MagicMatic wrote:Def Swami wrote:I don't think the Mobley hate is rationale. That kid is an A1 prospect. He's solidly top 3 on almost all big boards. I feel like this hesitancy about Mobley is unique to our fanbase.
I agree that the other guards are cleaner fits based on our current roster construction. I also don't believe the Magic should care that much about fit. Picking a wing over Mobley, just for the sake of hoping the wing is good or better than Mobley doesn't make any sense. You don't pick Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker over Joel Embiid in a redraft.
The Magic just have to take the most talented player with the most upside to be a cornerstone piece for the next decade. Whether that's a PG, SF, or C doesn't matter at all.
Here’s the situation.
Orlando is terrible offensively. They just traded a Center that took 25 shots a game to keep them relevant, only up to the first round of a comically bad eastern conference.
Orlando is searching for a “go-to” guy that can provide an identity and efficient style of play.
Mobley is a big. He might provide great defense and be a focal point on offense. However, he would basically be replicating a similar style of play that we just watched prior to the trades. A bunch of role players with questionable shooting ability and decent defense.
I think people understand that you want to take the “best player available”, by WeHam’s determination.
What I don’t think people are grasping is that Orlando WONT be picking this high, after this draft, due to the injury situation and competing tank teams.
What that means is that identity on offense is completely determined by this pick.
I’m not sure why this is so hard to comprehend. Orlando doesn’t have a go-to guy. Selecting Mobley would by all metrics “make” him that guy without a good supporting cast. No team is successfully led by a big on offense without at least a 1a/1b player or a
very solid starting lineup. Orlando has neither.
So no, It’s not as simple as “take any position” regardless of outcome. The argument has nothing to do with “fit” in my opinion.
We both had the same sentiments about our former team but i'm not so hard on Mobley. I have the feeling you and some others think we have now our high pick & than we wont have another one & we build around that pick.
I'm pretty sure we wont build our offense around Mobley anytime soon. You can be sure that a guy like Cole gonna jack up by far the most shots next year & probably next when we doesnt get one of the 3 Guards.
2nd. With high probability we gonna draft high in the next 1-2 drafts too, we dont need to find our core for the next 5-7 years in this draft. We maybe wont be a top 3 worst again, but we wont be better than 5-10th worst the next 2 years probably & with the new odds there is is a big chance we jump into the top 4 again if thats the case. With raw players like Mobley, Kuminga anyway.
We gonna have a even younger team next year, Fultz wont coming back soon & Isaac is a big questionmark. Cole & RJ are probably still negative players next year & we still wont have playmaking & no good FA.
''2022 Draft Worst case'' is Isaac comes back 100% + continues the progresss on offense he showed in the bubble before he got hurt & the young guys improve alot & we fight for the play in. In that case missing out on the 3 probably hurt us in the long run but it still got a lot of positives, compared to our situation a year a go + we still have extra draft assets.
If those 3 Guards are gone before us they are gone. Nothing we can do when we cant trade up. I dont draft a Moody or Bouknight & co just because they are guards instead of Mobley, when it seems he is by far the better prospect. Kuminga sure, when the FO thinks he learns too shoot.
I want one of the guards too badly & hope we trade up if we miss out in the lottery but i wont be depressed if we draft Mobley because i know he probably wont have more than 8-12 FGA anyway in the first few years & we probably have more opportunities to draft high. We have not only our pick this year to find a scorer, we have both Chi picks & probably 1-2 high/mid lottery picks in the next 2 years before we have to start making the first decisions (adding quality FA, extending our rookie contract players).
If we miss out til than, yea we are ****, but thats the risk you always have, when you try to build through the draft/tank.
The fear of mediocrity i can understand too but it can happen with Cade & co too. Just watch Memphis. They drafted Morant & low ceiling win now rookies & signed good role players. Now they are probably a 50% team for the next half decade. For me you have to draft high 2-3 years in a row anyway (or strike gold in later in the draft like Utah/Denver), because drafting 1 good player & than try to win, leads to mediocrity more often than not in small markets.
