Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XLVII "Training Camp" Ed.)

[MagicTownBaller]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

[thelead]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

and the tanking begins early at one magic place

[GameOver25]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

Okay it's either one of our vets PF hacking into his twitter acct or the rookie hazing started early.

[RookieStar]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

oh please noooooo

[Nyce_1]

I think the most frustrating thing about this season will be the thought of a weak draft next year. Unless some freshman comes out and shocks the world, there isn't a game changer to be looking forward to drafting. It almost doesn't matter (baring said amazing freshman) what we do this year. Next year will be the year a lot of teams tank on purpose. I will be watching more college basketball than I have in the last five years combined.

Which is why I think we spend the first half of this season to boost trade value for the vets. We'll get some wins and won't be as bad as everyone is hoping. Once we ship off some players in Feb & June, we'll enter full tank mode for 2014 draft. Wiggins is the prize (if he reclassifies). Maybe also have a high-lotto pick in 2015 as well.

[MoMM]

Not only JJ and McRob are good backup players for a playoff team, but they are expiring contracts too, thats a win-win for a playoff team over the cap. They will be valuable by the trade deadline, IMO.

[SnuggLes__]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

oh please noooooo

LoL I can't wait for the season to start.

A-Nic isn't going to make or break our season, and It's not like he's an instant franchise changer..... So he can take the first couple of months of the season off healing for all I care lol

I just hope it's nothing serious and it doesn't deter his development..

[ChosenSavior]

Andrew Nicholson @nicholaf44
Damn knee is KILLING me

What???

Okay it's either one of our vets PF hacking into his twitter acct or the rookie hazing started early.

That tweet reeks of trolling as he seems to be a naturally funny dude if you go through some of his tweets. I don't think it's anything serious at all but just to be on the safe side, I hope he will be okay...

[SOUL]

dont think it's bad if he tweets bout it lol

[MagicTownBaller]

Evan Dunlap @BQRMagic
Per @IAmDPick via @ESPNSteinLine, scoring PG Josh Akognon accepts camp invite from Mavs. Rumors had previously linked him to Magic.

[Noonskadoodle]

ESPN Insider regarding Ryan Anderson:

Can Ryan Anderson continue his upward trajectory in New Orleans?

Wait, am I really picking the 2011-12 Most Improved Player award winner to make another big leap next season? Sounds greedy, but here's why that's asking too much of the 24-year-old: he didn't exactly "improve" last season so much as his minutes did. Anderson has been this good for years now, but 2011-12 was the first time that his playing time matched his immense talent.

He's more than just another Rashard Lewis. No one drained more threes last season than Anderson, but he sets himself apart from the regular cast of stretch 4s in that he also registered one of the best offensive rebounding rates in the league. It's a testament to Anderson's rare skill set that a guy who lives on the perimeter can snag so many second-chance opportunities. In fact, he became the first player in NBA history to hit at least 150 threes and grab more than 200 offensive rebounds in a single season.

Is Anderson nothing but a product of Dwight Howard's dominance? That seems to be a lingering question that has shadowed Anderson for his career, but who's to say that Howard isn't also a beneficiary of Anderson's floor-spacing ability? It's a two-way street. Anderson may be the perfect complement to Howard's paint attack, but that doesn't mean he's fully dependent on Howard.

There's a chance that we haven't seen Anderson's best yet. When Howard was on the court last season, Anderson averaged 19.3 points and 9.4 rebounds every 36 minutes, according to the fantastic NBA.com stats tool. In the 756 minutes that Anderson played with Howard on the bench last season? Anderson averaged 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. Yeah, I'd say Anderson can produce without Howard.

In his new digs in New Orleans, Anderson has a chance to shed the label that he's just a Howard free rider. As the second-highest salaried player on the team, the Hornets have 34 million reasons to give Anderson every opportunity to prove he's the league's next 20-and-10 guy.

[Orium]

Anderson requires a stretch 4 system/coach to flourish. He had exactly that in Stan, who was a big part of the Rhino's success. I don't see him getting any better than he was in 2011-12.

[NickAnderson]

^ Me either plus he choked when it really mattered. If he can do it without Howard for a season I'll eat my words.

[FFBlitzace]

That article basically copy pasted Eyriq. They should pay him if they're going to use his material.

[SOUL]

Lol.

[mityamag]

Ryan Anderson at 50 in ESPN NBARank

[JarethCutestory]

LOL stupid ESPN right guys? Ryan Anderson is no Liggins.

However, Hennigan will curse the day he let both of them go! Both remind me of a white Lamar Odom and a smaller Lamar Odom!

Idiot front office.

[RickB-Orlando]

LOL stupid ESPN right guys? Ryan Anderson is no Liggins.

However, Hennigan will curse the day he let both of them go! Both remind me of a white Lamar Odom and a smaller Lamar Odom!

Idiot front office.

Just imagine how "good" we'd have been if we could have kept them both AND traded for Lamar Odom.

Stand and cheeeeeeer for Your. Orlandoooooooo. Odoms!

[Rick Rolled]

Brian K. Schmitz ‏@MagicInsider
Orlando Sentinel: Magic expect to sign Dequan Jones and Armond Johnson, giving them 19 on roster.

I think he meant Armon Johnson.

I'll give BS credit. Unlike Ping, he at least tries to sound out names and words.

[SOUL]

Morris Armond Johnson