Official Speculation Thread '19-'20 V: Purgatory

[KillMonger]

imagine taking armchair gm's seriously

[fendilim]

Those guys have either been picked ahead of him or more importantly did not have their team sign their highest paid player at their position to play in front of them.

I'd be perfectly fine criticizing Bamba if he was playing like a starter and the team actually invested in him and we was playing bad, but instead they continue their desire to build this team around Vuc, and we keep losing so that's where the criticism should lie.

Bamba probably has higher trade value than Vuc. Yet he's getting blame for what? Not unseating Vuc in Vuc's first year of his megadeal? Lol

LOL. “bamba has higher trade value than Vuc.” LOL

I said probably, but I actually think it's funny that you think that's funny.

Go see what trade interest you can get for Vuc in the T/T forum or other teams forums. I've done it, maybe it would be a wake up call for you.

Why base it on fans opinion when the Magic, according to Brian Windhorst, even offered Bamba for DSJ last yr? LOL

So you think Bamba has more value compared to an allstar?

[Skin]

LOL. “bamba has higher trade value than Vuc.” LOL

I said probably, but I actually think it's funny that you think that's funny.

Go see what trade interest you can get for Vuc in the T/T forum or other teams forums. I've done it, maybe it would be a wake up call for you.

Why base it on fans opinion when the Magic, according to Brian Windhorst, even offered Bamba for DSJ last yr? LOL

So you think Bamba has more value compared to an allstar?

He's obviously not a better player today, but based on his age and contract, sure. If we traded him he'd go on to bigger and better. I know that. We haven't even given him an opportunity. Trading him now would be ultimate sell low, while Vuc is at a sell high moment (and we still can't get a good return). Calling him an allstar is like when Jamal Magloire won it once. I'll call him an allstar when we can trade him for one. Never.

[KillMonger]

I said probably, but I actually think it's funny that you think that's funny.

Go see what trade interest you can get for Vuc in the T/T forum or other teams forums. I've done it, maybe it would be a wake up call for you.

Why base it on fans opinion when the Magic, according to Brian Windhorst, even offered Bamba for DSJ last yr? LOL

So you think Bamba has more value compared to an allstar?

He's obviously not a better player today, but based on his age and contract, sure. If we traded him he'd go on to bigger and better. I know that. We haven't even given him an opportunity. Trading him now would be ultimate sell low, while Vuc is at a sell high moment (and we still can't get a good return). Calling him an allstar is like when Jamal Magloire won it once. I'll call him an allstar when we can trade him for one. Never.

no.....no it's not....but i get the gist of what you're saying....i would say more like Bill cartwright.....magloire never sniffed 20 PPG in his career.....The only team that showed any interest in vuc was the kings but that was when Divac really wanted Vuc.....he stepped down now so we're pretty much locked in with vuc....Bamba is probably not going anywhere either as i don't see this FO as one that takes too many risks.....they rather just evaluate

[pepe1991]

Bamba being blamed for the Magic losing in the playoffs by posters who didn't like him during the draft is just too funny. Bamba is a second year player who gained the necessary weight needed and then got covid.

Why don't you blame the guys actually playing? The guys getting paid the most on the team... The coach who was adored after game 1...

I have seen vast majority of the comments since playoffs started. Not a single person blamed Bamba for losing in playoffs.
What's Bamba's ( or by default, fault of any lottery draft pick ) fault, is that team used 6th draft pick on him, yet , he simply did not show anything to justfy that selection. Nor he raised team ceiling like Young, Doncic, SGA or Ayton ( or even Porter Jr) did .

Not only that he tends to be injury prone , he is underperforms expetations set by such a high lottery standards.

6th pick standards are Isaac, Brandon Roy, Lillard , Hield , Smart... and he tends to play like some of the worst 6th picks Vesely, WSC, Udoh.... Funny thing is that almost all 6th picks that were centers in last 15 years turned into pretty underwhelming players , given lottery expetations.

Era of drafting and devleoping players for 5-8 years is simply over. Rookies do not have so much time to develop, most of good ones are shining from gates. Most of bad ones are turned into career backups soon. Bamba is way closer to second category.

Those guys have either been picked ahead of him or more importantly did not have their team sign their highest paid player at their position to play in front of them.

I'd be perfectly fine criticizing Bamba if he was playing like a starter and the team actually invested in him and we was playing bad, but instead they continue their desire to build this team around Vuc, and we keep losing so that's where the criticism should lie.

Bamba probably has higher trade value than Vuc. Yet he's getting blame for what? Not unseating Vuc in Vuc's first year of his megadeal? Lol

Player absolutely can thrive in limited min if he is good at playing.
Bamba simply isn't that good.

I'll show you graph between 23 years old , 18 mpg Zubac, vs 22 years old, 14 mpg Bamba.
Zub gets him in literally every single category.



Team is not "built around Vučević", Vučević is best Magic player because draft picks aquired over years turned into average to below average players, or were miss-menaged ( Oladipo) in poor trades.

Bamba's only trade value is Malik Monk trade value in eyes of the fans. They still can't wrap their heads around notion that player is that bad. Just like over years fans were all for trades for guys like Jabari Parker,Wiggins, Stanley JOhnson, Winslow... They were told for one whole calendar year that those players have star potential and they were getting their Kobe, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony comparisons and yet non of them ever reached that level. But fans still can't let it go. I mean there is portion of a board that still thinks Wiggins can be good. What's there to talk about at this stage really?

Mo Bamba MIGHT can turn into painfully average, flawed, yet somewhat playable starter down the line. But there is no way in hell he ever turns into anything special. He is too unathletic, too slow, unskilled to be above average player in this league.

There is good chance that Bamba will, just like Payton, be traded next year. It's 3rd year of his contract, exstension time is comming, making him somebody else headache is sometimes simply best solution. Payton is best example of player who fanbase was overvaluing by wide margin, despite all indicators were showing he can't be starter on solid team.

He won't be only 2018 draft pick that will probably be shopped around. Jerome Robinson already was traded, Zhaire Smith will probably be shopped, Grayson Allen is doing nothing, Anfernee Simons fell off rotation of Blazers... it happends.
Main issue with Bamba is who was drafted ahead and after him. All those guys proven to be valid contributors .Bamba did not.

[Skin]

I have seen vast majority of the comments since playoffs started. Not a single person blamed Bamba for losing in playoffs.
What's Bamba's ( or by default, fault of any lottery draft pick ) fault, is that team used 6th draft pick on him, yet , he simply did not show anything to justfy that selection. Nor he raised team ceiling like Young, Doncic, SGA or Ayton ( or even Porter Jr) did .

Not only that he tends to be injury prone , he is underperforms expetations set by such a high lottery standards.

6th pick standards are Isaac, Brandon Roy, Lillard , Hield , Smart... and he tends to play like some of the worst 6th picks Vesely, WSC, Udoh.... Funny thing is that almost all 6th picks that were centers in last 15 years turned into pretty underwhelming players , given lottery expetations.

Era of drafting and devleoping players for 5-8 years is simply over. Rookies do not have so much time to develop, most of good ones are shining from gates. Most of bad ones are turned into career backups soon. Bamba is way closer to second category.

Those guys have either been picked ahead of him or more importantly did not have their team sign their highest paid player at their position to play in front of them.

I'd be perfectly fine criticizing Bamba if he was playing like a starter and the team actually invested in him and we was playing bad, but instead they continue their desire to build this team around Vuc, and we keep losing so that's where the criticism should lie.

Bamba probably has higher trade value than Vuc. Yet he's getting blame for what? Not unseating Vuc in Vuc's first year of his megadeal? Lol

Player absolutely can thrive in limited min if he is good at playing.
Bamba simply isn't that good.

I'll show you graph between 23 years old , 18 mpg Zubac, vs 22 years old, 14 mpg Bamba.
Zub gets him in literally every single category.



Team is not "built around Vučević", Vučević is best Magic player because draft picks aquired over years turned into average to below average players, or were miss-menaged ( Oladipo) in poor trades.

Bamba's only trade value is Malik Monk trade value in eyes of the fans. They still can't wrap their heads around notion that player is that bad. Just like over years fans were all for trades for guys like Jabari Parker,Wiggins, Stanley JOhnson, Winslow... They were told for one whole calendar year that those players have star potential and they were getting their Kobe, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony comparisons and yet non of them ever reached that level. But fans still can't let it go. I mean there is portion of a board that still thinks Wiggins can be good. What's there to talk about at this stage really?

Mo Bamba MIGHT can turn into painfully average, flawed, yet somewhat playable starter down the line. But there is no way in hell he ever turns into anything special. He is too unathletic, too slow, unskilled to be above average player in this league.

There is good chance that Bamba will, just like Payton, be traded next year. It's 3rd year of his contract, exstension time is comming, making him somebody else headache is sometimes simply best solution. Payton is best example of player who fanbase was overvaluing by wide margin, despite all indicators were showing he can't be starter on solid team.

He won't be only 2018 draft pick that will probably be shopped around. Jerome Robinson already was traded, Zhaire Smith will probably be shopped, Grayson Allen is doing nothing, Anfernee Simons fell off rotation of Blazers... it happends.
Main issue with Bamba is who was drafted ahead and after him. All those guys proven to be valid contributors .Bamba did not.

We don't need Bamba to turn into anything special in the way you think he should be. All we need for him to be is good in defense, rebounding and hustle for scraps on offense. If he wants to shoot some 3s, fine. But we don't need him to be a ball dominant center that our offense is founded upon. That is not how teams win anymore. Defense from our Center is first and foremost. That is not something out of reach for his potential.

[jezzerinho]

Personally I think you should be expecting a lot more from your FO's 6th pick than "nothing special".

But the die is cast and maybe there's a path for him to tolerable starter level play. We haven't seen much evidence so far, so it's a path founded on hope rather than expectation.

[pepe1991]

Those guys have either been picked ahead of him or more importantly did not have their team sign their highest paid player at their position to play in front of them.

I'd be perfectly fine criticizing Bamba if he was playing like a starter and the team actually invested in him and we was playing bad, but instead they continue their desire to build this team around Vuc, and we keep losing so that's where the criticism should lie.

Bamba probably has higher trade value than Vuc. Yet he's getting blame for what? Not unseating Vuc in Vuc's first year of his megadeal? Lol

Player absolutely can thrive in limited min if he is good at playing.
Bamba simply isn't that good.

I'll show you graph between 23 years old , 18 mpg Zubac, vs 22 years old, 14 mpg Bamba.
Zub gets him in literally every single category.



Team is not "built around Vučević", Vučević is best Magic player because draft picks aquired over years turned into average to below average players, or were miss-menaged ( Oladipo) in poor trades.

Bamba's only trade value is Malik Monk trade value in eyes of the fans. They still can't wrap their heads around notion that player is that bad. Just like over years fans were all for trades for guys like Jabari Parker,Wiggins, Stanley JOhnson, Winslow... They were told for one whole calendar year that those players have star potential and they were getting their Kobe, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony comparisons and yet non of them ever reached that level. But fans still can't let it go. I mean there is portion of a board that still thinks Wiggins can be good. What's there to talk about at this stage really?

Mo Bamba MIGHT can turn into painfully average, flawed, yet somewhat playable starter down the line. But there is no way in hell he ever turns into anything special. He is too unathletic, too slow, unskilled to be above average player in this league.

There is good chance that Bamba will, just like Payton, be traded next year. It's 3rd year of his contract, exstension time is comming, making him somebody else headache is sometimes simply best solution. Payton is best example of player who fanbase was overvaluing by wide margin, despite all indicators were showing he can't be starter on solid team.

He won't be only 2018 draft pick that will probably be shopped around. Jerome Robinson already was traded, Zhaire Smith will probably be shopped, Grayson Allen is doing nothing, Anfernee Simons fell off rotation of Blazers... it happends.
Main issue with Bamba is who was drafted ahead and after him. All those guys proven to be valid contributors .Bamba did not.

We don't need Bamba to turn into anything special in the way you think he should be. All we need for him to be is good in defense, rebounding and hustle for scraps on offense. If he wants to shoot some 3s, fine. But we don't need him to be a ball dominant center that our offense is founded upon. That is not how teams win anymore. Defense from our Center is first and foremost. That is not something out of reach for his potential.

You simply don't draft 6th to get poor man Brook Lopez.

We need exponential talent, he is not that guy, lottery position and " mistique" of lottery selected player makes him easy to trade to somebody can contribute.

Teams win with ball dominant wings and guards who can shoot and set offense for others. And we have Fultz who doesn't do any of that well enough.

Teams have two way wings that can play both ends .We have Gordon who is just bit above average on defense and below average on offense.

Teams win with 3 ball shooting, almost nobody can shoot on that roster.
Yet main crying on this forum is around Vučević who isn't elite player, but is soo much better than anybody else.
Will team ever win with him ? No. But not because he is bad to be 2-3rd option ,but because he is not good enough to be 1# option. In mean time, without him, you have bunch of 5th options , who stlil get payed.

You are pushing hard to blow whole thing up and yet, once again, your " mistery star" is some unnamed player drafted in 2021 like it's a given that guy will be anything special. That guy can torn his ACL and be new Jabari Parker whole career. OR simply be Barrett- Wiggins type of mega high usage- low effectivness player.

I don't really care nor i suggest directions, i just know that in current economy teams won't tank on purpose, just like you won't quit job until you found another one, because it's simply terrible idea for your security and well being.

[fklt]

and dallas got doncic with 5th. i dont think people still understand the magnitude of the misfortune that happened to us that draft.

[zaymon]

and dallas got doncic with 5th. i dont think people still understand the magnitude of the misfortune that happened to us that draft.

I am angry everytime i think about it..... after 2 years.

[pepe1991]

ESPN is grilling 76ers for tanking for years to be first round exit team

[MagicFan101]

Trae Young is exciting but Atlanta fans have to be scratching their heads today asking why they made that deal.

Luka is on a different planet.

[VFX]

“Blowing it up” doesn’t equal “tanking”... for the thousandth time on this forum.

[Just Plain Mark]

ESPN is grilling 76ers for tanking for years to be first round exit team

I know I get annoyed too easily at the anti-tanking statements, but the 76er's only have two of their early lotto picks on the team (and one didn't play in the playoffs) so their first round exit isn't due to "tanking" IMO.

I agree that the 76er's are terribly constructed, but its not because of tanking. Al Horford was a FA signing, Tobias Harris was acquired via trade and they acquired Jimmy Butler via trade before trading him for Josh Richardson.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

ESPN is grilling 76ers for tanking for years to be first round exit team

Tanking wasn’t the issue and I’m not surprised a **** network like ESPN is grasping at that straw.

It’a the terrible contracts they handed out for aging role players. Them being able to move Embiid or Simmons will bring them a haul and they’ll be able to re tool much quicker. Simmons is a slightly more polished Fultz but gets treated like a star.

[tiderulz]

I have seen vast majority of the comments since playoffs started. Not a single person blamed Bamba for losing in playoffs.
What's Bamba's ( or by default, fault of any lottery draft pick ) fault, is that team used 6th draft pick on him, yet , he simply did not show anything to justfy that selection. Nor he raised team ceiling like Young, Doncic, SGA or Ayton ( or even Porter Jr) did .

Not only that he tends to be injury prone , he is underperforms expetations set by such a high lottery standards.

6th pick standards are Isaac, Brandon Roy, Lillard , Hield , Smart... and he tends to play like some of the worst 6th picks Vesely, WSC, Udoh.... Funny thing is that almost all 6th picks that were centers in last 15 years turned into pretty underwhelming players , given lottery expetations.

Era of drafting and devleoping players for 5-8 years is simply over. Rookies do not have so much time to develop, most of good ones are shining from gates. Most of bad ones are turned into career backups soon. Bamba is way closer to second category.

Those guys have either been picked ahead of him or more importantly did not have their team sign their highest paid player at their position to play in front of them.

I'd be perfectly fine criticizing Bamba if he was playing like a starter and the team actually invested in him and we was playing bad, but instead they continue their desire to build this team around Vuc, and we keep losing so that's where the criticism should lie.

Bamba probably has higher trade value than Vuc. Yet he's getting blame for what? Not unseating Vuc in Vuc's first year of his megadeal? Lol

Player absolutely can thrive in limited min if he is good at playing.
Bamba simply isn't that good.

I'll show you graph between 23 years old , 18 mpg Zubac, vs 22 years old, 14 mpg Bamba.
Zub gets him in literally every single category.



Team is not "built around Vučević", Vučević is best Magic player because draft picks aquired over years turned into average to below average players, or were miss-menaged ( Oladipo) in poor trades.

Bamba's only trade value is Malik Monk trade value in eyes of the fans. They still can't wrap their heads around notion that player is that bad. Just like over years fans were all for trades for guys like Jabari Parker,Wiggins, Stanley JOhnson, Winslow... They were told for one whole calendar year that those players have star potential and they were getting their Kobe, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony comparisons and yet non of them ever reached that level. But fans still can't let it go. I mean there is portion of a board that still thinks Wiggins can be good. What's there to talk about at this stage really?

Mo Bamba MIGHT can turn into painfully average, flawed, yet somewhat playable starter down the line. But there is no way in hell he ever turns into anything special. He is too unathletic, too slow, unskilled to be above average player in this league.

There is good chance that Bamba will, just like Payton, be traded next year. It's 3rd year of his contract, exstension time is comming, making him somebody else headache is sometimes simply best solution. Payton is best example of player who fanbase was overvaluing by wide margin, despite all indicators were showing he can't be starter on solid team.

He won't be only 2018 draft pick that will probably be shopped around. Jerome Robinson already was traded, Zhaire Smith will probably be shopped, Grayson Allen is doing nothing, Anfernee Simons fell off rotation of Blazers... it happends.
Main issue with Bamba is who was drafted ahead and after him. All those guys proven to be valid contributors .Bamba did not.

different situations. This is Zubac's 4th year in the NBA. Bamba's 2nd. IVaca also given a defined role and given more minutes earlier in his career. he played 20 mpg last year. Bamba playing less mpg in his 2nd year than his rookie year. context is also how the minutes are given. Is it 2-3 mins here and there? or a stretch of 8-12 mins in a single stretch. Hard to gain confidence and grow playing 2-3 mins at a time.

[tiderulz]

Personally I think you should be expecting a lot more from your FO's 6th pick than "nothing special".

But the die is cast and maybe there's a path for him to tolerable starter level play. We haven't seen much evidence so far, so it's a path founded on hope rather than expectation.

the game has moved away from centers though for awhile now

[tiderulz]

and dallas got doncic with 5th. i dont think people still understand the magnitude of the misfortune that happened to us that draft.

it isnt "that draft"
mario instead of Porzingis.
AG instead of Embiid.
Bamba instead of Young/Luka

[tiderulz]

Trae Young is exciting but Atlanta fans have to be scratching their heads today asking why they made that deal.

Luka is on a different planet.

living here in Atlanta, i am a little surprised that this hasnt been brought up more. but local news/writers/etc dont seem to be digging into it much.

[MagicFan101]

Trae Young is exciting but Atlanta fans have to be scratching their heads today asking why they made that deal.

Luka is on a different planet.

living here in Atlanta, i am a little surprised that this hasnt been brought up more. but local news/writers/etc dont seem to be digging into it much.

I mean, I wouldn’t be complaining about having Trae, but if I had a choice between the two as they did ... come on!