John Hammond on "Open Mike" 2/23/21

[Knightro]

This is loosely paraphrased from this morning. Obviously these remarks aren't going to win him many fans on this board.

Bianchi: Before we get into the Magic, I have a hypothetical for you. Do you follow the NFL at all?

Hammond: Sure

Bianchi: Ok so Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is considered the clear cut No. 1 draft pick. But there is another school of thought that BYU's Zach Wilson might be a better prospect. As a guy who has drafted players, is there any pressure on talent evaluators and general managers to take the "consensus" choice?

Hammond: That's such an interesting discussion. You have to be really grounded in your beliefs if you don't take Trevor Lawrence. You have to trust what your scouts say, but at the end of the day that's your pick as a general manager, not their pick as scouts. If that pick works, you're going to get credit for it and if that pick doesn't work you're going to get blamed for it

Bianchi: The Magic have won 3 in a row. Starting to get healther. Is that what it is? Why are they playing better right now?

Hammond: You can talk about why a team is competitive and success. They defend well. They rebound well. They are cohesive group. They're shooting the three well. But nothing is more important than health and player availability. If you look at our season, what put us being the 8-ball is that we've just been bombarded by injuries. We get Aminu back on the floor. We get MCW back on the floor. We get Fournier back on the floor. And all of a sudden we win three in a row. You hate to get that simplistic, but sometimes you have to say health and what that means to a team.

Bianchi: Vucevic, Fournier and Ross are the veteran nucleus of the team. These guys are playing lights out right now. What does that mean that these guys are saying "hey we can still make the playoffs, this is how you do it."

Hammond: It's really all about that. You know why those three guys do that? Because they're high quality, high character people. It would be so easy for a guy like Vucevic or a guy like Ross to just give in. It would be so easy for a guy like Evan to say "I'm gonna take a little more time to come back from this injury". They do that because of the people they are and what they stand for.

Bianchi: Does Vucevic deserve to be an all-star?

Hammond: Yes, he does. You can talk about bias and there are other people who deserve to be all-stars, but from my seat Vooch does for sure. Why does he? Look at his production as an individual player. Look what he's done for this team. Where would we be without him? At one point it was just he and T-Ross out there because Evan wasn't available and all our other injuries. And I kept looking at Vooch and wondering when he was going to take a game off. And I don't mean not play, but I mean not give that 100% effort. He doesn't do that. He goes out and plays hard every single night. You combine that with the production and the person. That's why he deserves it.

Bianchi: Trade deadline is coming up. Can you talk about the fine line team executives walk in terms of building for the future and trying to make the playoffs? What's more important?

Hammond: There's nothing like having success and being a competitive organization. The fact we've made the playoffs two years in a row after a long stretch not being in the playoffs was important to us. It would be fun to make it three years in a row, but no one is ever losing sight of the big picture. Players don't play to be good and competitive, they play to win championships. Coaches don't coach to just play and be competitive, they coach to win championships. I know our fans don't support us just to be good and competitive, they want us to win a championship. We want that as well. So the question becomes "what's our best route getting there and how can we get there?" There's so many things involved, a team playing well, injuries, all those factors, but somewhere along the way you need a break. You need to get a little bit of luck on your side. In this organization the luck has been getting the No. 1 pick to get a guy like Shaq or a guy like Dwight. But it could be a 10th pick or a 12th pick or an 8th pick that could be that difference maker, you never know where that's going to come.

https://969thegame.iheart.com/content/2021-02-23-magic-word-gm-john-hammond-talks-magics-plan-for-the-future/

[OrlandoNed]

Translation: I just draft with a dartboard with the rawest and longest guys available and hope he’s the next Giannis.

[3ddman23]

This is loosely paraphrased from this morning. Obviously these remarks aren't going to win him any fans on this board.

Bianchi: Before we get into the Magic, I have a hypothetical for you. Do you follow the NFL at all?

Hammond: Sure

Bianchi: Ok so Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is considered the clear cut No. 1 draft pick. But there is another school of thought that BYU's Zach Wilson might be a better prospect. As a guy who has drafted players, is there any pressure on talent evaluators and general managers to take the "consensus" choice?

Hammond: That's such an interesting discussion. You have to be really grounded in your beliefs if you don't take Trevor Lawrence. You have to trust what your scouts say, but at the end of the day that's your pick as a general manager, not their pick as scouts. If that pick works, you're going to get credit for it and if that pick doesn't work you're going to get blamed for it

Bianchi: The Magic have won 3 in a row. Starting to get healther. Is that what it is? Why are they playing better right now?

Hammond: You can talk about why a team is competitive and success. They defend well. They rebound well. They are cohesive group. They're shooting the three well. But nothing is more important than health and player availability. If you look at our season, what put us being the 8-ball is that we've just been bombarded by injuries. We get Aminu back on the floor. We get MCW back on the floor. We get Fournier back on the floor. And all of a sudden we win three in a row. You hate to get that simplistic, but sometimes you have to say health and what that means to a team.

Bianchi: Vucevic, Fournier and Ross are the veteran nucleus of the team. These guys are playing lights out right now. What does that mean that these guys are saying "hey we can still make the playoffs, this is how you do it."

Hammond: It's really all about that. You know why those three guys do that? Because they're high quality, high character people. It would be so easy for a guy like Vucevic or a guy like Ross to just give in. It would be so easy for a guy like Evan to say "I'm gonna take a little more time to come back from this injury". They do that because of the people they are and what they stand for.

Bianchi: Does Vucevic deserve to be an all-star?

Hammond: Yes, he does. You can talk about bias and there are other people who deserve to be all-stars, but from my seat Vooch does for sure. Why does he? Look at his production as an individual player. Look what he's done for this team. Where would we be without him? At one point it was just he and T-Ross out there because Evan wasn't available and all our other injuries. And I kept looking at Vooch and wondering when he was going to take a game off. And I don't mean not play, but I mean not give that 100% effort. He doesn't do that. He goes out and plays hard every single night. You combine that with the production and the person. That's why he deserves it.

Bianchi: Trade deadline is coming up. Can you talk about the fine line team executives walk in terms of building for the future and trying to make the playoffs? What's more important?

Hammond: There's nothing like having success and being a competitive organization. The fact we've made the playoffs two years in a row after a long stretch not being in the playoffs was important to us. It would be fun to make it three years in a row, but no one is ever losing sight of the big picture. Players don't play to be good and competitive, they play to win championships. Coaches don't coach to just play and be competitive, they coach to win championships. I know our fans don't support us just to be good and competitive, they want us to win a championship. We want that as well. So the question becomes "what's our best route getting there and how can we get there?" There's so many things involved, a team playing well, injuries, all those factors, but somewhere along the way you need a break. You need to get a little bit of luck on your side. In this organization the luck has been getting the No. 1 pick to get a guy like Shaq or a guy like Dwight. But it could be a 10th pick or a 12th pick or an 8th pick that could be that difference maker, you never know where that's going to come.

https://969thegame.iheart.com/content/2021-02-23-magic-word-gm-john-hammond-talks-magics-plan-for-the-future/

Lmao, so like a lot of people have said. There essentially waiting for the next kwahi/giannis to fall in there lap in order to be successful. Smh hilarious

[MagicFan101]

Giannis came out in what was labeled a bad draft class and ultimately lived up to being just that. That was a good time to take a big chance in the middle of the draft.

This year is not that. This is a prized draft class where we have blue chip prospects at the top.

This is not the year to **** around, ignore the top prospects and hope to get lucky in the middle of the pack.

[Knightro]

Bianchi and Daniels agreed on The Bridge that Hammond was being "politely honest" that the Magic weren't going to actively tank, but were going to look at making moves towards the future. Specifically moving on from Fournier.

So there's that.

[JBSouthpaw]

Bianchi and Daniels agreed on The Bridge that Hammond was being "politely honest" that the Magic weren't going to actively tank, but were going to look at making moves towards the future. Specifically moving on from Fournier.

So there's that.

Yes, that is how I read it too.
it's great to get to the playoffs, what is the best direction now?
He can't come out and say they are shopping players, it'd destroy the locker room.
Moving Evan isn't really a step either, since he's gone at the end of the year, a step would be AG (or Vuc, which I don't want).

[MagicMatic]

Hammond: In this organization the luck has been getting the No. 1 pick to get a guy like Shaq or a guy like Dwight. But it could be a 10th pick or a 12th pick or an 8th pick that could be that difference maker, you never know where that's going to come.

https://969thegame.iheart.com/content/2021-02-23-magic-word-gm-john-hammond-talks-magics-plan-for-the-future/

Hammond is out of touch and needs to retire.

So he concedes that Orlando is bad enough to earn a “10th, 12th or 8th pick”, which means missing the playoffs. So what’s the goal then? Which is it?

No John, that’s not how it works. There isn’t a Giannis era-defining superstar every season that will be passed over by 12 teams. The top of this draft is strong. Everyone knows this. The #1 picks that Orlando “lucked into” are the only reason this organization has memorable playoff history whatsoever.

Orlando needs a star and not merely a “difference maker”. I hope you get fired.

[OrlandoNed]

Hammond: In this organization the luck has been getting the No. 1 pick to get a guy like Shaq or a guy like Dwight. But it could be a 10th pick or a 12th pick or an 8th pick that could be that difference maker, you never know where that's going to come.

https://969thegame.iheart.com/content/2021-02-23-magic-word-gm-john-hammond-talks-magics-plan-for-the-future/

Hammond is out of touch and needs to retire.

So he concedes that Orlando is bad enough to earn a “10th, 12th or 8th pick”, which means missing the playoffs. So what’s the goal then? Which is it?

No John, that’s not how it works. There isn’t a Giannis era-defining superstar every season that will be passed over by 12 teams. The top of this draft is strong. Everyone knows this. The #1 picks that Orlando “lucked into” are the only reason this organization has memorable playoff history whatsoever.

Orlando needs a star and not merely a “difference maker”. I hope you get fired.

One thing I hate about our franchise history is that all of its successes were built on landing it’s 3 #1 picks.

The decision makers who have ever operated this team have accomplished nothing without a cornerstone superstar(s) acquired via a high draft pick. Orlando has never experienced any major success without them and has proven time and time again that they are completely incapable of finding a cornerstone superstar through trades or free agency.

(Yes, Orlando acquired Tmac through trade but he was not the superstar he became when first acquired)

[KillMonger]

Hammond: In this organization the luck has been getting the No. 1 pick to get a guy like Shaq or a guy like Dwight. But it could be a 10th pick or a 12th pick or an 8th pick that could be that difference maker, you never know where that's going to come.

https://969thegame.iheart.com/content/2021-02-23-magic-word-gm-john-hammond-talks-magics-plan-for-the-future/

Hammond is out of touch and needs to retire.

So he concedes that Orlando is bad enough to earn a “10th, 12th or 8th pick”, which means missing the playoffs. So what’s the goal then? Which is it?

No John, that’s not how it works. There isn’t a Giannis era-defining superstar every season that will be passed over by 12 teams. The top of this draft is strong. Everyone knows this. The #1 picks that Orlando “lucked into” are the only reason this organization has memorable playoff history whatsoever.

Orlando needs a star and not merely a “difference maker”. I hope you get fired.

that last part made me laugh, extra petty....this is what our front office has brought us to....sadly it's their own fault....sure luck is a part of the process but that shouldn't mean you can't do what it takes to tip the odds in your favor.....too many times we've been one pick away

[zaymon]

I am so sorry to disrupt this beautiful moment you all have here, truly a sad party, magic together. Its funny that 66 years old is more progressive than most. Its not 1992, its not 1993, its not 2004, its not even 2014. League is ruled by superstars forcing their way out of teams that drafted them, teams that lucked into top picks with new lottery odds or by teams that draft well outside top 5. Its 2021 people !!!

[The Effect]

all i read out of that is that

1 - this team is not going to be sellers (this was obvious)
2 - This team will make the playoffs as the 8th seed (and likely get swept) because they think that more important than draft picks, while the rest of the league understands how important it is to get top picks through the draft
3 - Evan will be a Magic for life. Much like Hennys other pickups (vuc, AG, tross), Evan isnt going anywhere. These guys refuse to ever let anyone leave and will continue to roll out hennys teams for another 4 years (or however long they extend fournier for)


Hope you guys are happy with mediocrity, cause thats not going away while WeHam and Martins are still here
getting beat 4-1 in the 1st round of the playoffs>>>>>>>>>>getting a top 5 pick

[RookieStar]

Well... I have my own take on that interview but it seems a lot of you guys have different takes as well. lol

Bottomline.. they know we are stuck in mediocrity. That's good right? First cure of a problem is recognizing that there is a problem.

[Skybox]

Here's my surgical analysis of the interview...anyone with half a brain will not even hint at tanking or wanting to trade a current player in a public forum...WeHam never say anything in an interview, which is boring for us but obviously the only move to make. No GM in the league will, unless they slip up, reveal anything like that...I'm starving for action as much as anybody but we're wasting our time here.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Edit

[Blue_and_Whte]

Not saying they do or don’t have great plans in mind but either way Hammond isn’t going to reveal what they are in an interview. WTF?

[MagicMatic]

Not saying they do or don’t have great plans in mind but either way Hammond isn’t going to reveal what they are in an interview. WTF?

Of course he won’t. Then again, why give the interview and say things like “we can still get a difference maker at pick #12” when he has the full opportunity to actively make sure that doesn’t happen. Lol.

Kind of a stupid thing to say on his part regardless.

[Skin]

So basically we're relying on our Front Office getting... in his words... lucky.

*facepalm*

[Kent]

So basically we're relying on our Front Office getting... in his words... lucky.

*facepalm*

That's an oversimplification.

His point is you do the best you can do and realize it doesn't necessarily translate to success and that, a lot of times, it's that random domino that falls that is the difference.

The best perceived organizations all get lucky but prior to that they put themselves in a good position to do something with it. That's all you can ask for.

Call me a WeHam apologist if you want, but the Magic, as constructed, are one all-star away from a top 4 team in the east.

That truly is the difference.

Phoenix, Miami and Toronto can all speak to this in recent years.

Glass-half-full guy that I am, I would rather compete for the 8th seed for a few years and position myself to add another difference-maker to pair with Vooch...

Versus...

Blow it up and HOPE we have a contender in five years.

[MasterGMer]

So basically we're relying on our Front Office getting... in his words... lucky.

*facepalm*

That's an oversimplification.

His point is you do the best you can do and realize it doesn't necessarily translate to success and that, a lot of times, it's that random domino that falls that is the difference.

The best perceived organizations all get lucky but prior to that they put themselves in a good position to do something with it. That's all you can ask for.

Call me a WeHam apologist if you want, but the Magic, as constructed, are one all-star away from a top 4 team in the east.

That truly is the difference.

Phoenix, Miami and Toronto can all speak to this in recent years.

Glass-half-full guy that I am, I would rather compete for the 8th seed for a few years and position myself to add another difference-maker to pair with Vooch...

Versus...

Blow it up and HOPE we have a contender in five years.

It is obvious, blowing it up means we trade Vuc. And it is not going to happen.

Everyone thought the 2013, 2014 Indiana Pacers was without a super star, but they had Paul George, who is a star now but at the time, he just elevated game. Super Stars are not bought or just drafted, they are developed also. Hence we see the trajectory of Kawhi Leneord's game. From a role player in San Antonio to winning the FMVP and then Toronto Raptors. Nobody gave a dam about Kawhi's game in College or NBA Draft and he only played for San Diego State. Hence my point: Super Stars are not just drafted or traded for, they are also developed year after year.

Back to Orlando, when Magic traded for Vuc, tbh, I was disappointed to see us getting a player who is a role player at best. But what about now? 2 time All Star and one of the best Centers in the GAME.

I agree, we need a super star and all star along Vuc. We are one player away like many have said.

But I hate mediocrity. Either you build a championship team or you hit the reset button. Right now, I am thinking we are building a Championship team. But it takes good luck and patience. I really wish our FO can be more aggressive in finding that star to IMPROVE our team rather than running it back year after year.

[MagicStarwipe]

He could have made the interview really short and just said "I'm not going to do a damn thing... as always, lol".