Orlando Magic News for March 10th: Looking Ahead to Free Agency and the Draft
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 10, 2010 8:00 PM EST
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- Stats Trump Winning in Clipperland
Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse reports that the Orlando Magic may be interested in signing point guard Steve Blake this summer as a free agent. What's more certain is that Drew Gooden, Blake's L.A. Clippers teammate and fellow free-agent-to-be, wants to sign with Orlando this summer, having played there for one-plus seasons early in his career.
"I would love to come back and play in Orlando. I wanted to come back last summer,'' Gooden said. "But we'll just have to see what happens. This is a business, and nothing is guaranteed.''
Povtak says the Magic were interested in Gooden last summer but ultimately decided to sign Brandon Bass instead.
- Magic are better than last year, yes
Brian Schmitz has another personnel note, writing that we should "look for the Magic to take a point guard in the draft," and that they might be willing to trade up.
- JJ Redick Q + A
Randy Zellea of SLAM chats with J.J. Redick. Here's Redick on finding his niche in the NBA:
I think there is 420-450 jobs available and there is probably twice that many players who can play in the NBA. So the guys who stick with it find good situations and really work. There are guys Like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard that are naturally unbelievable. But for a lot of guys, you have to set yourself apart by your work ethic and what you can contribute.
- NBA TV analyst Kevin McHale discusses Magic forward Matt Barnes' defense on Bryant on Sunday:
"I love seeing a guy with the grapes to walk up to a guy and say 'bring your best game.' I like when people say they are going to stop Kobe. No one is going to stop Kobe. But do you make him take a lot of shots? I like the fact that Matt Barnes didn’t back up one inch and that he stood nose to nose with him. Kobe is not backing up either because he is a competitor. I like that; I think that is great for the league. I wish there was more of that."
- J.J. Redick, 'mathematicsized
Trey Kirby breaks down Redick's looks.
- Orlando Magic notebook
Josh Robbins has Gooden's thoughts on Amway Arena:
"Out of all the arenas, I could close my eyes and walk in here and just smell and tell you that I'm in Orlando, because this arena has a certain type of atmosphere to it and a certain type of aroma," Gooden said.
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Dwight Howard Impossible to Gameplan For
UPDATE 1 (from Eddy): Zachariah Blott of Empty the Bench writes one of the best articles I've ever read about Dwight Howard. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't give this write-up your attention. Please do so.Rare is the player who opposing coaches have to consider and plan around because of both parts of their game. Dwight Howard pops out as the most complete WTF-do-we-do-about-that-guy player in the league. Not only is he far and away the most intimidating defender, altering and discouraging just about everything inside of 15 feet, his capabilities define how the Magic’s offensive scheme works to a degree that only Steve Nash’s relation to the Suns’ fast break can compare.
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Alston Explains Unexplained Exit From Heat
UPDATE 2 (from Eddy): Joanne C. Gerstner of Off the Dribble shares some disheartening news from former Magic player Rafer Alston.Alston, recently relegated to the end of the bench because of ice-cold shooting, left the team last Friday without giving the front office an explanation. The team suspended him Sunday, after he was a no-show and cut off communications according to The Miami Herald.
Alston told ESPN Tuesday that his exit was prompted by his twin sister, Racine, attempting suicide. And he doesn’t know when – or if – he will return to basketball.
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I wouldn't.
There’s a reason why Gooden can’t stick with a team in the NBA. He’s a bit … kooky.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
LOVE IT.
Brian Schmitz has another personnel note, writing that we should “look for the Magic to take a point guard in the draft,” and that they might be willing to trade up.
FEED THE BEAST!!!
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1) I agree with Gooden. The Amway has a “home-y” feeling and uniqueness to it. Part of it was that it is such a small arena I bet. I think that’s going to be the only thing I will miss from it, unless parking and walking to turns out to be a bigger problem than before.
2) I would like Gooden as a fallback option if Orlando lost Bass to a must-do trade ONLY, like Wmillion said. I like Blake, I suspected the Magic would like him if they ever did a trade with POR, but I don’t get why the Magic would get him b/c J Will has been better I think. Blake would be 3rd string with J Will or even a drafted PG.
3) Drafting a PG is a very interesting proposition. I personally think the PG’s, for the most part, who have been drafted the last 2-3 yrs have been tearing up the NBA. It seems like a pretty solid trend. I would still see if there’s a good trade for some of the young PG’s already in the league, but if the Magic trade up it could be too good of a player to pass up. After all, the Magic hit a homerun of sorts with their last draft.
Adding Blake & Gooden
at worst would be a lateral move for J.Will & Bass.
What would be an upgrade IMO would be if we signed C.J. Watson at PG and/or signed Anthony Morrow at SG. Both would be long term players who could shine under SVG’s coaching. Blake makes $4.9 this season & Redick $2.8. Watson $1.0 & Morrow $750k.
If we can’t get one of those 2 then keeping J. Will & drafting a young PG sounds best over signing Blake.
A Bass for Gooden swap is lateral with more upside in Gooden’s favor (Magic).
The Magic should only make small moves if any. D12, VC, ‘Meer, ’Shard, Barnes, Gortat & MP are the most important pieces IMO. As long as they don’t tinker with that group it’s a top 5 defensive/offensive team that will contend for the title every year (at least the next 2).
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
Why are you so obsessed with CJ Watson?
The man can’t run an offense. He is not a point guard. It’s over. End of story.
Bass is a kind of fish.
J Will moves to the #3 PG & Watson #2.
AJ would be gone. If Watson can’t get it done they have J. Will to fall back on. At worst we sign a guy capable of dropping 20 points when J. Will or the team is struggling offensively. Something AJ can’t do.
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
He's not a point guard.
NOT. A. POINT. GUARD.
Here’s a question — hypothetical Magic lineup. Gortat, Anderson, Pietrus, Redick, Watson. Who runs the offense? Do the shots just sort of magically create themselves? (Heck, doesn’t J-Will have his own problems finding the open man in that second-string lineup a lot of the time?) Substitute a starter or two if you’d like. And if you can’t answer this question, how dare you suggest entrusting the second unit to Watson?
(By the way, don’t assume J-Will is going to stick around to pick up garbage time for the minimum — he’s been retired before, and if you’re not offering him money or PT, why is he sticking around?)
Bass is a kind of fish.
Does it especially matter if he's not a pure passing point guard?
Nelson is not the best passer either, but when he’s scoring well, it helps everyone around him score well too.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
Nelson's tied for 17th among PGs for assists per game, and is 16th in assists per 48 minutes
He’s not Nash, but he’s 0.1 assists/48 behind Devin Harris, and is well ahead of Andre Miller, Steve Blake, Jarrett Jack, or Chauncey Billups.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
So Nelson is mediocre, which makes him "not the best passer", like I said.
He is most effective when he’s penetrating, forcing the other team to defend him. In other words, he doesn’t get his assists by threading the needle on ridiculously hard passes to well-guarded players. He gets his assists by driving to the basket a few times, forcing the defense to respect his scoring, and then dishing to whichever player is left open by the defensive collapse.
That is how I see CJ Watson in the Magic offense. Forcing the defense to respect his offense, and then going from there.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
No.
First of all, Nelson is a better passer than his assists per game indicate. We all know that — no need to get into it.
Second of all, there’s a HUGE gap between what Nelson does and what Watson does. Nelson is averaging 9.1 assists per 48 minutes. Watson is averaging 4.7. That’s good for 98th among 183 guards in the league… the players closest to him on the list? Trevor Ariza, Stephen Jackson and Vince Carter.
Notice anything those three have in common?
Bass is a kind of fish.
I'll take a wild guess...
They’re all overpaid?
I hate Varejao.
I'm sure it helps Nelson's assist numbers to have a dominant 60% FG shooting post player to pass to.
My point is that they are both the same type of player: they create assists through their scoring, not from being Nash or Kidd-like.
Haha, they are all overpaid though.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
No.
That’s not how assists work. If anything, the presence of Howard on the team cuts into Nelson’s assists, because so many of Howard’s baskets are scored after putting the ball on the floor.
But my point is, all of those guys are shooting guards. Not one of them is running an offense. Nelson is averaging TWICE AS MANY assists as Watson per minute. No real point guard is failing to average even an assist per 10 minutes.
That’s like saying Dwight Howard and Brendan Haywood are similar offensive players because they have high field-goal percentages and no outside shot. You’re missing a HUGE factor here.
Bass is a kind of fish.
But how much "running of an offense" would CJ Watson really have to do?
A Magic PG is asked to do three things: throw the ball in to Dwight, collapse a defense through dribble penetration, and run a pick and roll with various other teammates. He can do that. It’s not that hard, and his finishing ability would help with the PnR game. Carter and other non-PG members of the Magic run all sorts of PnRs with Howard and others. CJ Watson would be another one of those people.
The Magic offense beats you by having Dwight Howard surrounded by scorers. CJ Watson is a scorer, and that is why he would fit in.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 3:37 PM EST up reply actions
Every team needs someone to manage the offense.
It IS that hard, and that’s why point guards are such a big deal. You cannot have a lineup without a distributor — the ball will not get to the open man. This is basic basketball… I’m shocked I need to explain this to you.
Bass is a kind of fish.
Everyone is a distributor on the Magic, not just the PG.
Point guards are such a big deal that there is all kinds of research and articles about how point guard is the least important position on the court. If Derek Fisher and Rafer Alston can “lead” their teams to the NBA Finals, then so can a whole heck of a lot of other point guards.
Anyway, good discussion. Thanks for talking down to me.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
Derek Fisher doesn't run the Lakers' offense.
Kobe does. We don’t have a player like Kobe. The whole premise of the Magic’s interest in Watson over the off-season was based on the notion that Carter would be able to fill that role. If he had done this, or if we still had Hedo to do it, a non-passing PG might be a possibility. But Carter is clearly not able/inclined to manage an offense at this point.
Rafer Alston averaged over 5 assists a game last year — his numbers were a little short of Jameer’s, but definitely in the same ballpark.
I’m sorry for acting like you’re talking nonsense. But then again, you are talking nonsense.
Bass is a kind of fish.
He's not mediocre, he's 16th among ALL POINT GUARDS
That’s 81 players, so he’s in the 80th percentile. And 2 of the guys above him are Jason Hart and Will Conroy, who a combined 13 assists in 48 minutes, so they’re Small Sample Size examples. Given that the Magic also aren’t a point-guard oriented offense, it becomes even more incredible, since a lot of the time the ball’s moving through four or all five players on a single offensive set, rather than the PG setting up the play and running it.
The only ones who are definitely head-and-shoulder above Nelson are Nash, Paul, Williams, Rondo, and Kidd. Everyone else above Nelson is within 2 assists per 48 minutes or less.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
But why compare him to non-starters? Nelson BETTER be better than non-starters with a contract like his.
You’re actually helping me there. The Magic aren’t a point-guard-oriented offense, so the ball moves through multiple players. Therefore a point guard in our offense doesn’t need to be an elite passer. I’m not arguing that CJ Watson is better than Nelson; that’s ridiculous. I’m arguing CJ Watson would fit in the Magic offense and be able to play the Magic PG position.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 3:45 PM EST up reply actions
If we look solely at starters, Nelson's 11th
The non-starters above him are Jason Hart, Sergio Rodriguez, Eric Maynor, Sebastian Telfair, and Will Conroy.
I’d disagree that we don’t need a good passer, though – just because the point guard’s not the last one to handle the ball doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to be a good passer. It means everyone needs to be a good passer.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
I see your point, but I think I competent is good enough.
As long as CJ Watson can competently run the passing part of a PnR play, he will be just fine being the #2 PG for the Magic. Especially since Magic PGs are also relied upon to score and hit open shots, and his scoring ability is not in question.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 3:59 PM EST up reply actions
If CJ Watson can be the #2 point guard for the Magic...
…Vince Carter can be the #2 PG for the Magic. They average the same number of assists per minute. Have you seen how Carter as the main ball-handler worked out for us? Have you noticed we don’t do it any more?
Actually, I take that back. Carter plays all his minutes at SG, and he plays in a slower-paced offense. He’s probably BETTER at running an offense than Watson. And he’s still obviously not able to do it.
By the way, not that it matters… I don’t know what CJ Watson you’re seeing, but the real-world CJ Watson is an average 3-point shooter at best. Aside from a fluky 2008-09 season, he shoots only 35% from beyond the arc.
Bass is a kind of fish.
Debating
I thought you were debating the merits of CJ Watson as back-up? Why are you comparing him and Jameer?
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Jason Williams is averaging 8.5 assists per48 minutes.
Anthony Johnson: 7.5 assists per 48 minutes.
When the difference between Anthony Johnson and Watson is greater than the difference between Jameer and AJ… well.
Bass is a kind of fish.
Personally
I wouldn’t mind them trading a 2nd for Patrick Mills. I have always like his game.
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It's hard to say what Mills could do as a pro.
Certainly a good player in college, great in the D-league… he’s not really getting any time with the Blazers. Which makes sense, given that the Blazers are a playoff contending team and don’t have a lot of room to experiment with rookies…
Bass is a kind of fish.
You do realize he's averaging 7.4 assists per game since the break, right? With a 9.5 Pure Point Rating, which would tie Rondo and Deron Williams for 4th in the league over the course of a full season?
You’re not giving him nearly enough credit for his playmaking skills. Last year, he ran the pick-and-roll more efficiently than anyone else in the league. I know his shoot-first mentality wears on some people but the fact is that he’s developed into a darn near elite passer.
To answer your question, no I did not realize that, and that's why you're an editor and I'm not.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve always liked Nelson. I’m glad he’s taken his passing game to a new level, because the rest of his game was never in question (at least to me).
How do you feel about C.J. Watson? I’m newer, so I might’ve missed your opinion.
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 12, 2010 12:04 AM EST up reply actions
I'm sorry if I came across as angry. In retrospect, I worded that comment poorly, and I apologize.
I like Watson’s three-point shot (though it’s eluded him this year— career-low 33.6%, which is below NBA average), but I have my doubts about his ability to run an offense. He needs to play off the ball, like Fisher in L.A., to be effective. So if you bring him in, you have to pair him with another guy like Redick or Carter who can handle the ball. Not sure how I feel about that.
In any case, he could be useful in spot minutes off the bench, but I’d rather Orlando pursue a more natural point guard.
Losing Bass and getting Gooden makes no sense. That's a lateral move, plus you're getting older.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I was thinking in the sense that RA would be the #2 option at PF.
I think Gooden could be more productive than Bass in scoring and rebounding. If RA is the long term PF then getting older would be OK for the short term option and IMO there could be more upside with Gooden than Bass.
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
The only clear advantage Gooden has over Bass is that he's the better rebounder.
That’s it. Everything else between the two players is a wash. The last thing the Magic need is a rebounder, especially when Van Gundy purposely neglects offensive rebounding. Orlando is already first in defensive rebound percentage so a player like Gooden isn’t really needed, in my opinion.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
It's a wash on offense but would improve on rebounding
It could essentially strengthen their currently #1 ranked defensive rebounding team. Since most of the elite teams have Size & Rebounding (Cavs & Lakers and they’re barely behind us in rebounding) it could help quite a bit in a 7 game series. If it’s physical like the Finals (and Sunday’s game) but the refs aren’t calling fouls they’re better off with Bass’ strength/size to defend in the post against Hickson/Floppy & Pau/Odom.
You’re right it’s a wash, Bass is younger and less of a risk. If they keep fishing for a PF, what eats Bass?
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
Okay, so where does Gooden find all those minutes to rebound?
He isn’t going to start ahead of Rashard Lewis and as a result, he’s not going to see a lot of minutes on the court. So, Gooden’s greatest strength as a player won’t be utilized a lot.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Right, so who would fit the part better than Bass & Gooden?
Aside from RA.
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
Honestly? I'd say Bass, just because he's younger.
Not the best reason but it’s a reason, nonetheless.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Per Brian Schmitz’s blog:
And, trust me, Vince Carter is saving more of himself for the playoffs than you think.
I’ve been thinking about this SO MUCH. I think VC is aged to a point where he has his spurts now instead of a whole game, but I can’t shake the feeling VC can string along more, multiple spurts or whole games IN the playoffs. He wants to be slept on right now, as well as get a lot of much needed rest and energy.
i remember someone wrote (i forgot who exactly) that...
VC needs to be the “Vinsanity” that people know and love from the Raptors and the Nets. Sure there are days and teams (like the Clippers) where he only needs to score 13 points, with Jameer and Dwight running the show, but like we saw with the Lakers, he needs to be our #1 guy down the stretch.
also anyone else think VC lost 5 years of his age when he stopped wearing that shoulder sleeve?
Barnes has grapes?? More like elephant balls
I’m pretty sure VC is going to kick it into another gear in the playoffs……..Actually, I’m so sure of it, that I planned my 2 week vacation for the beginning of May instead of June. Not taking any chances on missing out on being here for the finals!
How’s that for fanaticism?
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on Mar 10, 2010 9:29 PM EST reply actions
Hope VC doesn't pull a muscle moving into that higher gear.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Mar 11, 2010 1:07 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Well I hope he'll be ready
But at the same time – I don’t really want Vince driving the ball in the regular season and getting injured before the playoffs. Just play smart.
Oh goodness, I hope they don't pick up Steve Blake, I can't stand him.
He annoys me for some reason. But anyway, lol at that mathematicsized of JJ. He does not have crossed eyes! And lol at him saying “I’m a nasty cook” in that interview. That is just a gem of a quote.
Gooden wouldn't be too bad
He’s a PF/C guy but with a bit more height and experience than Bass. But he could potentially take minutes off RA nor he is at the level of Gortat.
He's a decent rebounder, but a bad defender...
…unless things have changed drastically. He can put points on the board, but not efficiently, and not from beyond the arc. Honestly, he has a place in the NBA, but the Magic don’t need him.
Bass is a kind of fish.
Looking at his advanced stats he would be fine.
Nothing special, but he adds some size, and rebounding if the match-up calls for it.
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Again, no point in replacing Bass with Gooden.
That’s a lateral move and the Magic would gain nothing from it, except get a player that’s older and has moments of “forgetfulness” on the defensive side of the floor. It’d be a pointless move.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I’m assuming your trading Bass to upgrade the team. Gooden would be a garbage time player. RA would be Shard’s clear cut backup.
FEED THE BEAST!!!
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by Wmillion on Mar 11, 2010 12:04 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Then why acquire Gooden if he's going to be a garbage time player?
Again, it makes no sense to acquire him. None, whatsoever.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
He fills out the roster and he is still effective. He isn’t garbage. We could do worse than Drew Gooden. I am not saying replace Bass with Gooden, I’m saying he can if the team moves Bass.
FEED THE BEAST!!!
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by Wmillion on Mar 11, 2010 12:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Right, Gooden isn't garbage, so why would he be a garbage time player?
There’s teams in the NBA that could use a guy like him. I just don’t think Orlando is one of them, even if Brandon Bass was to get moved in the off-season.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Let's compromise here.
If Gooden’s available for the minimum, and is willing to play a twelfth-man role, we need to take a look at him.
(And when that doesn’t happen, we don’t.)
Bass is a kind of fish.
Eh.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Yeah his defense is worse than Bass'
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
Blake
What happened to our backup now? He isn’t gone yet? Shouldn’t this be worded in the hypothetical sense, not the no way Williams gets re-signed. That wouldn’t be the best way to motivate our current backup PG, so I doubt that its been said. As for Blake I hope we don’t pick him up, he is an okay player, but can’t play any defense whatsoever. I would rather Redick be our backup PG than Blake.
The Magic are better off drafting a point guard than signing Steve Blake.
I’m sorry, Blake is a decent player but Orlando would be wise not to pursue him in the off-season.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I think so too
If it’s Blake or drafting a PG I’ll go with the latter. We can draft a PG & keep J. Will for $3.6 less than Blake costs.
Life is a series of serious choices, theories are formed from experience, never mysterious forces. - stic.man
"I'm not impressed by your performance" - GSP
what if we trade gortat this summer which is likely to happen and Gooden signs to play back up center only has to play 10 min a night but is solid. would that work eddy or do you still not like Gooden because i agree i dont want to trade bass.
Nah, that'd be fruitless.
In that scenario, I’d just keep Gortat. There’s nothing wrong with standing pat, by the way. The only pressing needs I see from the Magic is to replace Carter, at some point, and acquire a young back-up point guard.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I wouldnt even trade Gortat. I ve changed my mind about that, I would tell Gortat that the Magic will give him more minutes by going twin towers more often and taking Dwight out of pointless play time (i.e. big leads). I’d rather trade Bass or Ryan first I think
I really don't think they will trade RA period.
Unless it came down to getting a superstar (a la LBJ, DW, CB or someone like that). Not saying that he is that caliber of player YET, but he has the tools and the potential.
did you
honestly just compare the kid to bron bron, dwade and bosh.. come on man, i mean the kid is good and all but lets be serious for a second…
The Problem With Our Generation, Is That Our Future Isn't What It Used To Be
Yeah
I’m as big a supporter of Ryan as anyone, but I’ll be happy if he has Rashard Lewis’ career. (If Rashard Lewis spent his whole career at the 4.) Let’s not get beyond that…
Bass is a kind of fish.
Obviously that came out wrong.
He clearly isn’t LeBron, D-Wade, or CB level because otherwise he would be playing right now. I was trying to say he has the potential to be all-star caliber and deff the ability to be a starter in regular rotation. I think he will have a similar if not better career than Rashard Lewis.
in the draft i think we should get ether a big point/ combo guard or a center just in case who do you like in the draft and do you think we could move up in the draft to acquire a better pick
The Magic have the assets to trade up if it wants to. Not sure if that'll happen, though.
Who do I like in the draft? Hah, no one Orlando can get. I haven’t really looked at mock drafts to get an idea of who the Magic can realistically get. It does need to be a point guard, though. I know that, at least.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
maybe a tad bit off topic but
speaking of low pick pg’s… how do you like keaton grant outta purdue.. not necessarily for us, but as a pro in general.. idk if he is even on the draft radar, just always like to hear a local product succeed.. his senior years has been for the most part solid from what im aware of
The Problem With Our Generation, Is That Our Future Isn't What It Used To Be
I looked him up on DraftExpress and I didn't see him listed.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I don't like big PGs.
I don’t think they ever work — when’s the last time you saw a 6’5", 6’6" guy really stick as a point guard in the league?
The Magic in particular have been burned by too many of them before — Sasser, Gaines… well, Sasser and Gaines. Maybe Brooks Thompson, though that’s a stretch (he was 6’4").
Bass is a kind of fish.
For the record, though:
Combo guards currently expected to be taken in the late first/early second round include:
Armon Johnson, 6’3", Nevada. 16 points, 5.6 assists and 3.4 turnovers as a junior at a relatively small school. 66% foul shooter, no effective 3. Pass.
Terrico White, 6’5", Mississippi. nbadraft.net lists him as a “SG/PG”, but with 1.5 assists in over 30 mpg, this is clearly a shooting guard. Not an impressive one, either, going by stats. Pass.
Greivis Vasquez, 6’5", Maryland. This guy might be intriguing: 19.6 PPG and 6.3 APG dfor a nationally ranked team in one of the toughest conferences in college ball. He’s a senior, but he’s been posting strong stats for several years now. Shooting percentage is a bit low and TOs a bit high, but he looks fairly NBA-ready. Probably worth at least considering/working out.
Willie Warren, 6’4", Oklahoma. Major questions about his mental makeup, 4.1 assists to 3.8 turnovers. He’d probably be better off shifting to SG, we’d be better off passing.
Matt Bouldin, 6’5", Gonzaga. A solid player, but he looks more like a SG in NBA terms. It’s his senior year, and his 4.1 APG are by far his highest total yet. Eh… I’d consider him in the second round, but really he looks like a good college player who isn’t quite an NBA athlete.
Bass is a kind of fish.
greivis vasquez would be a nice fit.
id trade ryan if we get a nowitzki type of player from europe in the draft.
in OTIS we TRUST...
That would be pointless.
Ryan IS like a Nowitzki-type player.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Jimmer Fredette, 6’2", Brigham Young. 20.6 points, 4.7 assists and 2.5 turnovers as a junior. Shoots 46.5% overall, and 47.2% from 3. I’d consider him as a flyer
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Yeah, I almost mentioned him.
He’s a great shooter. But a) he’s less a “big PG” than an average-sized PG, and b) not sure he projects as a point guard point guard. Probably more of a three-point specialist, which is great, but I continue to believe we need a backup point who can really run the offense, because we’re not getting that skill from any other position.
Bass is a kind of fish.
I was going off the “who do you like in the draft” part. I’m not a fan of the “big PG” meme, and with Howard, Gortat, and Bass, I don’t think we need another center.
I’m not sure Fredette will be a great pure point either, but I think he’ll improve, given that he was a 2 guard in high school, and didn’t switch to the point until college. That’s why I mentioned him as a “take a flyer” pick. He’s projected high second round, but if he falls to us in the low second round, I’d take him.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Yeah, I agree.
I feel like there’s a very high failure rate for PGs taller than 6’4" in the NBA. Not saying there will never be an exception… just saying that the exception is probably not going to be available with the 28th-30th pick.
Bass is a kind of fish.
The point guard in question needs to do several things for the Magic.
Run the offense, shoot efficiently, and shoot the three efficiently. Has to have good character and a high basketball IQ. Defense isn’t a priority, given that Howard IS the defense for Orlando. The point guard in question just needs to show the tools that he can play defense, if he can’t already.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Yeah, somewhat. But I'd prefer someone younger.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
CJ Watson is 5 years younger...
In Gene We Trust.
by MoveThoseChains on Mar 11, 2010 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
I'm deftly aware of that.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I like Blake.
If they can’t get someone young who’s proven that he can run an offense, of course.
Blake’s a very competent passer and a good three-point shooter. And as for defense, what — we’ve got Jason Williams out there right now. My main concern with Blake is that he strikes me as a guy who favors a slow-paced offense. Of course, that might just be due to the fact that he’s played for Portland so long.
Bass is a kind of fish.
well it all hinges on Orland's playoff (and possibly finals) performances
A ring for Gortat (and possibly JJ) would probably make them leave more so than stay.
In terms of mock drafts, I think the Magic just missed the “point guard” draft boat. Jennings, Evans, Lawson, Curry, Flynn, (Rubio)…
How did Orlando miss the boat?
Even if the Magic did have a draft pick, it would have missed out on all of those players.
I write for Orlando Pinstriped Post and have a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
By the way, I just have to comment about Blott's article
That was an amazing read. I guess the only gameplan that’s worked is “pester Dwight and get into his head”
“(giving LeBron James high-fives is not a system).”
Hahaha
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