Official Spec Thread: I guess now's the time to blow this dumpster fire up and bask in the glow!

[MagicFan101]

Mo and WCJ, 36.5 mpg, 21 ppg,14.5 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 4-8 from 3.

I think we're getting better production from center now.

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Obviously defenses aren’t paying attention to them as they did Vuc.

Still, I’m not going to complain about this rotation going forward if we can secure a franchise star guard or wing to build around.

[Rick Rolled]

Edit - Got beat to the punch on the Zion/Ball/Ingram news.

The tank is in serious jeopardy tonight.

SVG trying to gift his good buddy Cliff a win tonight haha.

[Skin]

Vuc is gone and he's doing us more favors now than ever before. He's helping us get a high lottery pick. Let's not rag on the guy. We're already so much better. Let's move off the hate. I got nothin' but love for Vuc now that he's OFF the team.

[Skin]

Uh oh.

Looks like Zion, Ball and Ingram are out tonight.

Damnit..... teams are really gonna do this to us now, aren't they....

[Knightro]

First missed game of the year for Ingram.

Second for Zion.

[tiderulz]

First missed game of the year for Ingram.

Second for Zion.

time for the "scrub that goes off on us" game.

[thelead]

First missed game of the year for Ingram.

Second for Zion.

SVG screwing us... I can see him being that petty and I don't blame him

[Skybox]

Most of Booker's points were at the rim, from what I saw.

With Lauri and Vuc, teams will just attack the paint whenever they need points.
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If a perimeter player stays in front of their player, he doesn't get to the rim.
all points scored at the rim aren't on the center.

AND if you go here and select his shot chart, where at least 11 made shots were out of the paint.
https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=401307520

But I'm sure you only saw the baskets he made at the rim or this was an April Fools joke?

The game is not allowed to be played that way. You can't hand-check a player and all teams switch on defense which means Vuc is often dropping back in coverage and allowing a guy like Booker to take uncontested 15 foot jumpers (if not 3's).... and if he does try to close the gap, he's too slow and not long enough to recover. You need a JI/AD/Giannis next to a player like Vuc to be successful.

Man...let it go-Vuc is gone.

By the way, there ARE very good perimeter defenders...you can't blame everything on slow footed centers. Just give it a rest. Very charitable to suggest that Vuc could be OK if he just had a DPOY next to him.

[thelead]

If a perimeter player stays in front of their player, he doesn't get to the rim.
all points scored at the rim aren't on the center.

AND if you go here and select his shot chart, where at least 11 made shots were out of the paint.
https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=401307520

But I'm sure you only saw the baskets he made at the rim or this was an April Fools joke?

The game is not allowed to be played that way. You can't hand-check a player and all teams switch on defense which means Vuc is often dropping back in coverage and allowing a guy like Booker to take uncontested 15 foot jumpers (if not 3's).... and if he does try to close the gap, he's too slow and not long enough to recover. You need a JI/AD/Giannis next to a player like Vuc to be successful.

Man...let it go-Vuc is gone.

By the way, there ARE very good perimeter defenders...you can't blame everything on slow footed centers. Just give it a rest. Very charitable to suggest that Vuc could be OK if he just had a DPOY next to him.

There is a reason why Marc Gasol hasn't worked out for the lakers. But I'm not going to discuss basketball on a basketball forum anymore

[PrimeThyme]

Accept 6th best odds now. It will make it easier. Things like this are the unpredictable parts of tanking. Clips only played 8 guys the other night and sat George. Pels are sitting everyone tonight. These things will only continue to happen down the stretch.

[Skybox]

The game is not allowed to be played that way. You can't hand-check a player and all teams switch on defense which means Vuc is often dropping back in coverage and allowing a guy like Booker to take uncontested 15 foot jumpers (if not 3's).... and if he does try to close the gap, he's too slow and not long enough to recover. You need a JI/AD/Giannis next to a player like Vuc to be successful.

Man...let it go-Vuc is gone.

By the way, there ARE very good perimeter defenders...you can't blame everything on slow footed centers. Just give it a rest. Very charitable to suggest that Vuc could be OK if he just had a DPOY next to him.

There is a reason why Marc Gasol hasn't worked out for the lakers. But I'm not going to discuss basketball on a basketball forum anymore

The former DPOY is old and fat(ter)...bad example.

[thelead]

Man...let it go-Vuc is gone.

By the way, there ARE very good perimeter defenders...you can't blame everything on slow footed centers. Just give it a rest. Very charitable to suggest that Vuc could be OK if he just had a DPOY next to him.

There is a reason why Marc Gasol hasn't worked out for the lakers. But I'm not going to discuss basketball on a basketball forum anymore

The former DPOY is old and fat(ter)...bad example.

and Vuc is just slow... just like Jokic. Denver is a great experiment on winning with primarily offense. They have the worst paint defense in the entire league. Coincidence?

They went out and got McGee and Gordon for a reason. And that reason's name is Jokic.

[thelead]

Accept 6th best odds now. It will make it easier. Things like this are the unpredictable parts of tanking. Clips only played 8 guys the other night and sat George. Pels are sitting everyone tonight. These things will only continue to happen down the stretch.

We should be doing the same but just like always, we can't get out of our own way towards success.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Vuc is gone and he's doing us more favors now than ever before. He's helping us get a high lottery pick. Let's not rag on the guy. We're already so much better. Let's move off the hate. I got nothin' but love for Vuc now that he's OFF the team.

So Vooch is responsible for that bad roster too?!

[basketballRob]

Vuc is gone and he's doing us more favors now than ever before. He's helping us get a high lottery pick. Let's not rag on the guy. We're already so much better. Let's move off the hate. I got nothin' but love for Vuc now that he's OFF the team.

So Vooch is responsible for that bad roster too?!

I'm going to let it go, but at some point people have to stop blaming everyone else for Vucevic's losing.

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[Blue_and_Whte]

Vuc is gone and he's doing us more favors now than ever before. He's helping us get a high lottery pick. Let's not rag on the guy. We're already so much better. Let's move off the hate. I got nothin' but love for Vuc now that he's OFF the team.

So Vooch is responsible for that bad roster too?!

I'm going to let it go, but at some point people have to stop blaming everyone else for Vucevic's losing.

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That’s stupid. If you have a **** roster you aren’t going to win. The Magic didn’t lose because of Vooch and the Bulls aren’t losing because of him. Period. You should charge the man rent because you won’t let it go.

[ChosenSavior]

Accept 6th best odds now. It will make it easier. Things like this are the unpredictable parts of tanking. Clips only played 8 guys the other night and sat George. Pels are sitting everyone tonight. These things will only continue to happen down the stretch.

This is how I felt even before the trades happened. Our schedule is definitely tough but there are variables that are just out of our control and we can't influence what other teams are going to do.

I feel the way Knightro does as I do not feel that we are in total jeopardy of ruining our tank given how inept we are offensively. The interesting part is if we can keep up this improved defense that we have been displaying these past several games? That is what is offsetting the poor offensive production and keeping us in games so far. If the defense falters then our tank will be in great shape.

I'm not gonna front though, I've been enjoying this version of our team post trade deadline way more than the previous iteration. I know at some point the honeymoon phase will wear off for me but for now I'm going to just enjoy the young talent we brought in and our own young guys who finally get a chance to play this season and may luck be on our side for once when it comes to the draft lottery.

[RookieStar]

Man... I already knew Zion was gonna be rested but Lonzo and BI too? WTF are the other teams really afraid of us and our history of #1 picks?

[PrimeThyme]

This is how I felt even before the trades happened. Our schedule is definitely tough but there are variables that are just out of our control and we can't influence what other teams are going to do.

I feel the way Knightro does as I do not feel that we are in total jeopardy of ruining our tank given how inept we are offensively. The interesting part is if we can keep up this improved defense that we have been displaying these past several games? That is what is offsetting the poor offensive production and keeping us in games so far. If the defense falters then our tank will be in great shape.

I'm not gonna front though, I've been enjoying this version of our team post trade deadline way more than the previous iteration. I know at some point the honeymoon phase will wear off for me but for now I'm going to just enjoy the young talent we brought in and our own young guys who finally get a chance to play this season and may luck be on our side for once when it comes to the draft lottery.

Yeah, the thing to monitor with our defense is I actually think it's only going to get better. Garry Harris is unanimously considered one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. He will help this team tremendously when he gets back && though I agree the tank still won't be in total jeopardy, I think Clifford will get enough from this unit to keep us outside the top 5.

I'm having a lot of fun too, but in order for me to continue to have fun the rest of the season I need WCJ's minutes to be in the 30 mpg range as the starter, Bamba to start creeping into the 20-minute range, Hampton to consistently get 15 plus minutes, && some of these vets need to start getting phased out of the rotation as well. Especially when Cole comes back.

Not every vet, but there is no benefit for us to continue to play someone like Birch who is 27, on an expiring contract, and plays the same position as Bamba/Birch. They need those minutes. If we continue to win at that point, I won't be upset at all.

[Ducklett]

Man... I already knew Zion was gonna be rested but Lonzo and BI too? WTF are the other teams really afraid of us and our history of #1 picks?

NBA: We made anti-tanking rules though! Why would teams do this?!