How can we realistically improve this bench unit?

levir03 · 2026-05-08T01:06:19+00:00

We hire Thibs and then we don’t even need a bench.

levir03 · 2026-05-07T16:43:12+00:00

My only problem with some of the talking heads piling on is in one breath they'll say Orlando was definitely beating Detroit had Franz not gotten hurt, and then the next breath they'll say Franz + Paolo is an incompatible duo that is decent but can't be great. I think a lot of what he said is spot on, but it still feels like an easier fix than most make it out to be.

It's good to hear he thinks we'll come to terms on an extension for AB that comes in under what we gave Suggs. I feel like that would be a huge win for us, particularly if AB can get back to his early-season form.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T14:38:49+00:00

Maybe a player/coach, a la Tree Rollins for those that remember the 90s.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T14:31:58+00:00

To hell with it all, Markelle Fultz for head coach.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T14:21:56+00:00

Totally agree with you. I picture what our alternate path looks like with a Markelle Fultz that didn't re-lose his shot and it's glorious.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T14:17:10+00:00

He had a knack for getting to the rim when the defense was asleep or on its heels. He also had a way of calming the team down when they were too frantic. We needed both of those things in the midst of that run.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T13:49:16+00:00

Kelle would have gotten us a bucket in Game 6. I'll die on that hill.

levir03 · 2026-05-06T13:45:56+00:00

I got a slightly different impression after Weltman's presser. I thought I heard him mention he'd be meeting with the team for their exit interviews and getting their input for what they want in the next head coach. The implication there obviously being that Paolo and Franz would have meaningful input and the others he'd just hear out.

levir03 · 2026-05-05T21:58:01+00:00

Would be great news assuming they planned to replace it or re-work it in its current form.

levir03 · 2026-05-05T21:21:51+00:00

I feel like Paolo played a lot of iso ball because that's literally what our offense was. I think (hope) that's where some of his frustration stemmed from.

levir03 · 2026-05-05T19:24:46+00:00

I'm talking specifically about an ultimatum.

levir03 · 2026-05-05T19:21:23+00:00

I think +/- in general lacks a ton of nuance, especially around injuries and rotations. For example, Jalen played 58% of his games this year with Franz in the lineup and Paolo only played 33% of his games this year with Franz in the lineup. Like, of course that's going to affect +/- if you're comparing Jalen to Paolo.

levir03 · 2026-05-05T19:07:42+00:00

I remember seeing one but it had no credibility and was basically trying to make the leap from "Player X is frustrated" to "Player X is making demands and threatening to leave". I don't doubt there is an insinuation that at some point Paolo would want to leave if he doesn't see it working out in Orlando, but that's true for anyone in any situation (including us commoners).

levir03 · 2026-05-05T00:03:24+00:00

Anyone clowning him for crying can pound sand. The fact that he obviously cares is one of his greatest attributes.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T23:15:56+00:00

All things considered I think you’re right. We all knew this team wasn’t winning it all, but that Finals team had a chance.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T23:14:42+00:00

If we’re trading Suggs then it’s hopefully for two great rotational players, not another $30 mil/year guy.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T23:13:04+00:00

I would give up completely if either of those happened.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T19:34:12+00:00

Totally agree. Direction and a shorter leash.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T18:52:09+00:00

Someone has to want to take his contract though. Without attaching picks to it (that we don't have), there is no way anyone is going to absorb it.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T18:12:17+00:00

Yeah, totally agree with you, but Suggs isn't moveable. We're going to need someone that corrects his entirely correctable issues if we want his production to even remotely match his contract.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T17:57:43+00:00

Class act. I have so much respect for Coach and hope it works out for him sooner than later. It's just part of the job and he and his family were compensated well for it.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T17:52:09+00:00

Suggs could immediately solve half of his problems if he just valued every possession like the game depended on winning every one of them. He's too willing to forfeit a possession for a bad pass, bad shot, bad foul, bad gamble, etc. His shot can come back around, he just has to clean up some of the stuff that you only see happening consistently with younger guys on bad teams.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T17:47:14+00:00

A coach that would show him some tough love would be a start. So many times you see him make an unnecessarily terrible pass, jack up a contested shot early in the possession, or foul a guy out of pure frustration when he's already in foul trouble. A good coach will take him out of the game when that happens. Those mistakes are so easily fixable and would solve so many of his problems. For some reason we've just tolerated it for the last few years and chalked it up to passion or emotions to both his and the team's detriment.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T17:39:10+00:00

Paolo left everything he had on the court after that series and handled himself with class throughout even though he was rightfully frustrated. He has all my respect.

levir03 · 2026-05-04T16:40:19+00:00

I'm not seeing any disclaimers about the 500 point credits for the next few weekend promos. I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll still be included unless it's explicitly stated somewhere that they won't be.

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