Let's Talk About Mario

[bobbeaver]

Don't think he is anything special still. If he goes he goes.

He s close to being the best player on the magic after after being screwed with minutes aka no real free playing time (you know... way you develop players usually) and misstreated mentaly. And he does it through the rythm of the game. He can and did take over the game a few times. He is rebounding very well and has an eye for passes. So "still " he maybe isnt but look at the context and his possibilities going forward with playing time. Look at the progress in his game in last 3 months. And he doesnt hurt the team. Oh and look at the progress of how the team plays in last 2 months. Coincidence?
He does lack certain things to b special like ball handeling and fakes n improvement on D, but on the other hand look where he started from.

[Mc-o]

Mario is gone at the end of the season , u people
Who
Think other wise are just delusional . The front office made a mistake by not extending him.

Thanks for the confirmation!

Most people lost a lot of faith in him early in the season when he was playing, now those same very people want him to stay because he's finally playing better! (I don't mean to get personal with you guys but would you treat your own children like this if they were not meeting expectations in life? I would assume no, you stick by them and support them until they get it right especially if they have a passion for success!) Mario is the same way.

I wonder how many people called Oladipo a non star because he simply wasn't getting it done in Orlando? Fast forward a few years later he's a All-Star with the Pacers!

It's a lot of bandwagon fans around and I wonder if we're going to treat Jonathan Isaac the same way?

I'm not sure what that has to do with what I wrote. Mario will not be with the magic next season because the magic mishandled his contract situation . The magic can only offer him a one year contract for 5 mill , that's what makes keeping him nearly impossible.

[Optimus_Steel]

Don't think he is anything special still. If he goes he goes.

He s close to being the best player on the magic after after being screwed with minutes aka no real free playing time (you know... way you develop players usually) and misstreated mentaly. And he does it through the rythm of the game. He can and did take over the game a few times. He is rebounding very well and has an eye for passes. So "still " he maybe isnt but look at the context and his possibilities going forward with playing time. Look at the progress in his game in last 3 months. And he doesnt hurt the team. Oh and look at the progress of how the team plays in last 2 months. Coincidence?
He does lack certain things to b special like ball handeling and fakes n improvement on D, but on the other hand look where he started from.

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

[SOUL]

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

Extremely debatable. He needed to be better in some areas, but you don't just bury your #5 pick on a bottom 5 team because he's struggling.

[fklt]

mario last 5 game per36
20 points 5.5 rebounds 3 assists

[PrimeThyme]

Read on Twitter

[fendilim]

Read on Twitter

damn right. i dontt blame them. but wish they had more patience. and vogel didnt put him in a position to succeed either

[bobbeaver]

Don't think he is anything special still. If he goes he goes.

He s close to being the best player on the magic after after being screwed with minutes aka no real free playing time (you know... way you develop players usually) and misstreated mentaly. And he does it through the rythm of the game. He can and did take over the game a few times. He is rebounding very well and has an eye for passes. So "still " he maybe isnt but look at the context and his possibilities going forward with playing time. Look at the progress in his game in last 3 months. And he doesnt hurt the team. Oh and look at the progress of how the team plays in last 2 months. Coincidence?
He does lack certain things to b special like ball handeling and fakes n improvement on D, but on the other hand look where he started from.

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

What ever you want to tell yourself

[MagicStarwipe]

What's this, we screwed up another young prospect? If I hadn't been saying we are terrible at developing talent for years I'd be shocked.

[fendilim]

“he's a bust.”

[NavalAviator94]

I'm back again to talk Mario. I really like him as a player. What is Orlando's plan for him this summer? I really want him in Nawlins.

I think our plan for the summer is to pray that he finds some irrational reason to stay with Orlando even though we spent the bulk of his three years here jerking him around before declining his option. Then we will throw a huge collective tantrum after he signs elsewhere. Some of us will use it to rage against Vogel for mishandling his development, while others will bring it up several hundred times to express our disdain for our new front office.

Pretty much this exactly.


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[NavalAviator94]

I'm back again to talk Mario. I really like him as a player. What is Orlando's plan for him this summer? I really want him in Nawlins.

I think our plan for the summer is to pray that he finds some irrational reason to stay with Orlando even though we spent the bulk of his three years here jerking him around before declining his option. Then we will throw a huge collective tantrum after he signs elsewhere. Some of us will use it to rage against Vogel for mishandling his development, while others will bring it up several hundred times to express our disdain for our new front office.

I think if we offer him a starting PG role in the mold of James Harden, he might be willing to stay! He always said his natural position is point guard!

We need to start recruiting Hezonja like he's a free agent!

Watch on YouTube

Funny. When I read that Elf/NY report I immediately thought of Hezonja as the pg like Skiles was grooming him to be. Never happen but would be cool to see.


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[NavalAviator94]

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

Extremely debatable. He needed to be better in some areas, but you don't just bury your #5 pick on a bottom 5 team because he's struggling.

We all saw that when he got some minutes and a rhythm he played well.


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[Optimus_Steel]

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

Extremely debatable. He needed to be better in some areas, but you don't just bury your #5 pick on a bottom 5 team because he's struggling.

We all saw that when he got some minutes and a rhythm he played well.


Sent from my iPad using RealGM mobile app

He was given playing time and he was terrible. He looked horrible in last years preseason, the season started he was still horrible. That's why his playing time was taken away, its not like he was not given opportunities, he was simply not producing. He had one of the worst advanced ratings of any player on the league last year. I do agree they should have come back to him a little sooner when it was clear they were headed for the lottery again.

[axl_c_cool]

So your saying he has been the best player in this team recently, the best player in what is essentially the worst team in the league? Not impressed. Glad he is playing better but the reason he played terrible up to this point was his fault, not coaches. His ceiling is a bench player at best.

Extremely debatable. He needed to be better in some areas, but you don't just bury your #5 pick on a bottom 5 team because he's struggling.

We all saw that when he got some minutes and a rhythm he played well.


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As he has said and people have mentioned, he was clearly injured last year


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[Xatticus]

Extremely debatable. He needed to be better in some areas, but you don't just bury your #5 pick on a bottom 5 team because he's struggling.

We all saw that when he got some minutes and a rhythm he played well.


Sent from my iPad using RealGM mobile app

He was given playing time and he was terrible. He looked horrible in last years preseason, the season started he was still horrible. That's why his playing time was taken away, its not like he was not given opportunities, he was simply not producing. He had one of the worst advanced ratings of any player on the league last year. I do agree they should have come back to him a little sooner when it was clear they were headed for the lottery again.

He was never given consistent minutes by Vogel until the injuries forced Vogel's hand this season. Vogel was yanking him off the court after any mistake last year before he pulled him from the rotation entirely just a few weeks into the season. Even this season, you can see how massive his splits are based upon his playing time. The more minutes Hezonja gets, the better he is.

The bigger issue here is that we are going to lose him because Vogel just never trusted Hezonja until he had no other choice. When you draft a 20-year-old, you should expect growing pains. A quality coach helps them through them instead of just throwing them into the doghouse. Hezonja, Birch, and Iwundu wouldn't be playing right now if not for injuries. Vogel just doesn't trust young players. He doesn't even seem to want them on the roster.

We're going to lay the blame on Weltman and Hammond for losing Hezonja. They are certainly deserving of some of that blame as picking up that option wouldn't have cost us much. Nevertheless, they were operating on very limited information because Hezonja had never gotten a fair chance under Vogel. I don't want to hear about how bad he was last year when Vogel threw so many minutes at crap like Jeff Green and CJ Watson.

Where might we be right now if we'd hired Mike Malone instead of Martins' boy Skiles?

[PrimeThyme]

https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/sports/nba-trade-deadline-diary-jazz-guard-rodney-hood-limbo-190423685.html

Mario Hezonja committed to staying focused

When the Orlando Magic declined his fourth-year rookie option, forward Mario Hezonja’s stint with the franchise didn’t seem long. And yet Hezonja — a 6-foot-8 forward out of Croatia — is starting to resemble the sharpshooting, versatile player that made him the fifth overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft after several seasons playing professionally for FC Barcelona.

Hezonja will become a free agent this offseason, with the Magic facing salary constraints to keep him because they declined his option, but both sides have acknowledged him as a potential trade candidate. Several teams have monitored the 22-year-old Hezonja to find a potential deal before the deadline, league sources said.

For the season, Hezonja is averaging 7.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. He’s had several significant games — including a 28-point night against Detroit on Jan. 17, which included eight 3-pointers. Over the past five games, Orlando has gone 3-2 while Hezonja is averaging 15.2 points while making 16 of 28 3-pointers.

Hezonja recently talked to Yahoo Sports about left knee issues he dealt with last season, recovering fully from them over the summer, his performance this season, the deadline and free agency.

On his left knee issues: “It was tough, I was pushing myself to the limits and it was painful. But I spent the summer in L.A., working on my knee. People didn’t know about my knee. I hate making excuses for myself, but I couldn’t go to my moves, couldn’t go to my spots. After time and time going through the same movements, I just stopped using my left leg. Over the summer, I had to stop playing, and it was tough, but I’m 100 percent now. I had a lot of helpful people help me get my body right.”

On Orlando declining his fourth-year option: “Not getting my option didn’t affect me at all because I know who I am. That was their decision. But I love being here, love the team and love the fans. I love everything. But with or without the option situation, I’m going to put in the extra work. It’s all due to a great offseason behind me getting my body right. Of course, I’m motivated and confident in myself, but I’m like that even without the decision.”

On upcoming free agency and the potential of a trade: “Of course, I am open to staying with the Magic. I’m super comfortable here. I love the city of Orlando, love the fans, and I think the new management and coaching staff are building something special here. There’s a lot of noise because it’s the NBA. I was definitely conscious of the trade talks when the season open, but all I care about is finishing the season strong for my team. I will think about my future when the season ends.”

On dealing with the pressure of being a high-lottery pick: “I know how to zone into basketball. Even in life, this stuff, this noise, doesn’t change my attitude. In Barcelona, I was 16 years old and I was on a professional team, getting critiqued for everything. You have to learn quick and if you don’t, you’re done.”

This is great news. Makes me think that we have a chance to keep him now.

[ORL_on_FIRE]

Good to see him looking more comfortable and finding his spots. Making better decisions overall for sure.

[OrlChamps2030]

https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/sports/nba-trade-deadline-diary-jazz-guard-rodney-hood-limbo-190423685.html

Mario Hezonja committed to staying focused

When the Orlando Magic declined his fourth-year rookie option, forward Mario Hezonja’s stint with the franchise didn’t seem long. And yet Hezonja — a 6-foot-8 forward out of Croatia — is starting to resemble the sharpshooting, versatile player that made him the fifth overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft after several seasons playing professionally for FC Barcelona.

Hezonja will become a free agent this offseason, with the Magic facing salary constraints to keep him because they declined his option, but both sides have acknowledged him as a potential trade candidate. Several teams have monitored the 22-year-old Hezonja to find a potential deal before the deadline, league sources said.

For the season, Hezonja is averaging 7.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. He’s had several significant games — including a 28-point night against Detroit on Jan. 17, which included eight 3-pointers. Over the past five games, Orlando has gone 3-2 while Hezonja is averaging 15.2 points while making 16 of 28 3-pointers.

Hezonja recently talked to Yahoo Sports about left knee issues he dealt with last season, recovering fully from them over the summer, his performance this season, the deadline and free agency.

On his left knee issues: “It was tough, I was pushing myself to the limits and it was painful. But I spent the summer in L.A., working on my knee. People didn’t know about my knee. I hate making excuses for myself, but I couldn’t go to my moves, couldn’t go to my spots. After time and time going through the same movements, I just stopped using my left leg. Over the summer, I had to stop playing, and it was tough, but I’m 100 percent now. I had a lot of helpful people help me get my body right.”

On Orlando declining his fourth-year option: “Not getting my option didn’t affect me at all because I know who I am. That was their decision. But I love being here, love the team and love the fans. I love everything. But with or without the option situation, I’m going to put in the extra work. It’s all due to a great offseason behind me getting my body right. Of course, I’m motivated and confident in myself, but I’m like that even without the decision.”

On upcoming free agency and the potential of a trade: “Of course, I am open to staying with the Magic. I’m super comfortable here. I love the city of Orlando, love the fans, and I think the new management and coaching staff are building something special here. There’s a lot of noise because it’s the NBA. I was definitely conscious of the trade talks when the season open, but all I care about is finishing the season strong for my team. I will think about my future when the season ends.”

On dealing with the pressure of being a high-lottery pick: “I know how to zone into basketball. Even in life, this stuff, this noise, doesn’t change my attitude. In Barcelona, I was 16 years old and I was on a professional team, getting critiqued for everything. You have to learn quick and if you don’t, you’re done.”

This is great news. Makes me think that we have a chance to keep him now.

Sounds like every potential free agent ever

Does he love Orlando enough to take a pay cut?

[PrimeThyme]

There is only a few teams that will have cap space this offseason anyways, so if there was a good time for him to become an unrestricted FA it would be now. I think he will get 8-10 on the market and im honestly fine with paying that.