Off Season Interviews: Orlando Magic
Jul 15, 2022 1:10:18 GMT -5
Golden State Warriors (Caleb), Indiana Pacers (Jon), and 2 more like this
Post by The Athletic on Jul 15, 2022 1:10:18 GMT -5
--Orlando, FL--. Fresh off an 18-11 campaign Sarge leads his Magic back into battle with a very similar squad. Tatum, Siakam, Butler, and KPJ are going to give this team a shot almost every week, but does it have enough fire power to hang with the big dogs? Let's find out what Sarge thinks.
Alright bro. Year one down and a fuck ton of joys later and a lot of shit has gone down. What is your grade for how you feel your first year went and your general thoughts on the season?
Honestly, I think the first year went just as most people thought it would for me. Won a playoff series and thats it. I dealt with Jimmy injuries during key points in the season and didn’t have the regular season I wanted but I wasn’t beating Bucks anyways. I would give myself a C+/B- for my first year. I acquired Pascal Siakam as well for a player that I am low on long term compared to the consensus. I made some clearly bad trades with Hayward for bob Williams and a one. Also KPJ for Derozan and 2 1’s was an overpay in my position but I really didn’t have a great understanding for the league when I was wheeling and dealing when I first joined. You live and you learn.
We’ve clearly seen a sit tight strategy coming into the off-season… But I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a clear answer as to why. Is everyone you talk trade with just trying to bend? Are you content with your roster? Why the lack of trade activity?
I mean I think the biggest issue is I have 4 guys I value highly and then a lot of money tied up in pretty meh players so trading is hard for me. I came close to LBJ but thats about it. I also only have one valuable pick in my 2025 first and I am very hesitant to move it unless I get a good haul. I truly believe Jacob’s team is too good to beat and throwing away future firsts for maybe having a 3% chance isn’t worth it for me. I have thought about getting younger but hauls for jimmy just aren’t enough. People value him as a 40 year old injury prone dude even though he’s still relatively young in a league that dudes can thrive into their late 30’s. Im content with my roster currently and I think I have a bit more sneaky depth then people give me credit for.
Let’s talk some KPJ. It’s been noted how much you love the kid.. What is your honest assessment on how this past season went for him? What are your expectations for the boy moving forward?
Outside of you, people really don’t understand how high I was on him out of USC. I truly thought he was the James Harden lite and if he wasn’t in trouble all the time he would have been a lottery pick without question. The skill set he possesses is so perfect for the modern day NBA and this fantasy leagues scoring for a guard. He gets a lot of shit cuz I own him, gave up a haul for him, and his meltdown in CLE but this is a kid that just turned 22 and averaged almost 27 a game in here as a guard. People have offered me some absolute hauls for him behind the scenes but I’m the highest on him in the league (obviously). If he cleans up some of the playmaking and turnover issues and can figure out a way to be a decent defender I think his future is bright. I see him around 28-29fp next year and really think he could peak at 36 if he explodes into his full potential in a couple years.
Jayson Tatum has to be a top 5 guy brought up in chat. Off the back of a crazy year he was still in lowkey a decent amount of talks. Is Jayson Tatum the face of your franchise or is he somewhat avaibs?
As you know, I’m not the biggest Tatum guy in the world. I think he struggles to find it in big games, can be wildly inefficient/inconsistent, and takes selfish shots at times. Nevertheless he’s one of the brightest young talents in the league and his future is now and for another 10 years. He is most definitely available for a massive haul just cuz I’m not that big of a fan of him irl. He’s the face of my franchise no fucking doubt and I really don’t think he moves anytime soon because I get garbage offers like FVV+Jval all day long.
Okay so it’s always tough because i’m pre asking these questions but if you haven’t answered already… What are your expectations for this season?
I think its more of a chill and vibe year for me. Maybe I’ll make a push for the Ship at the end of the year if something crazy happens but like I said earlier, Jacob is a behemoth and I can’t see how anyone in the east takes him down in the playoffs. I would be surprised if I made more than a couple minor moves this season. I have a massive itch to rebuild but I continue to hold back…
If you could eliminate one other franchise in the playoffs this year, who would it be and why?
I mean I would say Pickasso is an easy number 1 but he isn’t in the East. Tyler would probably be number 2 but he is also not in the East. I would love a matchup with Chuck for shit talking reasons but he’s not gonna make the playoffs. That leaves me with Toast probably. Knocked him out with ease in the first round last year, would love to fly him away again. My main rivals are in the west.
Alright bro. Year one down and a fuck ton of joys later and a lot of shit has gone down. What is your grade for how you feel your first year went and your general thoughts on the season?
Honestly, I think the first year went just as most people thought it would for me. Won a playoff series and thats it. I dealt with Jimmy injuries during key points in the season and didn’t have the regular season I wanted but I wasn’t beating Bucks anyways. I would give myself a C+/B- for my first year. I acquired Pascal Siakam as well for a player that I am low on long term compared to the consensus. I made some clearly bad trades with Hayward for bob Williams and a one. Also KPJ for Derozan and 2 1’s was an overpay in my position but I really didn’t have a great understanding for the league when I was wheeling and dealing when I first joined. You live and you learn.
We’ve clearly seen a sit tight strategy coming into the off-season… But I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a clear answer as to why. Is everyone you talk trade with just trying to bend? Are you content with your roster? Why the lack of trade activity?
I mean I think the biggest issue is I have 4 guys I value highly and then a lot of money tied up in pretty meh players so trading is hard for me. I came close to LBJ but thats about it. I also only have one valuable pick in my 2025 first and I am very hesitant to move it unless I get a good haul. I truly believe Jacob’s team is too good to beat and throwing away future firsts for maybe having a 3% chance isn’t worth it for me. I have thought about getting younger but hauls for jimmy just aren’t enough. People value him as a 40 year old injury prone dude even though he’s still relatively young in a league that dudes can thrive into their late 30’s. Im content with my roster currently and I think I have a bit more sneaky depth then people give me credit for.
Let’s talk some KPJ. It’s been noted how much you love the kid.. What is your honest assessment on how this past season went for him? What are your expectations for the boy moving forward?
Outside of you, people really don’t understand how high I was on him out of USC. I truly thought he was the James Harden lite and if he wasn’t in trouble all the time he would have been a lottery pick without question. The skill set he possesses is so perfect for the modern day NBA and this fantasy leagues scoring for a guard. He gets a lot of shit cuz I own him, gave up a haul for him, and his meltdown in CLE but this is a kid that just turned 22 and averaged almost 27 a game in here as a guard. People have offered me some absolute hauls for him behind the scenes but I’m the highest on him in the league (obviously). If he cleans up some of the playmaking and turnover issues and can figure out a way to be a decent defender I think his future is bright. I see him around 28-29fp next year and really think he could peak at 36 if he explodes into his full potential in a couple years.
Jayson Tatum has to be a top 5 guy brought up in chat. Off the back of a crazy year he was still in lowkey a decent amount of talks. Is Jayson Tatum the face of your franchise or is he somewhat avaibs?
As you know, I’m not the biggest Tatum guy in the world. I think he struggles to find it in big games, can be wildly inefficient/inconsistent, and takes selfish shots at times. Nevertheless he’s one of the brightest young talents in the league and his future is now and for another 10 years. He is most definitely available for a massive haul just cuz I’m not that big of a fan of him irl. He’s the face of my franchise no fucking doubt and I really don’t think he moves anytime soon because I get garbage offers like FVV+Jval all day long.
Okay so it’s always tough because i’m pre asking these questions but if you haven’t answered already… What are your expectations for this season?
I think its more of a chill and vibe year for me. Maybe I’ll make a push for the Ship at the end of the year if something crazy happens but like I said earlier, Jacob is a behemoth and I can’t see how anyone in the east takes him down in the playoffs. I would be surprised if I made more than a couple minor moves this season. I have a massive itch to rebuild but I continue to hold back…
If you could eliminate one other franchise in the playoffs this year, who would it be and why?
I mean I would say Pickasso is an easy number 1 but he isn’t in the East. Tyler would probably be number 2 but he is also not in the East. I would love a matchup with Chuck for shit talking reasons but he’s not gonna make the playoffs. That leaves me with Toast probably. Knocked him out with ease in the first round last year, would love to fly him away again. My main rivals are in the west.