What is krack alakin hardwar Knocks listeners, I am Damp Valley coming at you
once more without my fantabulous co host Adam Promo. We're in the stretch run
of our Team look Ahead series. We're up to the Orlando Magic, and
I'm speaking with none other than Keith Smith. He's a contributor to spot Rack
Celtics Blog. He's also on Spotify Green Room. He has a YouTube show
slash podcast called The Front Office Show. You should check them out on Twitter.
You can follow them at front Office Show spelled exactly as a silence,
and follow Keith on Twitter at Keith Smith NBA. Again. He covers the
league at large, but he is based out of Orlando. Knows a bunch
about the Mavericks. The conversation was incredibly insightful. Before we get started,
just the usual housekeeping notes, please please, pretty please with whatever your preferences
on top actual sugar, Stevia, nothing, something healthy, whatever. Remember
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before we get started, Wendell Carter Junior has signed a four year, fifty
million dollars extension. As regular listeners know, I've had a backlog of these
podcasts and Keith and I end up recording a couple of days before he signed
that extension, and we both talked about Wendell Carter Junior, and I want
to echo some of those thoughts here. I don't think we've gotten any of
the details. Ironically, Keith is probably the guy who has like all that
MANU shut down if there's any special options or guarantees. But it's a four
year, fifty million dollar deal. I don't know that Wendell Carter Junior signs
that unless it's fully guaranteed. That just feels like a number where if it
follows just the regular base, he's never going to be making fourteen million dollars.
That makes me wonder if there's a player option on that final season twenty
twenty twenty six, which would be his age twenty six campaign. Maybe there
is, Maybe there isn't. My guests would be I'm just gonna say no
because I feel like Orlando would as a team, would probably want to try
and lock him down as long as possible to give them flexibility. I love
this gamble by them. I think I'm very curious to see what it says
about Mobamba's future. There can still pay two centers. I think that's also
a luxury here is that I'd be a little bit surprised now if Mobama does
get an extension. But now that you're starting center for let's just say moving
towards and making eleven point two million dollars, that's not really that much at
all, And even to the larger context of the just a front court in
general. You know, Jonathan Isaac's number is not astronomical. He's in the
first year of that four year, eighty million dollars extension that he signed,
and so sort of moving forward, you're what you're looking at is you're just
gonna pay. You know, you're starting front court under thirty million dollars basically
per year if you go up depending on what. Jonathan Isaac has some guarantees
in there. I think he's guaranteed four years and sixty nine point seven million
dollars. I probably should block this number up in front of me. I
just the price from the team. I want every player to get paid.
I wish Windell Clarter Junior got double whatever. I don't think he's worth double
at the moment, but you get the gist. This is a nice and
I think it's good for window Karter Junior by the way who has not just
had the career that people expected when they were called him baby Al Horford.
This preseason specifically, it felt like he's playing more like baby Al Horford,
right down to still not taking enough shots. When he's catching the ball,
especially towards the perimeter, he's not looking at the baskets as much as you
would like. I would still say a little bit more than he was in
Chicago. He did take three point two three point attempts per thirty six minutes
in the preseason, knock them down on a forty four point four percent clip.
Again, we're dealing with a four game sample size here, so I
don't want to get four or nine from three. Is just not this huge
sample size. Leving he said he was more aggressive. If he wasn't looking
at the basket, he was at least putting the ball on the floor.
I still think he can be a really good passer. I don't know he's
never gonna be a type of big that's a defensive anchor, but he has
some squishiness to him, some switch to him, portability to him. However
you want to frame it, and when you look at who moving forward,
the frontline partner should be for him and Jonathan Isaac. He doesn't need to
be just the backbone of a defense since Isaac is sort of that defensive system
to himself type guy. And so I think this ends up being a really
good gamble of Orlando because if he doesn't pan out, this is you look
at that salary and it's basically gonna be like mid level money moving forward once
the cap goes up, and you know, a couple of years, we're
already thought looked a mid non tax person middle exception is already around ten million
dollars. He's making just a few million over that throughout this entire contract.
That's for the team. Again, that seems like it could be great value
if he ends up hitting and it's just like this league average or better better
than average starting center. I think there's still a chance for that this this
dude is twenty two years old. This ends up being huge for the team,
makes it easier flesh out the rest of their roster. They've taken some
gambles. I think even Jonathan Isaac was a gamble. Just now looking at
his health track record, we know the false contract is a little bit of
the gamble and showed a lot in Orlando, but he's also working his way
back from a torn acl like like Isaac and you still your offense is going
to be inherently limited even when he's hitting those mid range jumpers. If he's
going to be your primary guy and now they've jail and sugs in there,
I like the thought process behind this. Again, I am curious to see
what it means from Obamba. I don't think it rules out him coming back.
I doubt you're gonna pay you two bigs that much money. And like,
if Mobama is a good season, could he end up making more than
Modelcarter Junior if a number is like well short of Wendel Carter Junior, where
it's like you are you doing three and twenty four from Obama? It's not
an astronomical price. It's very immovable contract. I do think if he doesn't
sign an extension, I wouldn't call this fad a complete But my guess would
be that he gets traded by the end of the season. That those are
just my thoughts on Wendel Carter Junior, and it echoes a lot of not
speaking on behalf of what Keith said, But we got into that a little
bit with the discussion. I just wanted to make that note since again Wendel
Carter Junior did sign the extension after Keith and I chit chatted. But with
all this out of a white let's get to the actual conversation about the Orlando
Magic. We went in depth, We went kind of long. It was
about an hour. It was fun. It's a great convo. Please stay
tuned to check out depending on when you're listening to this. Because of the
way you know, ad locators work and what I wanted to put this up
on a Saturday. There will be timestamped in the description, or you can
check it out at Hardwood Knox once it's promode there on Twitter, there's going
to be timestamps on it. But let's get to talking a bunch of Orlando
magic with Keith Smith. Keith, thank you so much for coming back to
the Hardwood Knox podcast to school me on some Orlando Magic talk before we dive
right in. First and foremost, how are you doing. I'm good man,
and thanks for having me back. I appreciate it's always a fun to
go deep on the magic. Yeah, they are. You know. I
was doing the outline that I was sending to and they're just a team where
everything feels so decentralized, where I just wanted to ask me about like every
single player individually, because I've almost no idea where they stand long term with
the Magic. I think probably the best place to start is with Marko Folts
and Jonathan Isaac, both of whom are recovering from torn left ac ellendrys.
Do we have any sense of when we can expect even either one of them
to take the court for the squad. We really don't, and that's kind
of unfortunate because they're pretty key guys for this team, and that the hope
was that Isaac would have been ahead of Folts. He got hurt months out
of when Folts did, but when training camp rolled around and media day came
and went, and it was he's still not ready to go and it's going
to be some time. And now there's been snippets and things shared on social
media of the two of them doing encore work and the like, but it
always seems to still be individual work off to the side, nothing in the
team setting and those kind of things, and basically the team has never put
any kind of timeline on it. It's something that Jeff Waldman doesn't really believe
in because he doesn't want guys pushing themselves too hard to meet a timeline.
So he basically his only updates have been both of them are doing well,
they're doing everything that's asked, and we hope to see him on the court.
So which is about his non answer as you can give. And that's
kind of where we're at right now. So we we don't know when we're
gonna see these guys play again, and it's probably gonna be at least a
little while into the season. My my rough guess has been sometime around the
holidays. Yeah, that's like I guess that would be. That's all.
That's roughly twelve months from when both of them tore their their acls. It's
just weird to be, you know, ten months into the process essentially,
and it doesn't feel like there's any concrete updates on on either one of them.
Since the timeline for return on those a CL injuries normally seems to be
like between ten and twelve months or eight and twelve months. I thought there'd
be like just something more leading into you know, when training camps opened.
Yeah, yeah, I'm with you one, Isaac, you know, he
had had the knee injury prior to the bubble and then really kind of blew
out the rest of the knee in the bubble, and that was the the
unfortunate part was he was getting back from that initial injury and now he's back
into a position where it's he's going to work through still whatever was your residual
from that now added this on top, and that's I think why they're being
kind of careful. He's a guy that they did signed long term to an
extension, so they've got him under contractor the twenty four twenty five season,
so I think they're just trying to be very cautious with not getting him back
too early because I think their hope as the magic is, hey, when
we get this guy back, hopefully we can get him back. And that's
it. Now he's back and we're not running into any of this other stuff
because outside of Jalen Sugg. So I know we're probably gonna talk quite a
bit about he's easily the most important player in the franchise. Right now.
Let's talk about Jalen Sugg's number five pick. I think a lot of people
were surprised that he fell to number five. As good as Scotty Barnes has
looked with the Raptors, and you know, I would have taken him at
number four. How much agency over Orlando's offense does he get right away?
And I think it's easy to say a lot, but I'm like, looking
beyond what they might need him to do as a score. Is this someone
who's going to be tasked with just a ton of half court initiation and just
table setting for others right out of the gate? Yeah, like the way
you put that and ask that question of you know, how much is kind
of on him a really kind of captain the offense? Right? Because it's
one thing to throw a young score in there and say, hey, go
do your thing. I think a lot of guys are to some level capable
of that. But when it is really, hey, we're going to run
the offense through you, and we need you to be our half court initiator,
we need you to bring the ball up, all those things, that's
that's when it gets a little harder. Now, I still think the answer
is a lot, as you said, so I promise to not copping out
and taking the easy answer, but I just think it's this team could be
really ugly offensively on some nights because it is they're probably most proven creator off
the dribble at this moment is probably coll Anthony in his second year, and
that's that's probably not a good thing when it's a second year guard as your
your most proven guy off the bounce. But I think what they're gonna do
is, and especially until Folks is back, it's gonna be Anthony and Suggs
and they're gonna say, hey, we're gonna run stuff through you guys.
And then I think the third guy that they'll try to run some stuff through
quite a bit is Wendell Carter Junior. They put in some actions where it's,
hey, we're going to run some of that stuff. That the the
things that if you remember back to when he was drafted, there was a
lot of Al Horford comps with him. You're starting to see those start to
come back out again because they're kind of putting it on him of hey,
we're going to run elbow actions through you, We're going to run high post
stuff through you, that this is where it's going to be Dave. They
even their last preseason game messed around with him, starting with Moo Bamba that
that was something. It definitely was something it was very unexpected. But I
think it's kind of setting the tone for the regular season, which is going
to be We're going to try a whole lot of stuff to see how these
pieces fit and hopefully that I'll guide our decision making as we move forward.
But I think the challenge for this team is going to be that scoring.
In that scoring creation, whether it be create a shot for yourself or create
a shot for others, They're gonna have to scheme for a lot of their
baskets versus you know, running your standard pick and rolls and isolation actions.
And when it goes that way, it's gonna be Suggs who's doing a lot
of it, because I think even as a rookie, he's probably the guy
who has the most promise and most talent right now and he doesn't even have
like the safety net that and I'll put safety net in air quotes. If
this was you know, a video podcast of Jail and Green and Houston,
where there's even Kevin Porter Junior shown flashes a point guard last year. There's
DJ Augustine there. You know, you have Eric Gordon there, there's just
you mentioned Cole Anthony, they've rj Hampton. I guess when Mark l.
Faults is healthy, he sort of helps of the he ate some of that
burden. But is there any you know, it's not even a sense at
this point, but who would you like to see him log a majority of
his minutes next to in the back court? That might just help streamline his
role. Yeah, it really is. There's no clean answer to that.
They did we I asked. I was the one that asked the question of
Jeff Wellman after they drafted Sugs of now you've kind of a lot of guys
who overlap quite a bit with Sugs and Anthony and Fults eventually in Hampton and
even to some extinct, Gary Harris as another guy who's probably best as on
the two line. He's not someone who's gonna move over to the one very
often. And he gave a really good answer of talked a lot about how
more and more teams are playing with dual ball handlers, dual point guards called
whatever you want there, and he said, and we think we might have
guys with size in Suggs and in Hampton, maybe they can play three guys
at once who can do those kind of things And he spoke about out how
so much right now is about finding ways to create offense and make the game
easier for everybody else and in those kind of things. So I think we're
gonna see quite a bit of Suggs Anthony in Hampton together at times. I
want to see Sucks play with all of them, I guess is the easy
answer. I like Gary Harris as a player, I don't really like him
all that much for this Magic team because I just don't see what the future
is there. I think he's probably one of the more likely to be traded
players on this roster, So I don't know that I want to invest a
ton of time with Sugs Harris backcourt. And they also think Harris, just
out of necessity, is going to play a lot out of position as a
three, more so than the two where I think he really fits. But
yeah, it's so give me Sugs and Anthony minutes quite a bit. Give
me some Sugs and Ampthy minutes, Give me some Sugs and Folds minutes when
Folks gets back. Just let's see, because it's that that's kind of where
we're at this year. Yeah, it's funny how Harris and Terrence Ross even
they just you have to consider them threes almost with the way that this roster
is built right now, is there and it doesn't have to be a head
to head thing. But when you look at just because they have so many
guards, who intrigues you more long term for this team. Between RJA Hampton
and Cole Anthony, I'll preface this with we know it both brings. I
find myself just far more intrigued with RJ. Hampton's game. There's like a
suave like smoothness to the way that he plays with them, with some flair,
and I think we saw a lot of that in that preseason game against
the Spurs. But I'm just curious as to where you land between those two.
Yeah, and it's not that Cole Anthony is like this, you know,
wise and old veteran that's so much older than RJ. Hampton, but
he is a year older than Hampton. So I I lean Hampton myself too,
or we've already heard that he's still kind of growing. They think he's
now maybe a legit six four or six five. They think he may still
have another ech in him to grow, which that would be huge for just
his overall versatility of his game. But yeah, I think he's a really
fun guy because I think I have doubts how much effectiveness Cole Anthony will bring
to a team, especially when it's trying to be a good team. As
an off ball player, where I think Hampton can function off ball, I
think just the time he spent in Denver, he learned the the what am
I trying to say, the value of off ball movement. He learned making
cuts at the right time and in the right places, in those kind of
things. The value that has and I think that's shown up a little bit
with Orlando. Last year was kind of messy just because the end of their
season was such a disaster. But this year in the preseason again playing off
Wendell Carter Junior, where they're running some of that action off of him,
you can see Hampton has that probably figured out better than everybody else. And
I think just that ability to play both on and off the ball that really
intrigues me with him. Is So this question is kind of pointless, but
I just find it funny because you look at last year's roster, Will this
year's team have anyone that averages six assists per game? Or who do you
project to even lead this team and assist per game. That's a tough question.
Yeah, probably, I don't know that they'll get to six. I
think Anthony and Sucks both could get there, and so I'll say, yes,
someone will. Who will be, I don't know, but I will.
I do think someone will get there, or they'll have maybe three four
guys in the four to five range per game. And now that maybe where
where kind of comes from, just because I don't know how much it's gonna
be. Here's our one ball handler that that's gonna do most of the initiation,
just because I think that's going to be so split up throughout the year.
They did not have anyone get there last year. But I think when
you you know, you had like four Ya, Vouch and Gordon there for
part of the season, they combined for like twelve assists per game between them
without having them, I'm with you. I think someone gets to six this
year. Not really an important question, but just sort of speaks to the
odd baldness of this proser looking at the long view, and let's say he's
able to stay healthy. Is Chumokeki the third most important player on this team?
And what should be some realistic expectations for him heading into this year.
Yeah, that's a really fun question. I'm gonna say, No, I
think it's I think it's Sugs, Dan Isaac, then probably Hampton, and
then maybe Chumokeiki. I think they're still trying to figure out what they have
in him. He had kind of an interesting year last year. There was
a thought of when he came into the league, you know, hey,
this guy may be able to play some two, and then I think as
he rehabbed through injury and just as the league just continues to downsize, there's
more of a thought of, hey, maybe he could play some four now,
and in his real position is probably really the three. But I think
he showed some off the dribble shooting ability that we didn't necessarily expect him to
have. He really competes defensively. I'm not going to say he's a good
defender yet, but he's he gets aft thirt he can hold his own against
most perimeter guys, and then he does okay against the bigs who are aren't
just going to back him down and put him in the goal. He does
okay there. So I think he's right there with Hampton, behind Isaac and
Suggs is somebody to They're really looking to see the challenges. He's hurt right
now, and this is even this early in the year, this preseason time,
this is a development time he's missing, and that's that's kind of rough
because you want to have him out there, especially while Isaac isn't out there.
That was an opportunity for him to play twenty five thirty minutes a night,
and then when Isaac comes back, we'll see it gets a little harder
to make sure he gets that may turn into fifteen to twenty minutes a night,
And for this team, it's all about development, So you really want
to make sure he's out there getting all he can, and he's just you
know, continuing to work through some injuries right now. Yeah, it's it
always seems like he's I guess probably because he missed his rookie season. Technically,
it always feels like he's working through something. But I am with you,
he had I did not know that he had any semblance of an author
dribble jumper to his game. He was also just a little bit better moving
without the ball than I expect him to be, and so I remain intrigued
with what he's going to be long term. What specifically you already mentioned Wendell
Carter Junior. What specifically do you think he needs to show to the Magic
this year too for them to view him as part of their their long term
core. He's almost like, you know, maybe they can play Bomba and
Wendell Carter Junior together a ton, but it almost feels like it's going to
be an either or situation and you have both who are extension eligible right now,
and I'm just I'm very insured to see you know, you mentioned some
of the actualization of the Wendell Carter Junior to Al Horford comparisons and how this
team is going to run some of its offense through him. You think that
they already view him as maybe part of that core piece. And is there
any specific part of his game again that you're looking to see whether it improves
or is at least augmented this year. Yeah, I think they view him
as potentially part of that. I don't I don't think they're locked in and
I don't think they're locked in on Mobamba either. Now Bamba that has a
little bit more organizational equity just because they drafted him. They really talked him
up when they drafted him, and then his first couple of years in the
league he's shown basically nothing. He just hasn't been very good, and the
team has almost always been better without him on the floor than they have been
any of the minutes he played. And he was kind of force fed minutes
early on Steve Clifford. You could tell that was one of those where he
didn't really want to play Mobamba as much as he kind of had to early,
and it was he would much have rather have played ken Birch than Mobamba.
And then I think even last year after the the Vouchevitch trade, I
think it was all right, hey, we did this trade with the idea
mug gets minutes, and then I think that might have factored into the ken
Birch buy out, a little bit of they we're going to take that take
that tool off your tool belt there, and you're not allowed to use it
anymore. So off he goes kind of the old moneyball approach of you can't
start paying you tonight because I traded him. I think that was a little
bit of the thought process there was we're going to force this, and I
think the idea with this preseason all the way into the regular season is going
to be if either one of them wants to accept an extremely team friendly extension.
You know, we're talking something that's in the eight nine million range,
which I don't think either guy would ever do to start off with. Then
we're gonna let this play out all year. We'll have restricted rights, and
we'll figure it out. And I think part of to answer the Wendell Carter
part of it needs to be one of the two you needs to shoot it
well from outside if we're gonna try this playing you together stuff. If not,
then then it's really becomes an open competition between the two of you.
But I do know they like Robin Lopez. They want to get him in
the mix too. I know we'll talk about him a little bit more later,
but I think with Wendel Carter, the idea for him is they show
we can run some stuff through you offensively, because we know we can't do
that with Bamba. But then you really have to show you can anchor the
back line of the defense and hold your own in there and be a plus
rebounder and in all those things that we need out of a big because he's
never going to be that great of a shooter and passer on the offensive end
to offset if he can't defend. So that's gonna be something he's gonna have
to really show to make sure he sticks with this team beyond this year.
I've been impressed by a lot of what I've seen from Wendell Carter Junior in
preseason. I like this, and maybe it's a it's a role thing and
expectations thing in Orlando, but he just seems to be playing a lot freer.
I'd probably still like him to look at the basket more when he's catching
it on the perimeter, but he does seem to be acting more decisively.
I think he hit a trailer three in transition against the Pelicans. I'm a
lot not that I was ever necessarily out on him, but like I'm more
bought into him where it's almost it feels like he was drafted again, where
I don't know if he's gonna be part of the Magic long term, but
I'm interested to see what we get of a full season of Wendell Carter Junior
unleashed. Yeah, I'm with you. He also had a really nice play
in the game against Spurs where he drove a close out the defender, in
my opinion, closed a little too hard considering it's Wendell Carter junior, but
he kind of gave him a little show and go, put it on the
deck for a couple dribbles, and then dimed up Obama right under the hoop.
Obamba finished Bambadas. He's prone to doue turned the finish into a little
bit more of an adventure than it probably needed to be. But it was
a nice read and pass by Carter on the move. And though those are
the things that are encouraging, and then, like half of this roster or
more, he has to stay healthy too. He's a guy who's continually had
these, you know, kind of nagging injuries that have kept him off the
floor. And I think Orlando would love it if they could get seventy to
seventy five games out of Bamba and Carter together to really wage that head to
head to figure out, all right, what is it we have here?
Because you've got to kind of decide are we committing to one of these guys?
Committing to both of them probably is a little bit of an overkill.
N Let's say, you know, kind of say, Dared, we're just
going to split the difference and we'll both take you know, nine million a
year, and there it is. There's our forty eight minutes of center play
for the next three years or so. But or is the answer, which
it's looked like for most of the first few years of their career, it's
neither one of these guys. So they're really hoping one of the two will
step forward. This question will probably just resolve itself because of the two primary
players we're talking about in Wendell Carter Junior and Obamba. You figure, I
think at this point, yes, you want them to play in seventy plus
games, but you probably expect them to miss a fair amount. But what
how does the center rotation get juggled with those two and Robin Lopez who would
you guess as the player? And I feel like it's a matter between Robin
Lopez and Mobamba that would get squeezed if all three of them are healthy.
Or is that sort of the point behind playing Windell Carter Junior Mobamba together,
is that then you ensure that you get ample minutes for all three of these
guys. Yeah, So that's where it gets really kind of interesting because they
do, like Franz Wagner playing some at the four, and then Moe Wagner,
his brother. They also like what he brought, and he probably played
the best basketball of his career with Orlando at the end of last season.
Now you can look at that and say, well, yeah, pointless stats
at the end of a junk season, but he still played well. And
without Isaac, who is probably the best four, well not probably, he
is the best four on this roster. If they have some real issues,
I think, yeah, exactly, yeah, then we're really in trouble.
But I think that's where you start to look at and say, all right,
how do we manufacture the four minutes? And then we know we're covered
at the five because at the five, between Bomba, Carter, and Lopez,
you've got forty eight minutes of what they feel should be quality center play.
It really, to me, how that shakes out depends on or can
we get away with Carter at the four for fifteen minutes a night, Then
then it's either of the Wagner's in there, and that's kind of how that
goes until Isaac is back, and if we can what does that look like.
I think the idea for Robin Lopez is it's probably ten to fifteen minutes
a night is his maximum that you're going to see him play, and that
may even be nights where it's, you know, Bomba starts, Carter comes
off the bench, or vice versa. I think it probably would be Carter
starts, Bomba comes off the bench. But Bomba's starting to show some stuff
this preseason. But I think that's more the idea there is, all right,
well, then what we'll do is those two guys will play probably twenty
four twenty minutes each. Call it there, and then maybe Carter gets a
few more because he slides over and plays a little bit, a little bit
at the four, and that's how you Getpez up to ten to fifteen minutes.
But the idea behind Robin Lopez signing here was it was it was kind
of interesting. The thought was, Hey, bring him in and he's going
to beat the crap out of those two in practice every single day and they're
gonna be better players because of it. The whole hope was Robin Lopez can
do that, and then if some team wants center help and wants to trade
a second round pick at the trade deadline because they need a big Robin Lopez
at five million is a very easily movable trade. Then from Lopez's side,
it was all right, you know, am I gonna go somewhere else and
be a third big and do all this stuff? And he likes that idea
of I can be that veteran guy and then people joke about and laugh about
it. But this dude loves Disney. So for his ability, his opportunity
to live here and be that close, I mean he tweets just about every
off day that the team has. Then he's at one of the Disney parks
or the Universal Parks and all that stuff. By all it o, he's
living in his brother's house, which is actually all Walt Disney World property,
so that's also kind of crazy. So yeah, so for him, he's
kind of getting the chance to him in a place where I'm really gonna be
happy and I'll make the best of it while I'm here, and I'm gonna
help these young guys get better. And I don't think he's the kind of
guy who's gonna reason. He kind of think if he maybe goes a week
without playing meaningful minutes, because I think he just knows where he's at at
this point in his career. Yeah, for sure, and I think it
juggling him is probably a lot easier while Jonathan Isaac is out and you don't
have to worry about, you know, those twenty five, let's say to
thirty minutes per game wherever he winds up playing. When he comes back at
the four, just gone, like, there's just more minutes there to experiment
if you really wanted to. Where does Franz Wagner fit into all this this
season? Though? Do you? I guess the first question is do you
expect him to get real minutes with this team this year? And do you
have early impressions of what he can do really well at the NBA level.
Yeah. It's kind of funny, Dan, as you start to build out
this rotation, you start running out of minutes really quickly because it's like Eric,
well, not everybody can play, you know, every single night,
and I think they do. It sounds weird because they're obviously a very bad
team, but there are a lot of guys who need to play and you
want to see play, and Franz Wagner's right in that mix. And I
think the challenge with him is it's finding out what is he is? He
a three four is he a four? Is he a more of just a
three? And that's going to be what I think early on again, while
Isaac is out, and especially if Okiki's out, he's going to have his
opportunities to play and play quite a bit because they don't have anybody else who
is really a three four on this roster. He's the only thing that even
resembles that right now. So I think you're going to see him get a
ton of minutes early on, and we'll start to get a real sense of
or what is this guy and what can he do? And I think that's
actually a good thing because then by the time Isaac is back o'keki's back,
then it's all right, this is where he's going to slot in and go.
And I think what you're kind of hoping for if you're the magic is
your three four rotation gets taken care of between Isaac, o'keke and Franz Wagner
with a few leftover minutes at the four baby, and then a handful of
leftover minutes at the three when you go small with guys like Harris Hampton a
Ross sliding up to that spot. I did, and this is the only
team that I've actually asked this question for in the outline because they're so confusing.
I asked you for what you might think would be there. And they
don't have to be beholden to ten guys when they're fully healthy. Yeah,
and I don't think that they will be. But what do you expect?
You know, Mark el Falls and Jonathan Isaac are healthy, healthy, how
how do you think they're like? Top ten in minutes played winds up looking
yet no one can see me, but I'm doing the shrugging man emoji,
you know the internet, because who knows? All right? I think I
think the blessing and the curse for Jamal Mosley is there is no pressure on
him to do anything. But let's see steady development of these young players.
So I think if he even went into a night where it was all right,
hey, it's now, we're into February, let's say we're not exactly
pushing overly hard. I'm not going to play Terrence Ross tonight. There's just
no reason too. He's not going to play that freeze up minutes for everybody
else and we go. Or if it's Carter and Bomba both are doing their
thing, Lopez doesn't play tonight, Fine, no problem. I think those
guys at this point in their career they kind of understand where that is at.
I think they'll eventually you in transition to that with Gary Harris as well,
where we'll be, all right, kay, where we've got other younger
players who are here long term we're going to look at. So here's what
I'll say is so, assuming when Folts and Isaac are healthy, I'll say
it's the starting group. Most nights will probably look something like Folts, Sugs,
Isaac. I think those three are almost guaranteed. One of the two
bigs Carter Obamba and then O'kekei or Gary Harris, depending on where they're at
in that point of the season, that guy probably plays the three, and
then maybe Franz Wagner if he really shows out and shows he's worth it.
Then off the bench you're gonna get Anthony and Hampton are both definitely gonna play
major minutes every night. Ross will play his twenty four minutes or so a
night as an offensive guy. Whatever big doesn't start out Obamba and Carter,
and then that last spot probably ideally would go to Franz Wagner if he's not
starting or maybe it's it's o'kekei kind of in that last spot. And then
that leaves guys like Michael Carter Williams, who's heard he's probably not gonna play
very much this year. And then that's where Robin Lopez clearly at that point
to the third big each One Moore is just kind of there as a veteran
bench guy. Mol Wagner is at the end of the bench, and those
guys probably won't play very much. So I think that's gonna be where it's
apt. But I think how they get a lot if you look at it,
if you pulled up their basketball reference sheet at the end of the year,
I think you're gonna see a whole ton of guys in the fifteen to
thirty minute per night range. But you're gonna have to really look at the
games played because they think there's gonna be a lot of guys who live on
this team, maybe play sixty games just because I don't think they're gonna push
highs like overly hard or folds when they get back. And then I think
some of the veteran guys, there's just gonna be nights where it's you know
what, we're not playing you tonight because we just don't need to. Well,
you know, let's really call this season what it is. It's about
development more than winning. Yeah, just this roster in Oklahoma cities, like
the hierarchy just does not exist. Yeah, it's kind of anarchy. I
meant to ask you this, do you think, friends Wagner can actually log
a good amount of minutes at the three at the NBA level. I'm not
offensively, I think it'll be fine. I'm just very curious as to whether
he can hang there defensively. Yeah, I think he might struggle a little
bit defensively. I got really nervous in Summer League when he was guarding Jonathan
comingo one on one and Commiga took him right off the dribble, right to
the rim and put his shoulder into him, send him about a row deep
under the basket and just dunked it with complete and it was like he wasn't
even there. It was. It was that that play more than any others.
That go, boy, that's not good against a fellow rookie and a
kid coming out of the gili Ignite. Now on the flip side, you
can say, ah, well Kamiga had that experience of playing against pros and
he is a little bit stronger probably than the average rookie coming in and those
kind of things. So, but you asked the right question, is Kiddy
hang defensively? Because if he can, then sure he'll play a ton at
the three, because that's really the number one thing this team is lacking is
a true three players. So hey, if he can, great. If
he can't do to hang there defensively, then you probably have to use them
more at the four, and that starts to become a little bit more messy
offensively. Most people are going to focus on he needs to make shots that'll
come with time. I'm not worried about that part of it. If he's
going to be a wing, he has to be able to do something off
the dribble. At least it needs to be a catch, attack and close
out, make two dribbles, make a pass, catch the ball on a
swing, move it to the right place. Those kind of things that you
rely on for your perimeter wing players versus kind of being the last add of
catch and then shoot. He needs to be somebody who can be involved in
keeping the ball moving. That's what I'm looking for from him on offense more
than I'm worried about him doing much as a as a shooter, because I
do think that will eventually come and not be an issue. Yeah, Summer
League, he was certainly an issue that was that was a rough go for
him in Summer League. But do you have any clues or insight into what
we can expect the team's identity to be under Jamal Mosley. Yeah, They're
gonna play really, really hard, and I think I do think they're going
to actually defend. Okay, they'll have some of the missteps and there'll be
some breakdowns just because they're so young and I haven't been together at all,
so that'll happen. But I think, especially when Isaac is back, they
can put a pretty good defensive group on the floor that I think can give
even some of the better teams problems because assuming Isaac is back to what he
was, that's a guy who could win Defensive Player of the Year. He's
that good defensively. Gary Harris is a tough, rugged defender. I think
SUGS is probably going to be a little bit ahead defensively versus his offense.
To start, his timing as a shop blocker for a guard is unreal.
I think he could average a block per game. He's just got that good
athleticism, sense of timing and all that. You can bomba can still do
some stuff as a shop blocker, rim protector. We know Robin Lopez is
still a pretty solid defender. Foltz has been a pretty good defender throughout the
part of his career. Cole Anthony, he gets a little crazy sometimes defensive.
Everybody does get after it. So I think that's going to be their
idea any more than anything is. I think there's gonna be a night where
if you look at the standings as a really good team and you're like,
all right, we're going to Orlando. That's a win on a random Tuesday
in January, and you show up and just assume you're going to roll the
ball out and win. They might surprise a team or two just by playing
with greater effort level. Then I think teams are used to seeing in the
regular season, and I think because they're so young, they'll be able to
bring that night night in, night out. And that's now. Should that
get everybody's super excited. That's tough because you're saying your team plays really hard,
but playing hard is a skill. It is an attribute that not everybody
shows. So I do think that they will have that and they will get
after it. We've I think there's probably one of two answers here. We
talked about both of them. But whether it's a specific position or skill set,
what is this team's biggest weakness right now? The offensive end of the
floor, I mean all of it. Who's going to make shots for them?
How are they going to create shots? It's just it is it's just
a mass. I mean we talked about it off the jump. It's it's
Anthony and Suggs are the only guys who can really, uh, you know,
consistently create offense until Folts is back, and then Foltz has even been
somewhat limited because teams been until he shows he's gonna knock down jumpers, we'll
play him to do that they really need, especially early on. I think
what we're going to see is a guy like Terrence Ross is gonna play considerable
minutes early on just because he's such a good shooter, and they're gonna need
that out there. And I think what you want to do is you don't
want to right off the jump, you know, lose your first you know,
ten out of your first twelve games and the season's over before we even
get to Christmas. You want to have these guys at least have some hope
and feel at least somewhat good about where things are going as far as on
the court goes. So I think you're gonna see Ross and Lopez and Harris
and those guys play a good amount of at the beginning, and then they'll
eventually phase those guys out. But offensively, it's got the potential to be
a mess. I think if you like the nineteen nineties, you know,
ninety five ninety games, that this version of the magic maybe for you,
because I do think they can hang in there defensively most nights, but creating
offense on a regular basis, it's gonna be tough unless they can really do
it by getting out and running and getting stuff in transition. I'm almost wondering,
too, if Faults can even measurably improve their shock creation when he's healthy.
Just I'm not sure that they have the spacing around him to capitalize on
what you know, he's going to do best when he wants to, you
know, the cadence of his game when he gets inside the arm. They
just they need a good amount of shooters around him, and I'm not sure
that they have those right now. Yeah, it's very different than when he
was there prior and you had Nick Vukovitch who had become a very good shooting
big and forty was pretty good shooter. Gordon would come and go as a
shooter, but they always had more than enough floor balance with him, and
now that that's going to be a little bit of the challenge is Yeah,
his best attribute offense is breaking down a defense, getting into the paint,
making plays where that's driving kick to the perimeter or finding the bigs and those
things, and if everything's collapsed around him, it is going to be tough
for him to find that room to operate. There are probably many answers to
this question, and it can change as the season progresses and we have more
information, But as of right now, who would you bill as the player
most likely to get traded from this team before the deadline? I think it's
the most likely to get traded. It's probably Terrence Ross. He's got a
pretty easily movable contract to twelve point five million every single year. At the
trade deadline, someone is looking for perimeter shooting and bench help, and there's
not a lot of guys that do that much better than Terrence Rostas. Yes,
he's very streaky, but he's got a pretty good track record of bringing
that, and I think that's got him in a position where he's probably gonna
be moved. He's got a second year left on his deal at eleven point
five million, that's still I think you're perfectly fine to pay that if you're
any other team in the league. He should deliver at least that kind of
value as a high leverage bench player. So I think he's probably number one,
And then I would say Robin Lopez right behind him, just because I
think I don't necessarily think Lopez will get traded, but I think there's a
chance, just because at five million, again, teams seem to regularly be
looking for a big you know, going into the playoffs to firm up their
rotation, and have five million, any team in the league can acquire him
very easily via trade. So I think it's Ross and then probably Lopez right
behind him. Is there a chance that this team I termed it in the
outline turns into a mega seller at the deadline, by which I mean just
that they're looking at moving players you necessarily wouldn't have on that list right away
because they don't. I think Sugs and Jonathan Isaac and I guess because he
was just drafted. You could say friends Vadener like those are maybe the untouchables
or like your core, but like, I'm also just looking at this roster,
and like, if I'm Orlando, the only person I the view is
untouchable because you're not you know, you're not buying when you're in their position.
I only look at Sugs as untouchable. And I'm just wondering if they
start to render maybe verdicts on guys earlier than we expected to, where or
do they move even one of Wendell Carter Junior or Mobamba rather than seeing what
happens in restricted free agency? Do they look at what if faults Is comes
back by Christmas plays really good basketball for a month, is healthy just before
the trade deadline? Is he's someone that they could look at rerouting it if
there's a market. Just scenarios along those lines. Yeah, I mean something
has to give on the guard line because with Anthony Sugs, Faults, Hampton
Harris, that's just too many guys. They it's questionable that they can play
three of them together on any sort of regular basis. So something needs to
give there. So I think we could see that become a thing where it
becomes they were in a position where all right, yeah, you know,
we're gonna move on from uh, you know, Folds because there's an offer
out there and a team really likes him. Or do you look at and
say, all right, well, you know the value is not there for
Faults, but somebody really likes School Anthony and that's just eating up minutes and
we'd rather give to Sugs and Faults. I think something could give there.
And then I think that when you mentioned first the two centers, assuming neither
of them signs an extension, you could very easily go into this year with
all right, hey, we're just going to remove the whole restrictive free agency
problem question from the mix, and we'll move on from one of the two
of them. But the rest of the guys, I mean, yeah,
Suggs isn't going anywhere. I don't think Franz Wagner's going anywhere. I don't
think Isaac's going anywhere. I think o'kiki's here to stay. I think Hampton
is pretty close to I didn't want to say he's untouchable because clearly he's not
that, but I think, you know, they're just it's gonna be hard
to see a deal that makes sense to move him in, but yeah,
it's gonna be a lot of it. So much with this team depends on
what do Folks and Isaac look like when they get back, and then how
does that trickle down to the remaining guys on the roster, because then that
will help help guide decisions for what do we need to do right now and
in the future. This question is to some extent matchup dependent, and I
would argue especially with this team, and it also operates under the assumption that
they'll be trying to win. What is their ideal crunch time lineup or most
effective crunch time line up? To you, yeah, I think so.
Let's say, my snarky answer wants to be whatever delivers at one point loss,
so then you know, hey, we were in it, but you
know the loss isn't the worst thing in the world. But no, I
think sugs because you want him out there getting those reps. Cool. Anthony
Acchu is pretty good of the clutch last year, he actually made a couple
of game winners and he made some plays, so I think there's there's a
chance he's out there. Folts is so hard to play at the end of
games just because he won't shoot. There was times when, even when he
was healthy and this team was a playoff team, that he wasn't always on
the floor at the end of game. So I'll say, whatever one of
the bigs played the best that night, out of Carter Bomba, maybe even
Robin Lopez if you're really going for it. Terrence Ross tends to just find
his way on the floor. So there's two guys, and then I'll say
Sugs and Anthony and then Isaac when he's healthy, just because because he should
be out there. So that's probably where where they go, just at least
initially. But it wouldn't be a surprise at all if it was one of
those where, hey, we're actually in a close game. We want to
see what it looks like with Franz Wagner on the floor, So we're gonna
have him out there instead of Terrence Ross, and he's gonna run the same
actions Ross runs, but we're gonna run him for Franz and just go that
way. They wouldn't shock me at off that's something that they tried. My
god, this team's lineup date is going to be all over the place this
season. Here for it. Yeah, is there? Look, I think
looking at this roster they probably could get weird in some instance, is if
they want to. Is there sort of that out of left field, unconventionable
lineup you're hoping that Jamal Moseley will try at some point this season? Yeah,
I want to see them play. I mean, so this is a
broken record with Jonathan Isaac, but I want to see him at the five
at some point. So I'd like to see Isaac at the five, Wagner
at the Franz Wagner at the four. And then let's plays let's get crazy.
Let's play three of the guards together. Let's play Sugs, Anthony and
Foltz together. Let's play the saugs Anthony and Hampton together. Let's go let's
go really crazy, because I think that's just something I want to see.
That's gonna probably be a post trade deadline kind of thing. When it's like
all right, we're we're we've raised the white flag. It's time to fully
lean into some weird stuff here with this group. But I do think there's
a chance we get some stuff like that, don't The part I'm least hopeful
of is the Isaac at the five because they just they won't. They haven't
done it yet, they don't seem that interest in doing it. I don't
know that he necessarily wants to do it all that much. So you're probably
more gonna get Carterbamba at the five and then that'll squeeze Wagner off the floor.
But if they can, yeah, let's let's let's get crazy and play
all the kind of key guys together and just see, hey, is there
something we can make fit out of this grouping and stumble into it. I'm
going to one up your insanity with my pick and say I want I want
four guards plus Wendel Carter Junior or if Jonathan Isaac was going to take threes,
I would love to see him there too, But give me faults Anthony
Suggs Hampton plus Mindel Carter Junior the floor. Look, let's just see what
happens at this point. What do you have to lose? And gave nothing
to lose except the game, which is not a bad thing because that's one
more pin punk boss, So let's go. I'm with it, And look,
there's a chance that that you didn't ends up being like pretty good offensively
because you do have like those are probably some of your best those are most
of your best offensive players on the court at once. Yeah, I agree.
I think the challenges new coaches almost always tend to go towards what's not
going to make us look like a complete train wreck on the defensive end.
That seems to be the history with them. But the cool thing with Jamal
Mosley is they have clearly leaned into there are no expectations of let's try to
be good and be a surprise. You always hear those things a lot of
times with teams of like, hey we're gonna shock people, we're gonna be
better than people think, and we're really trying to make the playoffs. None
of that are coming out and saying, yeah, we stink and we're gonna
be terrible. But they have talked over and over and over again. Ni
Moseley himself has talked it's about development, it's about figuring out what these guys
can do, who fits together. And his only thing that he's consistently stressed
is if you want to play, you need to play hard, and you
need to play as a good teammate and all those things. They did something
that's kind of fun. They hung this big, giant blue bell in their
practice facility and when they make what they call like a magic play, they
go and ring the bell. And that's diving on the floor for loose ball,
or you know, getting a rebound over the top of somebody, sending
a really solid screen to free somebody up. It's all these little things that
you know, you're not gonna there's no stats were necessarily or there's not gonna
show up, you know, in the box score, and unless you're watching,
you you're not going to know what knew what happened. But that's what
they're trying to build is play, play really hard, play for each other,
and get after it that way. And I think that is numb the
right mindset for this team to have at least this year, probably realistically into
next year as well. That's what's exciting about this team where even you know,
you don't have Isaac or folks on the floor right now, you do
the subs, which is a job. But I would argue, if nothing
else, their guard rotation is just super interesting. There's just a lot of
intriguing younger guys there. But it's also finally and I think whether you're a
fan of the Magic or just the lead at large, you have to appreciate
that they're no longer trying to tread water in that like six to ten spot.
They're finally aiming for for something bigger. And I think that's what makes
this season even more exciting than that fire sale that they held at the trade
deadline last year. Yeah, and so it's very interesting to hear you say
that, because there's the challenge here what the Magic is. They need to
be interesting one way or the other. It needs to be all right,
they're they're a good team and they're pushing for the playoffs or they are really
terrible, but at least they're fun and young. And I'm watching and I'm
rooting for one point losses because what happens here in Central Florida is it's college
football all the way until we get to the Hall and then no one really
cares about the Magic all that much. So, I mean, they'll sell
out their games and they'll have fans there and stuff, but it's not they're
you know, even though they're the only professional Big four sports team in the
in the city, they'll be fifth on the you know sports radio lineup because
it's they're going to talk you know, four college football teams in the box
maybe and then then you know, we'll see then if they're not good.
By the time the springtime around, Orlando City soccer has kind of captured the
city quite a bit, and people love them because no one came here with
their own soccer team. So Orlando is a city where no one's from here.
Everybody kind of moves to Orlando, so people came in with their own
NBA team, So it's it's very hard to get them to give them up
to root for the magic, So they have to be interesting one way or
another. And leaning into this rebuild is huge because now everybody can look at
and say, now there's a clear direction, I can kind of get behind
us. Now. Making the playoffs a couple of years ago, the bubble
season just so weird, right because they didn't even get any of the benefit
of playing home playoff games in that sense. But a couple of years ago
making the playoffs that was big because people were really kind of out on this
team. Because it was all right, they're they're never really terrible, so
there's not any hope of getting Zion or a guy like that. But they're
not even a playoff team, so making the playoffs was huge. And then
you know, them taking that first game excuse me, off that Raptors team
and coming back for Game three in Orlando. It was loud in that building
and people were fired up and excited, and then all those things and they
lost. But I think if you could get Jeff Weldman and John Hammon,
the president the basketball operations of the GM, respectively, to take truth serum
and admit, you know, hey, this is what we were trying to
do, they would say we wanted to trade Voots, we wanted to trade
Fournier, We probably wanted to trade Aaron Gordon. We wanted to move on
from all those guys and really build the team we wanted to build. And
then they made the playoffs, and I was like, crap, we can't
turn right around and sell off every guy after just making the playoffs. Fortunately,
they locked in a bunch of pretty good contracts are all fairly easily movable,
and that's why all those guys did get moved. But I think now
they're relishing the opportunity to kind to really build this thing the way they think
it should be built. And I think that's got people here looking at and
saying, all right, I can get on board with this. I'm excited
to see where this goes. As we record this. Their win total over
under a set at twenty two point five. Are you taking the over the
under on that? Yeah. The guys who set these lines are really really
good because it's kind of where where I am is. You know, it's
it's always hard to pick a team to lose sixty games, even though every
year somebody, you know, I want one or two or three people do.
I will say I'm gonna, I'm gonna take over, But it's only
because the number of twenty three wins has stuck in my head for a while
now with this team. So I've got them at at twenty three and fifty
nine, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna take over. But that's the only
reason why I don't know that I feel good about them having the opportunity to,
you know, scratch thirty wins and never mind any higher than that.
Its just then, not this year, not with the offensive issues they're gonna
have. And I know the Eastern Conference is like the middle of it is
deeper and more competitive, but like the worst team the East was still at
the twenty three win pace last year in Detroit, And so that's why I'm
tended to get it feels like Orlando would really have to lean into the skid
in the middle of the season for them to not hit twenty three. But
but maybe I'm wrong, But I've been pretty generous with with my overs as
we've gone through these, But twenty two point five is just so damn low.
Yeah, that's the thing. It's I mean, you start to really
look at that is a number where if you're not pricing in a major injury,
you're a major injury away from being a twelve or thirteen win team at
that point. Now, did you could question, well, what would a
major injury even be for Orlando because they're just not going to be very good.
But yeah, I think I think when you factor in there could be
some trades. They remove some of the guys who help winning win games,
and that they're very young, they're not going to push foltson Isaac overly hard
this year. And then I think by the end of the year or whatever
veterans are on the team, might as well start a vacation early, because
I don't think they're gonna see the floor all that often. I think,
I think this is a team that will start stacking losses real quick at the
end. So yeah, it's like it's in twenty three I feel pretty good
about. But yeah, this was a twenty four or twenty five win over
under. I'd probably picked the under just because it's it's that tight of a
window. Yeah, it's just tough. I don't they may be the worst
team in the East. We'll see compared to the Pistons, and then the
poor Calves, who are they're they're trying to get out of it, and
you know, and then we'll see what happens with Oklahoma City and Houston.
Right well, we'll see, you know, where did they go against those
guys. So yeah, it's it's I It would not chalk me at all
if the Magic went into the lottery with the most ping pong balls, just
because I think as you look at it, like, yeah, that could
be the way it all falls apart and goes for them. Yeah. I
don't look at a team and say, in the league at all. I
mean, forget about where they stand in the East. I think the worst
record will be between Orlando and Detroit, just because every other team is trying.
Even if Cleveland's try is sort of like right at a boy, it's
not gonna last that long. But there you go. Oklahoma City and Houston
are probably like those are Those are clearly the four worst teams in the NBA.
To me, I don't know. Oklahoma City is the team that I
want to say is definitely gonna be worst, because I don't think Sam Presti's
gonna let them be better. But Jake Gilt's Alexander is really freaking good and
lou Dort's good. That also might just be it when you're looking at like
above average players in the roster this season. So I'm gonna say the magic
here's my bold prediction. Orlando will not have the worst record in the NBA
this year. I think you're right on that, because I just I don't
think they're gonna be naturally that bad. I think I just think they've got
a bunch of guys who are gonna play really hard, and they think they're
veteran guys. Are guys who are looking to prove something, and folks and
Isaac that are, hey, we're healthy, we're here, We're actually able
to go and be pretty good. And I think that's kind of maybe the
difference between a couple of these other teams and I don't see them Oklahoma City.
I mean, it up pretty blatant last year when it was like see
you later, Al Horford, all right, Jake, you know, enjoy
you know kN kun or whatever it is or probably not right because of COVID,
but it was probably just hey, Enjoyce sitting on the couch. It
was a lot of you know stuff there, and I don't know that Orlando
will ever blatantly lean into that. I also, they don't have any veterans
who are quite that level of good that I think are They're they're gonna be
like, man, if we play Mark el Folds to night, we might
actually win this game. I don't think they're overly worried about that. And
I think the Pistons they've got enough good veterans that they could probably be better.
But they even pretty actively started wrestling Jeremy Grant guys like that. So
I think that, more than anything, is going to be what keeps Orlando,
maybe ahead of a couple of teams in the standings. Yeah, Detroit
was top ten in crunch time, and it's played leading into the All Star
break. They weren't winning those games, but the front office how to be
looking at that like all right, like we really need to make sure this
doesn't keep happening in case we start accidentally winning some of those games. Yeah.
As someone who covers the Boston Celtics, I am well aware of what
the Pistons were playing like early in the year because they get Boston everything that
they could handle them more, including beating them at least once, if not
twice. Is there anyone on this team or anything about this team I did
not ask you that you think needs to be discussed. No, I don't
think so. I think I mean we kind of hitting on all of it.
It's this team I feel. I think you hit the nail on the
head with Locahoma City, where it's you can look at it and it's you
can almost imagine any number of lineup combinations and opening groups and closing groups and
everything else, and it really is it. It's a team that as you
kind of run through it, it's a lot of it doesn't make a whole
lot of sense right now. And I think that's the challenge Jamal Mosley has,
because yeah, it's great to have these guys play hard, but we
also got to see, all right, how do they fit together, how
we're making this work? And there's there's some guys here have to show some
stuff that hasn't been there. And then you run the risk of a guy
like Gary Harris. And I'm not going to accuse him of this because he's
never been this kind of player, but he's on an expiring contract. He's
the one guy with the big, big money deal. Does he look at
him be like, I gotta put up numbers. I gotta look kind of
good here, because if not, you know, does it do I end
up going the way of like an Auto Porter junior where my next deal is
a minimum deal Because I didn't look very good on a bad team. You
know what happens there, and that's something that Mosley is just gonna have to
manage through and figure out. But yeah, it's the good news is they
are infinitely more interesting than the group of the last two seasons, where it
felt like, all right, we kind of know what what they are and
I do think last year's team, had they stayed healthy, probably still would
have been in the mix to be in the play in And then I think
once they had they once they passed the point and overturn with injuries, Jeff
Welman said, forget this, let's tear it all the way down. And
I give h Alex Martins, who really kind of runs the team on behalf
of the ownership group, gave him a lot of credit for saying, yep,
do it, you know, take it all the way down. I
mean they we always say, you know, get rid of everybody. They
did about as close as you can do to that. I mean I tweeted
a few times to the idea of Terrence Rossby and the Will Smith gift where
he's standing there looking around at the room, because it really was it was
like Terrence ross was the only guy left because Isaac and voltsworn even there because
they were both hurt. So it was really like t ross just kind of
staring around at all. Right, Well, I guess this is what it
is now. And to be quite frankly frank about it, I'm shocked he's
still on this team. I if you had given me the number one player
that would have got traded in the off season and got moved my mud had
taken Terence Ross. But but here it is, and I've been I mean,
I still don't believe he's gonna last the whole season with the Magic,
but yeah I do. I hope people aren't completely out on this team because
I think you'll have more fun watching these guys as a casual viewer the NBA
if you're kind of flipping around on League Pass. Plus they play their home
starts are always in that seven o'clock window where there's only Larry from games,
you know, So yeah, so pop in there for that first half hour
ago, and I think they think you'll have some fun watching this young group
get up and down the floor. My top three reasons to watch the Magic
for our listeners this season, jeal and Zugs, the RJ. Hampton breakout
is coming, I'm calling it, And the prospect, however far fetched,
of that four guard lineup that we just outlined before. Yeah, I hope
something ever comes out. Keith, this was great as always. Are you
able to tell our listeners where they can find you and all the work that
you do. Yeah, you can find my league wide coverage a lot of
salary and roster stuff at spot Track. That's probably what I'm known for there.
Then if you're looking for I know we just did the Magic Pod,
but if you're looking for Boston Celtics coverage, I'm part of the team over
at Celtics Blog, and then i cover the Magic a lot just because I'm
here in Orlando somewhere around the team quite a bit. When I go to
a game, that generally tends to be where where I'm at. And then
if you're interested in roster stuff and the league as a whole, my co
host Trevor Lane and I we host a YouTube show on podcast called NBA Front
Office Show, and we have a lot of fun. We break down all
the latest news and notes, and then once the season starts, we'll be
doing a near daily show where we break down kind of what happened the night
before in the NBA and a lot of focus on It's not gonna be a
lot of Lebron James was really good. It's probably gonna be more, Hey,
surprise, this guy towards the end of the Magic bench stepped up and
had a nice game. We're gonna try to bring you things that maybe didn't
notice as you were maybe more focused on your team, so check that out
as well. Yeah, or if you were just distracted by all the Ben
Simmons drama that's going on. We do a thing on the Front Office show
whenever there's Simmons news, we sound the Simmons siren and pose it just going
off seven right now? Yeah, kind of, Yeah, we kind of
said a rule that there was. It was one of those days where there
was our fifteen of those non update updates. Really, we're not doing it,
Dad, Mike. We're not going to sound the Simon siren for that.
But yeah, but there's been been a lot of the sounding of the
Simon siren for sure. Yeah. Recycling is good. We don't need to
recycle news breaks though that's not breaking. I'll be sure to follow Keith on
Twitter as well. Fantastic follow at Keith Smith NBA spelled exactly as it sounds.
Just want to giterate Keith. This was fantastic. Thank you so much
for giving me so much of your time, and you can rest assured that
I'll be pestering you again in the future. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me