- 17,325
- 3,612
If Yi can become a machine, NJ will have a good looking young core.
NBA Off-Season News Thread: Roy extends 80/5, AI to Grizz, Chandler/Okafor swap, Marquis to C's.
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by japanair21,
- Start date
- 7,268
- 470
I guess that is why they felt he could develop.
It is the first step of being good but lets see him vs NBA talent besides Andrew Bogut and a bunch of Aussies.
Maybe though he really did need to be the focal point of the offense.
Before he broke his finger, he was scoring over 15 a game and 8 rebounds for three games straight being the guy the offense went through.
Maybe he can finally be that guy he was made out to be.
I will still be a critic of him until i am forced to put my foot in my mouth.
He starting off though at doing this.
It is the first step of being good but lets see him vs NBA talent besides Andrew Bogut and a bunch of Aussies.
Maybe though he really did need to be the focal point of the offense.
Before he broke his finger, he was scoring over 15 a game and 8 rebounds for three games straight being the guy the offense went through.
Maybe he can finally be that guy he was made out to be.
I will still be a critic of him until i am forced to put my foot in my mouth.
He starting off though at doing this.
- 3,081
- 10
DAMN, Yi is YOKED.
let's hope he can develop into the Chinese Dirk Nowitzki
let's hope he can develop into the Chinese Dirk Nowitzki
- 2,817
- 13
magic fans do u agree with this blog/article:
One thing's for sure: the Magic have endless possibilities
07/27/09 | by Zach McCann [mail] | Categories: Analysis
There's a common theme in the Orlando Magic's acquisitions this offseason: versatility. Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes can each play several positions,and when you add them to ultra-flexible guys such as Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus, you've got a team that can pinpoint and exploit virtually anyweakness an opposing team may have. Stan Van Gundy can throw out a formidable lineup ranging from super-small to super-tall, and we'll surely see plenty ofdifferent looks once they start playing games again.
With most of the moves complete - outside of a third point guard and a couple deep reserves - let's take a look at the potential lineups the Magic can puttogether. It's worth mentioning that Ben Q. Rock went through this routine a couple of weeks ago after the Magic brought in Bass. With Barnes now inOrlando, the Magic's rotation is pretty much complete - although, as you know, we don't know what that rotation will look like in a couple months.Here's a peek into what we might see.
#
Conventional
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Rashard Lewis
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Dwight Howard
I've been on the start-Rashard-at-the-4 bandwagon for quite some time, but I'm starting to lean toward a more conventional everyday lineup. I have astrong feeling this is the starting 5 we'll see on opening night, and plenty of people around the team seem to agree. This group of five has no $%#*! inthe armor - up and down the lineup, there is no weakness. Kelly Dwyer sums it up best: "You want Lewis to draw attention at power forward against the Cavsnext May? Run him at power forward against the Cavs next May. Until then, toss out the best, most orthodox, lineup and watch as the wins pile up." Ofcourse, just because Lewis starts at small forward doesn't mean he'll stay there throughout the game. Let's move on.
#
Second-unit
PG: Anthony Johnson
SG: Mickael Pietrus
SF: Matt Barnes
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Marcin Gortat
Remember 2003-04, when the Magic won a league-worst 21 games? This second-unit might be better than that team's first unit. That 03-04 team started BrittonJohnsen, Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Drew Gooden and T-Mac; yeah, I'm going with the 2009 reserves. These five particular players probably won't playtogether besides in mop-up duty, as Van Gundy generally uses an eight- or nine-man rotation in important games. But this lineup has a couple guys capable ofcreating their own shot, a highly competent big man and four guys who can hit an outside shot. Basically, each player can play a similar style to the man infront of him without dropping off in talent too much - that's all you can ask out of a second unit.
#
Run and gun
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Mickael Pietrus
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Dwight Howard
A very fun lineup, these five guys combine to make an offensively stalwart bunch that will also form a very potent defensive lineup. This is the most similarunit to last year's team - with Carter replacing Hedo Turkoglu, of course - and it's certainly a lineup the magic will throw out at the end of games.This group can score in the half court, thanks to penetrators Nelson and Carter and inside presence Howard, but their most damage will be done in thetransition game. Coming off stops and quick outlet passes, the combination of slashers and shooters (which are the same players, by the way) make these guysnearly unstoppable on the break. If this is the starting five, I won't be super-surprised or super-upset.
More looks after the jump
Follow up:
#
Twin towers
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Rashard Lewis
PF: Marcin Gortat
C: Dwight Howard
It's what everyone loves to talk about (including the infamous Jimbo on 580 WDBO) - Marcin and Dwight playing together. In theory it's a great idea;two powerful bruisers controlling the paint and the boards. We saw it in short stretches last season to mixed results. It was effective in defense andrebounding, as the team saw a bump in rebounding percentage and defensive rating with these two on the floor. But the offense was slightly less efficient, andI think the reasoning is obvious - Dwight and Marcin play too similarly, both doing their work within ten feet of the basket and in the paint. The inside getsclogged when they're both on the floor.
That said, Gortat feels he can hit the mid-range jumper consistently. Said Gortat a couple weeks ago: "I believe my offensive game is on a good levelright now. I just didn't get a chance to show people in the league." If he's right, maybe there is hope for this lineup yet.
#
Defense
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Mickael Pietrus
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Dwight Howard
Bass and Howard are two of the highest-rated defensive big men in the league, and Nelson, Carter and Pietrus are not liabilities (especially in an SVG system).If the team is protecting a small lead at the end of the game, and the game is in a whistle-happy stage, these five could see the floor to put the clamps onthe opposing team. I chose to put Pietrus at the 3 instead of Lewis because Pietrus is a bit more agile and able to defend the perimeter. Pietrus at the 2 andRashard at the 3 is also something we could see.
#
3-point marksmen
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: JJ Redick
SF: Vince Carter
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Ryan Anderson
If the Magic ever want to break their own record of 3-pointers in a game, this might be the starting five to go with. Forget the obvious rebounding problemsand lack of interior strength this lineup would create and look at the bright side: the Magic will be scoring three at a time. Even if the opposing team shoots50 percent, the bombs will keep the Magic in it.
One thing's for sure: the Magic have endless possibilities
07/27/09 | by Zach McCann [mail] | Categories: Analysis
There's a common theme in the Orlando Magic's acquisitions this offseason: versatility. Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes can each play several positions,and when you add them to ultra-flexible guys such as Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus, you've got a team that can pinpoint and exploit virtually anyweakness an opposing team may have. Stan Van Gundy can throw out a formidable lineup ranging from super-small to super-tall, and we'll surely see plenty ofdifferent looks once they start playing games again.
With most of the moves complete - outside of a third point guard and a couple deep reserves - let's take a look at the potential lineups the Magic can puttogether. It's worth mentioning that Ben Q. Rock went through this routine a couple of weeks ago after the Magic brought in Bass. With Barnes now inOrlando, the Magic's rotation is pretty much complete - although, as you know, we don't know what that rotation will look like in a couple months.Here's a peek into what we might see.
#
Conventional
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Rashard Lewis
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Dwight Howard
I've been on the start-Rashard-at-the-4 bandwagon for quite some time, but I'm starting to lean toward a more conventional everyday lineup. I have astrong feeling this is the starting 5 we'll see on opening night, and plenty of people around the team seem to agree. This group of five has no $%#*! inthe armor - up and down the lineup, there is no weakness. Kelly Dwyer sums it up best: "You want Lewis to draw attention at power forward against the Cavsnext May? Run him at power forward against the Cavs next May. Until then, toss out the best, most orthodox, lineup and watch as the wins pile up." Ofcourse, just because Lewis starts at small forward doesn't mean he'll stay there throughout the game. Let's move on.
#
Second-unit
PG: Anthony Johnson
SG: Mickael Pietrus
SF: Matt Barnes
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Marcin Gortat
Remember 2003-04, when the Magic won a league-worst 21 games? This second-unit might be better than that team's first unit. That 03-04 team started BrittonJohnsen, Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Drew Gooden and T-Mac; yeah, I'm going with the 2009 reserves. These five particular players probably won't playtogether besides in mop-up duty, as Van Gundy generally uses an eight- or nine-man rotation in important games. But this lineup has a couple guys capable ofcreating their own shot, a highly competent big man and four guys who can hit an outside shot. Basically, each player can play a similar style to the man infront of him without dropping off in talent too much - that's all you can ask out of a second unit.
#
Run and gun
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Mickael Pietrus
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Dwight Howard
A very fun lineup, these five guys combine to make an offensively stalwart bunch that will also form a very potent defensive lineup. This is the most similarunit to last year's team - with Carter replacing Hedo Turkoglu, of course - and it's certainly a lineup the magic will throw out at the end of games.This group can score in the half court, thanks to penetrators Nelson and Carter and inside presence Howard, but their most damage will be done in thetransition game. Coming off stops and quick outlet passes, the combination of slashers and shooters (which are the same players, by the way) make these guysnearly unstoppable on the break. If this is the starting five, I won't be super-surprised or super-upset.
More looks after the jump
Follow up:
#
Twin towers
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Rashard Lewis
PF: Marcin Gortat
C: Dwight Howard
It's what everyone loves to talk about (including the infamous Jimbo on 580 WDBO) - Marcin and Dwight playing together. In theory it's a great idea;two powerful bruisers controlling the paint and the boards. We saw it in short stretches last season to mixed results. It was effective in defense andrebounding, as the team saw a bump in rebounding percentage and defensive rating with these two on the floor. But the offense was slightly less efficient, andI think the reasoning is obvious - Dwight and Marcin play too similarly, both doing their work within ten feet of the basket and in the paint. The inside getsclogged when they're both on the floor.
That said, Gortat feels he can hit the mid-range jumper consistently. Said Gortat a couple weeks ago: "I believe my offensive game is on a good levelright now. I just didn't get a chance to show people in the league." If he's right, maybe there is hope for this lineup yet.
#
Defense
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Vince Carter
SF: Mickael Pietrus
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Dwight Howard
Bass and Howard are two of the highest-rated defensive big men in the league, and Nelson, Carter and Pietrus are not liabilities (especially in an SVG system).If the team is protecting a small lead at the end of the game, and the game is in a whistle-happy stage, these five could see the floor to put the clamps onthe opposing team. I chose to put Pietrus at the 3 instead of Lewis because Pietrus is a bit more agile and able to defend the perimeter. Pietrus at the 2 andRashard at the 3 is also something we could see.
#
3-point marksmen
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: JJ Redick
SF: Vince Carter
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Ryan Anderson
If the Magic ever want to break their own record of 3-pointers in a game, this might be the starting five to go with. Forget the obvious rebounding problemsand lack of interior strength this lineup would create and look at the bright side: the Magic will be scoring three at a time. Even if the opposing team shoots50 percent, the bombs will keep the Magic in it.
mjshoefanatic
Banned
- 9,355
- 361
Yi will end up being Blake's posterchild this season.
- 8,956
- 39
Get Yi Danny
- 24,717
- 436
Basketball
Season
Has
Been
Gone
For
Too
Long
BSHBGFTL.
Season
Has
Been
Gone
For
Too
Long
BSHBGFTL.
im not you
Banned
- 7,863
- 11
This dude looks like a god damn Series 800 Terminator Model
- 2,503
- 12
The odds of Marcin Gortat wearing Reebok shoes next year have seriously decreased. That's because Reebok won't be providing the Orlando Magic backupcenter with free shoes anymore. During the NBA Finals, Gortat disclosed that executives with the adidas-owned Reebok brand asked that Gortat cover up the AirJordan tattoo on his calf since that brand is owned by competitor Nike. Gortat refused, saying that Reebok wasn't paying him enough. The truth of thematter is they weren't paying him anything. While Reebok did provide free gear to Gortat, "at no time did Reebok have a contract" with him, saidTom Shine, Reebok's senior vice president of sports and entertainment marketing. CNBC.com
- 4,258
- 13
Reebok doing him a favor
- 2,503
- 12
Where does Moon fit in the depth chart?
big j 33
Supporter
- 36,024
- 16,767
Absolutely.
The biggest issue facing the Magic won't be the talent. It's going to be Stan's rotation and decision making on his lineups late in the game.
If he can plan and utilize his players to create the most mismatches in his favor, then book the Magic for a return trip to the Finals. Seems like obviouslogic but with the new players brought in and the loss of two starters, it may take some adjustment at first. Stan's got a lot of options for lineups,biggest issue will be the late minutes of the game and the players he trusts to close out his wins. Magic had a bad habit of letting teams back into games andmaking their life a lot harder than it needed to be.
- 9,981
- 28
Originally Posted by chr1scross
Where does Moon fit in the depth chart?
I can easily see him sitting BEHIND the bench
im not you
Banned
- 7,863
- 11
Given their lack of a long athletic wing last season to compliment Lebron...I'd say he was firmly in the rotation somewhere.
- 37,287
- 19,666
- 3,238
- 10
Originally Posted by chr1scross
Where does Moon fit in the depth chart?
It just hit me that moon's gone
- 12,426
- 2,239
why do i always feel like the Cavs always hold press confrences at local middle schools?
- 3,238
- 10
[h2]Sources: Hornets, Diogu close to deal[/h2]
Comment Email Print Share
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
The New Orleans Hornets, after swapping Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor, are poised to add further to their frontcourt by signing free-agent forward Ike Diogu.
[h4]NBA Rumor Central[/h4]
ESPN Insider has the updated buzz from the National Basketball Association rumor mill.
Story
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that the Hornets and Diogu are close to finalizing a deal, with a formal announcement expected later Wednesday or Thursday.
Terms of the contract were not immediately available, but Diogu is regarded as a low-cost option who has yet to reach his full potential after playing sparingly in the past two seasons.
Diogu, 25, appeared in only 29 games last season for the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings but did enjoy a few productive spells with the Kings are arriving in February via trade, averaging 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in just 14.2 minutes in 10 games.
Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.
- 3,238
- 10
[h2]TinsleyWilling To Give New York Hometown Discount[/h2]
Jul 29, 2009 11:20 AM EST
A source close to Jamaal Tinsley said that he will commit to the Knicks, even it means accepting less money than other teams may offer, becausehe wants to be reunited with Donnie Walsh and play in New York.
It is not yet certain that the Knicks will deliver an offer to the former Pacers point guard.
Mike D'Antoni, according to sources, would prefer to make a run at Milwaukee free agent point guard Ramon Sessions.
Via New York Daily News
[h2]Sources: Bucks Interested InWarrick[/h2]
Jul 29, 2009 9:00 AM EST
The Bucks are interested in free-agent forward Hakim Warrick, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.
Last week, the Grizzlies rescinded their qualifying offer to the forward in order to improve their cap position.
"Sources tell me Hakim Warrick could wind up in Milwaukee," Mannix wrote on his Twitter page Tuesday night.
Via Chris Mannix/SI.com
Jul 29, 2009 11:20 AM EST
It is not yet certain that the Knicks will deliver an offer to the former Pacers point guard.
Mike D'Antoni, according to sources, would prefer to make a run at Milwaukee free agent point guard Ramon Sessions.
Via New York Daily News
[h2]Sources: Bucks Interested InWarrick[/h2]
Jul 29, 2009 9:00 AM EST
Last week, the Grizzlies rescinded their qualifying offer to the forward in order to improve their cap position.
"Sources tell me Hakim Warrick could wind up in Milwaukee," Mannix wrote on his Twitter page Tuesday night.
Via Chris Mannix/SI.com
- 9,086
- 11
If Skiles had a hard time dealing with Villanueva, I don't know what he's going to do with Hak lol.
- 16,335
- 13
Another move I like? This can't be life.
- 10,363
- 33
The Knicks and the Bucks don't know what they wanna do.
- 88,746
- 47,956
i always liked diogu. wish he came back to the warriors...
