drsd wrote:pepe1991 wrote:So we pretend we have more than 1 nba level starter on playoff team?
It's Isaac and bunch of bench players on playoff teams.
Fultz, Harris and Isaac all look like solid starters on most NBA rosters. Okeke, Anthony, and Carter look like solid minutes guys on any NBA roster. Add the questions of Hampton and Bamba, with two chances at a good rookie this off-season, I am more hopeful it seems than you are.
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This is far reach.
Fultz, like Elfrid Payton for example, isn't starting level of talent ( or at least not what we saw). His inability to even be 3 point treat destroys his value in modern basketball. He is either ball-pounding or doing nothing for you offense. All his value comes in transition, but that can be said for virtually any basketball player that isn't center. Most players excell in open court. All that before blowing up his knee that will probably hinder his athletical ability a bit.
Harris was removed from Denver for a reason. He hasn't been "starting level good" for years. You look at his last year's playoff run and it's not hard to figure why he was odd man out on Nuggets, despite them having almost nobody to replace him at "SG". Not only that he can't shoot with any consistantcy, he also can't stay healthy for long enough to be reliable. Also, on offense, he still is either spotting up or doing nothing for you.
Isaac is always hurt. I don't even know why i'm judging what I saw from isaac and projecting that for future, like he didn't blow up his knee. When he is healthy, he is very good for what he does. Being advanced Ibaka. But again, he is not healthy enough where it would matter all that much.
Okeke is servicable rotation SF-PF. People here really blow up what he is out of proprotion. He plays on team without any offensive talent and gets lot of shots. Sure he is "rookie". But he also happends to be almost 23 years old "rookie" , who is only rookie because 2 reasons:
a) he would have gotten undrafted if he went through one and done rout
b) he blow up his knee and missed one season already
Wendell Carter is average starter in this moment, trending toward below average one. Yet another player that has huge list of injuries attached to his health record. He is not athletic and he does not have 3 point shot and he struggles a lot when it comes to rebounding and boxing outs. Poor man Horford is probably best comp going forward.
Cole Anthony is player that will hurt you more than help you most of the nights. Miniature gunner that can't defend anybody and who views himself as something he isn't. Kobe swagger in body of Ish Smith. We already had that type of player. Brandon Jennings.
Hampton is definition of G league player in this moment. He is "guard" who can't dribble nor shoot. Betting on his development is betting that 21 years old player needs to learn basics of basketball that 12 years old are being shown in their workouts.
Bacon averaging 11 ppg on our team is best example why we should look at "achivments " of stat padding box score on team that is tied with 4th worst record with grain of salt. We play bodies, but during 48 min there are 90 shots to be taken and 40 -50 reboundst to be grabbed. Somebody will put up something. That doesn't mean you have roster full of future rotation players. Actually opposite, if you look how outclassed they look when they play Indiana, team that isn't even that good when healty, and yet they get routed in basically 28 min against crippled roster where career backup Justin Holiday looks like prime Ray Allen against them, you figure how far this is from competitive roster.
What Magic need today, is land top 3 pick and draft Suggs, Cade or Green. After that, they should figure how to compliment that player and how to add best player possible next to him. This 2020-21 tail end of a season Orlando Magic -casting , to me is casting players for other basketball leagues. Most of players who played Pistons - Orlando game will meet each other in China within next year or two.
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. -John Lennon