’s due to injuries as to why nothing is being addressed or has been previously addressed.

I’m merely using this thread of a positive improbable outcome to point this out instead of a loss thread that will be regarded as “expected” because of obvious injuries.

And yes, I still need to see what their grand plan was on offense. An offense that wasn’t good on paper aside from “potential”. 4 games of data doesn’t show anything. We were having these conversations at the same time last year.

[MasterGMer]

In spite of our injuries and current record, but I guarantee you in the playoff no one in the Eastern Conference wants to face a healthy Orlando Magic team. I promise you we can beat anybody!

[RookieStar]

In spite of our injuries and current record, but I guarantee you in the playoff no one in the Eastern Conference wants to face a healthy Orlando Magic team. I promise you we can beat anybody!

Yeah... no one wants to face us in the 2nd round much more the 1st.

Slow grind out physical style is the norm for PO type basketball and thats where our forte is

[GelbeWand09]

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

I dunno... the reason why we are so scary and we still won despite our top 4/5 out is because of our defense. If we signed fvv over kcp ypu would bet they will hunt fvv all the time. A 5'11 unatheltic PG is too juicy not to be targeted. That would make Mos switiching defense with longbois null

FVV is a really good defender. Not sure were this myth in our forum comes from that he is a bad defender. The guy is 5'11 but strong. Small wide, strong guards are most of the time good defenders. He is one of the main reasons Houston transformed from bottom 3 defense to top 3 defense in one off-season when they signed him.

[RookieStar]

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

I dunno... the reason why we are so scary and we still won despite our top 4/5 out is because of our defense. If we signed fvv over kcp ypu would bet they will hunt fvv all the time. A 5'11 unatheltic PG is too juicy not to be targeted. That would make Mos switiching defense with longbois null

FVV is a really good defender. Not sure were this myth in our forum comes from that he is a bad defender. The guy is 5'11 but strong. Small wide, strong guards are most of the time good defenders. He is one of the main reasons Houston transformed from bottom 3 defense to top 3 defense in one off-season when they signed him.

Small and wide... yeah. Totally in line with the longbois concept of quick and long to disrupt passes like what we saw Suggs KCP amd AB do.

They are gonna switch so much and blow by fvv that we probably have to scramble so much

[jezzerinho]

Correct.

This was essentially a season of "evaluation" because they re-signed everyone and are attempting to develop a number of young players. We don't really have any information because of the sheer amount of injuries that have occured.

Not really sure what jezzerinho is talking about. This team isn't contending for a while because everyone is still developing and the roster is far from finished. Its not an invalidation of the remaining guys. Orlando still has to play basketball games and compete.

I'm not blaming Weltman here for lack of decisions actually. I'm saying that anytime there is a reason to not have sufficient data Weltman will use that opportunity to forgo decisions as he loves to do.

So yeah... while I like seeing this team pull wins out of their ass against legitimate competition, I would much rather they glean relevant information about what will be working in the future iterations of this roster. There are levels to this. Not sure much has been gained so far outside internal development.

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

I dunno... the reason why we are so scary and we still won despite our top 4/5 out is because of our defense. If we signed fvv over kcp ypu would bet they will hunt fvv all the time. A 5'11 unatheltic PG is too juicy not to be targeted. That would make Mos switiching defense with longbois null

Have you watched Houston lately?

[jezzerinho]

Thats your takeaway from the post?

No. I'm merely saying that wins or losses at this juncture are equally of importance IN TERMS of identifying what path they should be taking. I'm happy with the wins all things considered. It means the guys on the team prioritize winning and Mosely has them buying in.

I'm looking at the season from a macro viewpoint and not "WIN GUD LOSE BAD". I know thats difficult for some here to understand.

There's no fast forward button. There's no simulate to the end option like in a video game.

Like they're gonna play these games no matter who is healthy and who isn't.

And while I get that you're saying you're looking at things from a macro viewpoint, you've also repeatedly made the claim that the Magic's offense won't be good with your primary justification being "it wasn't good last year" - so what are we really doing here?

Who is proposing a fast forward?

Pointing out that the criticisms since the trade deadline of last season, offseason, and this season are continually being pushed aside because “there isn’t enough data, let’s wait and see”. Now it’s due to injuries as to why nothing is being addressed or has been previously addressed.

I’m merely using this thread of a positive improbable outcome to point this out instead of a loss thread that will be regarded as “expected” because of obvious injuries.

And yes, I still need to see what their grand plan was on offense. An offense that wasn’t good on paper aside from “potential”. 4 games of data doesn’t show anything. We were having these conversations at the same time last year.

Cmon. You and I both know where this train is headed and trades never seem to be a station it stops at. Regardless of the health situation.

We have 2 picks this year and logically no room for them, so something will.have to give. But I expect it to be a " 2 picks tomorrow in exchange.for my pick today" kind of deal.

But it's not a wasted exercise to learn that a team without Suggs, Franz and Paolo for huge chunks an grit out so many wins. That's going to be big for the postseason, imo. You just have to get there and be the type of team that can win in 7 or less.

I continue to agree that this isn't how id have done it but we'll learn a lot from this year and the main learnings are still to come - when we try to run the Franz offense with Paolo (if that's what Mose want to do).

[RookieStar]

Sorry, but what makes you say the team isn't contending yet?

Cleveland appears to be contending and we took them to 7 and probably should have won. They haven't radically altered their roster, but Mobley and Garland have really taken a leap forward. Together with great seasons from Allen and Mitchell, plus help.from a good cast of role players, they're killing it.

What was stopping Orlando doing the same this season? We saw Paolo at an All NBA level for a mere 6 games and then Franz played at a similar level while PB was out. Then Suggs really stepped up in their absence till he did his back. That's 60% of the starting team playing a an elite level.

I wasn't a fan of the KCP signing and still am not but he has contributed. As has Da Silva.

All in all, I'm not convinced we havent moved forward every bit as much as Cleveland. I don't think we'd have hit Clevelands incredible win rate and I don't think we'd be a legit title.contender without more certainty.that.Paolo.and Franz could really remove the need for a PG.

But the season isn't a waste so far and - once everyone is healthy and has 25 or so games under their belts going into the playoffs - I don't see why we wouldn't be a very tough matchup for anyone else in the East.

That's why I find the take weird. Sure, we had injuries but the team's reaction only confirms more that the Magic are a force today and not tomorrow.

If we'd simply signed FVV instead of KCP, I legit think we'd be a contender.

I dunno... the reason why we are so scary and we still won despite our top 4/5 out is because of our defense. If we signed fvv over kcp ypu would bet they will hunt fvv all the time. A 5'11 unatheltic PG is too juicy not to be targeted. That would make Mos switiching defense with longbois null

Have you watched Houston lately?

Yeah... they have " mini-jokic" " mini-kobe" " mini-rashard" and etc. Lol seriously... they are clicjing right now because Dillon Amen Jabari and Eason for defense while their offensive players have 3pt shotmaking ability. Plus their man in the middle can coordinate for offense.

[Bergmaniac]

FVV is a good defender, he has been a part of several elite defences in his career, including in the playoffs. And he is extremely strong for his size, so most wing players have a hard time if they try to post him up so you can use switchign defence with him on the floor and get good result. He also has very quick hands, he is great at forcing turnovers and is a very smart defender. He may not be quite KCP level, but he would certainly work well in our team defensively.

[VFX]

There's no fast forward button. There's no simulate to the end option like in a video game.

Like they're gonna play these games no matter who is healthy and who isn't.

And while I get that you're saying you're looking at things from a macro viewpoint, you've also repeatedly made the claim that the Magic's offense won't be good with your primary justification being "it wasn't good last year" - so what are we really doing here?

Who is proposing a fast forward?

Pointing out that the criticisms since the trade deadline of last season, offseason, and this season are continually being pushed aside because “there isn’t enough data, let’s wait and see”. Now it’s due to injuries as to why nothing is being addressed or has been previously addressed.

I’m merely using this thread of a positive improbable outcome to point this out instead of a loss thread that will be regarded as “expected” because of obvious injuries.

And yes, I still need to see what their grand plan was on offense. An offense that wasn’t good on paper aside from “potential”. 4 games of data doesn’t show anything. We were having these conversations at the same time last year.

Cmon. You and I both know where this train is headed and trades never seem to be a station it stops at. Regardless of the health situation.

We have 2 picks this year and logically no room for them, so something will.have to give. But I expect it to be a " 2 picks tomorrow in exchange.for my pick today" kind of deal.

But it's not a wasted exercise to learn that a team without Suggs, Franz and Paolo for huge chunks an grit out so many wins. That's going to be big for the postseason, imo. You just have to get there and be the type of team that can win in 7 or less.

I continue to agree that this isn't how id have done it but we'll learn a lot from this year and the main learnings are still to come - when we try to run the Franz offense with Paolo (if that's what Mose want to do).

What I think will happen?

Exactly what you proposed. Cycling picks maybe attached to some bench guy in order to not have them make decisions “for later” whatever that means.

I don’t expect them to really address anything and the tag line will be “man we were really injured last season we really need a full season to know which way to go” in between a series of sniffles. They’ll feign like they have zero idea how skillsets work and aren’t familiar with who they are handing millions upon millions of dollars to.

I think it will be a big postseason. I’ve also been saying that every season going on 3 years and it really hasn’t been true.

There is something to be gained from watching players step up and get their number called. I would categorize that as internal development experience. We know a player like Cole or Suggs can randomly step up on a Tuesday and generate enough for a win. Thats great. That gives us more information about Mosely than anything related to roster decisions though.