Anyone else annoyed with Clifford's substitutions ?

[pepe1991]

It's obvious that Fultz is on 25 mpg restriction.

[J-Mezzy]

It's obvious that Fultz is on 25 mpg restriction.

But why? Is he hurt? He looks healthy

[pepe1991]

It's obvious that Fultz is on 25 mpg restriction.

But why? Is he hurt? He looks healthy

I have no clue. Maybe they want to be extra cautious. It's not like team is compeating for a title.
With 1+1 years left +restricted FA it will be more than enough time to evaluate him and for him to play 30+ min a game.

[fendilim]

It's obvious that Fultz is on 25 mpg restriction.

But why? Is he hurt? He looks healthy

I think because he lookedl ike this for the Sixers in previous years too. then his shot midway through the season. so, yeah, maybe just precautionary at this point.

[PrimeThyme]

I'm incredibly frustrated with everything about Clifford so far this season. Charlotte fan's warnings about him are looking more right by the second.

[Def Swami]

I think both Isaac and Gordon could afford more minutes. Both are at around 30 mpg right now. Gordon's minutes are actually down right now compared to the last couple of seasons. Isaac has a +14 net rating. Every starter except Fultz has a positive net rating. I'm still not convinced playing Fultz more fixes the core issue for us or functionally makes a difference. He's a better defender than Augustin and a good passer. But, he's essentially ignored by defenses. Defenses go under a screen with him and dare him a shoot and ignore him when he goes to stand in a corner. Some of those warts are mitigated if he were surrounded in lineups with better shooting. But, defenses aren't particularly worried about anyone else in the starting lineup killing them from 3. It makes for a really clunky offense with no spacing. And there really isn't a fix for it with this roster.

I hope Clifford doesn't become a scapegoat. It would become such a cop out to blame our start on Clifford. Obviously he could be better, but I don't believe it fundamentally changes anything. I think Zach Lowe was spot on in his most recent column. We're a one-way team through and through because we have one-way players. Substitutions and rotations aren't going to fix that.

9. Orlando's wretched offense
Orlando's offense is a merry-go-round to nowhere. It looks pleasing. Passes are made. Screens are set. The ball is on one side of the floor, and then it is on the other. The Magic actually get into the paint -- only Miami averages more paint touches -- but you never get the sense they have punctured the defense.

I suspect they brush the fringes of the paint a lot, and enter and exit it without doing anything dangerous.

Orlando is dead last in points per possession by a laughable margin. That is a little fluky. The Magic are shooting 27% from deep; they will make more shots.

But some of this impotence appears endemic. The Magic ranked 22nd in points per possession last season. They struggle to generate shots at the rim; they rank about average this season, a huge step up. Only two teams attempt fewer corner 3s. And (stop me if you've heard this for, like, the past seven seasons) they rarely get to the foul line.

They have too many power forwards, and not enough shooters and playmakers. Aaron Gordon has no defined role. D.J. Augustin has predictably regressed after an outlier season. Nikola Vucevic settles for flip shots.

Markelle Fultz still can't shoot; defenders go under every Fultz-Vucevic pick-and-roll, meaning Vucevic's man can stay home -- neutering his pick-and-pop looks.

I'm not even sure what the solution is. More fast breaks would help, especially with Fultz starting. (His promotion over Augustin felt a little premature.) That has not been their style, and they don't force many turnovers. Maybe they could run more basic spread pick-and-roll, and give both Gordon and Jonathan Isaac chances to work as rim-runners while Vucevic spaces the floor. They should avoid playing Al-Farouq Aminu, Isaac and Mo Bamba together.

They don't really have the personnel to play smaller. They could try more minutes with three of Augustin/Fultz/Evan Fournier/Terrence Ross on the floor, but that isn't moving the needle. Maybe they could lean even more on Vucevic post-ups against some opponents?

I dunno. But this is a one-way team, and one-way teams can't win big.

If you're going to blame anyone, it's Weltman and Hammond for this really awkwardly constructed roster.

[fendilim]

I think both Isaac and Gordon could afford more minutes. Both are at around 30 mpg right now. Gordon's minutes are actually down right now compared to the last couple of seasons. Isaac has a +14 net rating. Every starter except Fultz has a positive net rating. I'm still not convinced playing Fultz more fixes the core issue for us or functionally makes a difference. He's a better defender than Augustin and a good passer. But, he's essentially ignored by defenses. Defenses go under a screen with him and dare him a shoot and ignore him when he goes to stand in a corner. Some of those warts are mitigated if he were surrounded in lineups with better shooting. But, defenses aren't particularly worried about anyone else in the starting lineup killing them from 3. It makes for a really clunky offense with no spacing. And there really isn't a fix for it with this roster.

I hope Clifford doesn't become a scapegoat. It would become such a cop out to blame our start on Clifford. Obviously he could be better, but I don't believe it fundamentally changes anything. I think Zach Lowe was spot on in his most recent column. We're a one-way team through and through because we have one-way players. Substitutions and rotations aren't going to fix that.

9. Orlando's wretched offense
Orlando's offense is a merry-go-round to nowhere. It looks pleasing. Passes are made. Screens are set. The ball is on one side of the floor, and then it is on the other. The Magic actually get into the paint -- only Miami averages more paint touches -- but you never get the sense they have punctured the defense.

I suspect they brush the fringes of the paint a lot, and enter and exit it without doing anything dangerous.

Orlando is dead last in points per possession by a laughable margin. That is a little fluky. The Magic are shooting 27% from deep; they will make more shots.

But some of this impotence appears endemic. The Magic ranked 22nd in points per possession last season. They struggle to generate shots at the rim; they rank about average this season, a huge step up. Only two teams attempt fewer corner 3s. And (stop me if you've heard this for, like, the past seven seasons) they rarely get to the foul line.

They have too many power forwards, and not enough shooters and playmakers. Aaron Gordon has no defined role. D.J. Augustin has predictably regressed after an outlier season. Nikola Vucevic settles for flip shots.

Markelle Fultz still can't shoot; defenders go under every Fultz-Vucevic pick-and-roll, meaning Vucevic's man can stay home -- neutering his pick-and-pop looks.

I'm not even sure what the solution is. More fast breaks would help, especially with Fultz starting. (His promotion over Augustin felt a little premature.) That has not been their style, and they don't force many turnovers. Maybe they could run more basic spread pick-and-roll, and give both Gordon and Jonathan Isaac chances to work as rim-runners while Vucevic spaces the floor. They should avoid playing Al-Farouq Aminu, Isaac and Mo Bamba together.

They don't really have the personnel to play smaller. They could try more minutes with three of Augustin/Fultz/Evan Fournier/Terrence Ross on the floor, but that isn't moving the needle. Maybe they could lean even more on Vucevic post-ups against some opponents?

I dunno. But this is a one-way team, and one-way teams can't win big.

If you're going to blame anyone, it's Weltman and Hammond for this really awkwardly constructed roster.

Yes, I really don't think Fultz fixes the issue on the lack of scorers. Its pretty much the same every game, opponents are daring him to shoot and leaving him alone, which only creates poor spacing or the opponents just wait for him to drive and then collapse. I still think Fultz will be better of playing against bench players with Ross. Fultz is a very good ball distributor and it would really help the lack of scoring in the second unit, and prevent guys like Aminu from trying to play ISO. Fultz is by far a better a facilitator than DJ and it would really help us get more out of the bench unit if we put him there, rather than keep running multiple screens for Ross,which opponents already knows how to defend.

[Magic#1]

I think both Isaac and Gordon could afford more minutes. Both are at around 30 mpg right now. Gordon's minutes are actually down right now compared to the last couple of seasons. Isaac has a +14 net rating. Every starter except Fultz has a positive net rating. I'm still not convinced playing Fultz more fixes the core issue for us or functionally makes a difference. He's a better defender than Augustin and a good passer. But, he's essentially ignored by defenses. Defenses go under a screen with him and dare him a shoot and ignore him when he goes to stand in a corner. Some of those warts are mitigated if he were surrounded in lineups with better shooting. But, defenses aren't particularly worried about anyone else in the starting lineup killing them from 3. It makes for a really clunky offense with no spacing. And there really isn't a fix for it with this roster.

I hope Clifford doesn't become a scapegoat. It would become such a cop out to blame our start on Clifford. Obviously he could be better, but I don't believe it fundamentally changes anything. I think Zach Lowe was spot on in his most recent column. We're a one-way team through and through because we have one-way players. Substitutions and rotations aren't going to fix that.

9. Orlando's wretched offense
Orlando's offense is a merry-go-round to nowhere. It looks pleasing. Passes are made. Screens are set. The ball is on one side of the floor, and then it is on the other. The Magic actually get into the paint -- only Miami averages more paint touches -- but you never get the sense they have punctured the defense.

I suspect they brush the fringes of the paint a lot, and enter and exit it without doing anything dangerous.

Orlando is dead last in points per possession by a laughable margin. That is a little fluky. The Magic are shooting 27% from deep; they will make more shots.

But some of this impotence appears endemic. The Magic ranked 22nd in points per possession last season. They struggle to generate shots at the rim; they rank about average this season, a huge step up. Only two teams attempt fewer corner 3s. And (stop me if you've heard this for, like, the past seven seasons) they rarely get to the foul line.

They have too many power forwards, and not enough shooters and playmakers. Aaron Gordon has no defined role. D.J. Augustin has predictably regressed after an outlier season. Nikola Vucevic settles for flip shots.

Markelle Fultz still can't shoot; defenders go under every Fultz-Vucevic pick-and-roll, meaning Vucevic's man can stay home -- neutering his pick-and-pop looks.

I'm not even sure what the solution is. More fast breaks would help, especially with Fultz starting. (His promotion over Augustin felt a little premature.) That has not been their style, and they don't force many turnovers. Maybe they could run more basic spread pick-and-roll, and give both Gordon and Jonathan Isaac chances to work as rim-runners while Vucevic spaces the floor. They should avoid playing Al-Farouq Aminu, Isaac and Mo Bamba together.

They don't really have the personnel to play smaller. They could try more minutes with three of Augustin/Fultz/Evan Fournier/Terrence Ross on the floor, but that isn't moving the needle. Maybe they could lean even more on Vucevic post-ups against some opponents?

I dunno. But this is a one-way team, and one-way teams can't win big.

If you're going to blame anyone, it's Weltman and Hammond for this really awkwardly constructed roster.

My issue with the subs is when last night we're getting beaten by T.J. McConnell and our best defensive point guard is on the bench. Unless it really is a minutes restriction, Fultz should have been in MUCH sooner. DJ still has value for us, but Fultz is only going to get better with our roster the more he is on the court. Cliff isn't at fault for our guys missing the shots they have but he has extremely flawed about putting them in a position to have offensive success. It's clear that guys like Isaac and Fultz can make a bigger impact if we let them.