2020-2021 Regular Season Game 48: Orlando Magic (16-31) at New Orleans Pelicans (21-25)

[JBSouthpaw]

I'd rather win with our young guys playing well, than sit these guys that DO NEED the PT.
When Cole is back, I'd like to see Ross & Bacon get some much needed rest. Open up about 35 shots per game.

[nemesis37]

After the trades i tought watching this team was going to be really hard but after this games i've really enjoyed watching the youngers getting more playing time. RJ is really raw but have as a lot of years left to raise up his game until his prime. We are allready seeing evolution from Mo. Chuma and WCJr are really high BBIQ players and this team was lacking that for years. Adding other two high BBIQ players that we allready have in Fulz and Isaac and having luck at the draft to pick a T-Mac type player, and this team could be really enjoyable and surprising next year.

Guys played with heart and hustle and we can't be mad about that. Lottery is wild now with the new odds system implemented.

[Message Boar]

Wait what, why did the Pels sabotage our tank by sitting Zion, Ingram and Ball? I thought they were trying to make the playoffs?

Oh well, at least Carter looked nice. Hopefully he can develop here like Vooch did.

[PrimeThyme]

We will probably get killed over our next two but don't get your hopes up. Home games against Washington/Indiana follow that up and we still have Toronto, Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota left to play on the schedule. I'm predicting 6th best odds, but 7th or 8th best are still very much in the cards for us.

[ChosenSavior]

We will probably get killed over our next two but don't get your hopes up. Home games against Washington/Indiana follow that up and we still have Toronto, Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota left to play on the schedule. I'm predicting 6th best odds, but 7th or 8th best are still very much in the cards for us.

These game threads are going to be entertaining stuff for the rest of the season...

[thelead]

We will probably get killed over our next two but don't get your hopes up. Home games against Washington/Indiana follow that up and we still have Toronto, Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota left to play on the schedule. I'm predicting 6th best odds, but 7th or 8th best are still very much in the cards for us.

These game threads are going to be entertaining stuff for the rest of the season...

We've gone from 5-10 page pre-trade game threads to nearly 30...

[Last Guardian]

Regardless of the vets on the team, the 4 young w/potential guys available are actually playing, are part of the offense and are contributing (and making mistakes). If they barely beat a team sitting star players, then so be it. Tanking is not losing every game. Does Detroit or minnesota lose every game? No. We tanked when we traded the 3 best statistical players on a bad team for somewhat minimal returns. Now you let nature take its course.

I'll complain if Cole doesn't eliminate Randle from the rotation. I'll complain if RJ just doesn't play anymore because of Harris/Ross. Right now I don't have much to complain about. Maybe RJ could stay in a little longer and have Ross play less. Thats about it.

Guys, I understand wanting that top draft pick or at least the best chance at getting the top pick. I want it too. Obviously, that would be a game changer. But be more reasonable. The players and coach will never play to lose, that was never part of the equation. Getting rid of the top players was the tank move.

[OrlandO]

Ross, Ennis, Bacon, Randle, Porter combine for 161 minutes and 13 steals. They also made all 5 threes. That's your ball game. All except Ross are expiring or unguaranteed... how many of these vets are going to be here next season? How many who will still be around will be starters?

If we are going to play ourselves out of top lottery odds it should be completely on the backs of youth. That's much easier to accept than this nonsense of letting these vets play for contracts elsewhere while hurting our lotto odds in the final stretch of a season that was over in January. Time to shutdown and waive some vets and fill empty spots with much worse players.

[OrlandO]

I'm not pro tanker, and i hate system of losing to get better.
But if you suck, there is no much difference between having 14-35 record or 17-33 in terms of "culture" but can make huge difference in terms of picking Michael Jordan and Lancaster Gordon.

Imo, there is simply too many contract driven vets in Orlando to not win additional 7-10 games for rest of a season

Exactly. Opportunity tanking. The only time I'm game to go full tank is when things go south and we find ourselves within reach of top odds late in the season... it makes even more sense after blowing it up. Most of these vets won't be here next season... get rid of them. Shutdown the rest and go full youth movement... let them take their licks without having vets to use as a crutch and profit from the results. This might be the only stretch of the new rebuild where it will be acceptable to play to lose. Have to take advantage when we're so close. They have all next season to play right and maximize wins with a healthy roster.

April 9th. Get it done Weltman.

[D12VCMagic]

Ross, Ennis, Bacon, Randle, Porter combine for 161 minutes and 13 steals. They also made all 5 threes. That's your ball game. All except Ross are expiring or unguaranteed... how many of these vets are going to be here next season? How many who will still be around will be starters?

If we are going to play ourselves out of top lottery odds it should be completely on the backs of youth. That's much easier to accept than this nonsense of letting these vets play for contracts elsewhere while hurting our lotto odds in the final stretch of a season that was over in January. Time to shutdown and waive some vets and fill empty spots with much worse players.

All these vets are frustrating. To me I want to barf watching Chasson Randle get minutes over RJ Hampton. Randle is a freaking G-league/overseas journeyman, there is no reason for him to play outside of giving guys rest.

This organization hasn’t learned anything honestly. Once again they are only half assing the tank and it will again result in Orlando selecting 6th and missing out on all potential star talent. We traded away our “best” players but still have too many vets on the team and are committed to a coach who refuses to let young guys grow and is all in on winning games with vets with a bottom 5 team.

I don’t want to hear any of this “culture” or “accountability” nonsense from people either. That is just corporate propaganda from the Magic at this point. None of that crap means a damn thing in the NBA if you don’t have elite talent. The only culture the Orlando Magic is setting is a culture of mediocrity and constantly being stuck in the mud.