Oh man he’s like pump faking slightly
Yeah the hitch looks horrible I dk what is happening there. They need to spend so much $$ on his shot.
Franz 6/8 from 2, 1/6 from 3
Houstan made a three
Magic up 1 at the half
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A final wrap-up here for the regular season:
Jett Howard played about 9% of his season’s minutes in the final two games of consequence-free ball. In 62 total minutes, he scored 33 points, doing 4/14 from 3 (he did make 10/11 from 2). He ends the season with nearly 700 minutes across 60 games (about 11.5 minutes per game), and found himself bouncing in and out of the rotation based on injury and the Magic’s utter depseration to find anyone who could make a shot. He ended up scoring 4.5 ppg, making 29.6% of his threes, 56% of his twos (his final two games raised his season % here by 10 points), and a shade under 70% of his FT’s, with little else to go along with it. I think the fact that a team so desperate for offense (27th, the next lowest playoff team is the heat, who’s ORTG is 8% better), and especially shooting (dead last in 3 pt%, 28th in eFG%) has a lottery pick whose sell is his ablity to shoot and score and still couldn’t find a way to consistently play him is, to this point in his career, a bad sign. The Magic need to pick up his 4th year option this year (they already picked up his third) - I’ll honestly be interested to see if they do. These things used to be automatic, but are increasingly less so. The Magic ended up settling elsewhere for these needs, in the form of…
Caleb Houstan. Houstan ended the season with very similar numbers to the year prior, but, this time, ends the season actually in the playoff rotation (at least he was in game 1, even before silly-time). Houstan really only does one thing - 160 of his 190 shots were from three, and his stat page is remarkably vacant other than this. However - he does succeed at that thing - making 40% of his threes on the year, after making 38% last year. His career to date equals something like 1 season of starter minutes aross 68 games, a sort of normal year. In that sample, he’d average about 10 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 3 made threes on 7 attempts per game, to speak to how specialized his game is. Advanced metrics indicate the Magic play ok defense with him on the floor (but obviously they’re a defense-first team) - I think there is a possibility here that he can hang as a bench shooter, holding a similar gig to what he has. That said, with the complete lack of upside to be seen here (it’s hard to see him suddenly becoming a play-maker, an impact defender, or shooting even better), I think a Steve Novak-ian career is likely the goal here. He has a club option this year for $2.1 million - while that kind of decision isn’t really at the top of Jeff Weltman’s to-do pile, I’d probably lean on it getting picked up. At that point, he’s extendable at $3.5 million or so, which seems feasible?
There isn’t much to say about Kobe Bufkin - he’s played 320 minutes in his career, none particularly well, but on such a small sample it’s hard to say much. He’s lost the time due to finger and then shoulder injuries, and as a result one has to assume he’s facing some of the contractual deadlines I discussed with Jett. He’ll hopefully have a opportunity next year to show he can play and is worth hanging on to. More lost time to injury, and it’s not hard to envision the Hawks just moving on.
About 1250 of Moussa Diabate’s 1500 career minutes came this season (17.5 per game), as he moved in and out of the starting lineup based on injuries to Nick Richards and Mark Williams (and Mark Williams’ Schrodiger’s Cat-like presence on the roster) for a terrible Hornets team. Along the way, he established he’s deserving of an NBA role. He has a signature skill upon which to hang his hat - over 36 minutes, he’d average just shy of SIX offensive rebounds per game. Among qualifiers for the league leader board, Walker Kessler had the best OREB% in the league at about 16%. Diabate, shy of qualification, clocked in at TWENTY-TWO PERCENT. Add to that an admirable ability to make some defensive plays (about three “stocks” per 36 minutes), there’s a role here. He’s not the best rim defender (he’s actually more a cut above getting steals), and has essentially no offensive game outside of putbacks, but he has value in a league where offensive rebounding is back en vogue. Diabate is slated to make about $5 million total over the next two years on his deal, but…it’s not guaranteed (the Hornets have until opening night to guarantee it). Either way - I think we’ll see him on a roster next year.
For the best Wolverine in the NBA, let’s start with Franz Wagner’s big numbers: 33.7 mpg (career high), 24.2 ppg (career high), 5.7 rebounds (career high), 4.7 assists (career high), 1.3 steals (career high). His rebounding, assist, and steal rates were all career highs, and turnover rate a career low - so this isn’t just minutes adding counting stats. This year was a major step forward for Franz in most ways - his usage also jumped 5.6%, with only a slight drop in TS% (a slightly above average 57.8% to a slightly below averages 55.3%). This was also the first season that the team played better with him defensively. He even shot an uncannly 73% at the rim (though he got there less than in years past). We’re at the point where the thing, really the main thing, keeping him from the ASG and also keeping the Magic from being a top 4 seed, is the inability to make threes, and the lack of a primary playmaker on the roster (Franz’s season, both positively and negatively, is sort of a result of this lack). On a functional offense, Franz probably isn’t a 32% usage player, but this isn’t a functional offense, and the need for him to carry it is obviously a large part of why the whole endeavor fails. That’s obviously not really on him! But clearly he’s in need of a shot-doctor, his shot is not only not falling, but looks really messed up to the naked eye. At this point, he’s under 30% over his last 700+ attempts. A change there would go a looooong way. Franz was extended at a large sum last off-season. Barring a re-formulation in what the Magic want to do he’s there for awhile.
Jordan Poole had a comeback season - 20 points a game in 29 minutes, tied his career mark in assists (4.5) and set a career high in 3-point accuracy (37.8%). He also was at career highs in assist rate, free throw rate, and 3-point rate. He has two years left on his deal totalling $65 million…he’s still probably not worth that sum, but obviously took some pretty major steps towards attaining that and even if he’s not…he’s not THAT far off at this stage. I can’t think paying him that sum is in the Wizards’ long term plans, and he does have a skill-set, I think, that can help a good team (he has in the past). The contract is a bit of an obstacle, but I sort of think a trade is in the offing here.
Moritz Wagner was well on his way to replicating his extremely high level of offensive play before getting derailed with a knee injury - 13 points and 5 boards in 19 mpg at hyper-efficiency (65% true shooting). I hesitate to claim that a guy getting 20 mpg was keep the Magic’s per-game offense afloat, but the whole endeavor took a turn from “mediocre” to “horrendous” the moment he got hurt and never really recovered. The club holds an $11 million option on him for next year, and I assume barring some really gnarly update on his recovery, they’d pick that up.
Caris Levert had a strong year, and to his general standar. He scored about 13 ppg in 25 minutesy, handed out about 3.5 assists, contributed overall strong defense on relevant teams, and made about 38% of this threes - above his career norm (this year did see a sharp drop in his two point volume, while efficiency improved) - at the end of the day, this was by far his most efficient season, at 58.2% true shooting it’s the first time he’s been above average, and that clip was consistent with both the Cavs and Hawks. It’s sort of a bummer that he got dealt off a really good team with a chance at a title despite being a valuable contributor, but such are the breaks. At least part of the trade is contractual - Levert is a free agent as of now, DeAndre Hunter is younger, and signed for two years at a level comparable to what Levert would probably cost to retain. As a UFA, I doubt he returns to Atlanta, but I have to think there will be a market, hopefully among good teams, for a quality 3rd/combo guard type that can play anywhere from 1-3 and deliver credible two way play.
While Tim Hardaway Jr.'s contribution to the Pistons’ resurrection cannot be diminished (mostly - he wasn’t Killian Hayes-level and delivered cromulence) you can tell the bloom is coming off the rose a bit. His rate stats, shooting accuracy, etc all pretty much held to roughly career norms, and he continued to be a shooter teams needed to respect, but his generaly involvement dropped significantly - from 22% usage pretty constantly in Dallas to 15% this year, his shot attempts falling by roughly a third - and showed no improved accuracy with that reduction. He is a UFA after this season, and he’s not without value, even to the Pistons. That said, giving someone with higher upside (Thompson, Holland) or just better (a vet free agent) seems like a rather simple/easy upgrade here. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s back, given they have his bird rights, but I think the role will change if he is, and the salary absolutely will.
Duncan Robinson essentially repeated last year’s comeback season from a shooting standpoint (near identical accuracy on near identical volume) and also continued the playmaking “breakout” - still getting some on-ball reps and boasting an assist rate more than double anything he produced 2+ season ago along with more scoring inside the arc and at the rim. Despite playing basically only 6 season, Robinson is now 30 - it’s hard to see much progression here but what he is, even despite the defensive limitations, has some value. His $19 million salary this year has a player option, which he will absoutely exercise, but this will be the final year on his deal. As such, he’s absolutely tradeable at this number (teams will swallow a one year luxury tax hit, its the repeater they fear) but Miami’s future is sort of a black box right now - the logical move is to steer to a tank/rebuild but that’s never been Pat Riley’s MO and I doubt he starts now. Robinson fits the “continue to compete” ethic here, so they may just play it out.
Franz, Houstan, Hardaway, and Duncan Robinson are all playing in the playoffs (and I guess Jett may), so I’ll update them again.
14 Likes
Might the pistons make a run at LeVert?
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I sort of doubt it? Assuming Ivey is still in their long term plan (I don’t see why he wouldn’t) I’d think their top priority is probably retaining Beasley? Caris has played the three before so I guess he could be the vet-upgrade to Timmy? I don’t think that’s the best use of him though. Lots of playoff teams are in need of this sort of player (Indiana, Milwaukee, Denver), but the salary slot has to be there.
I think the Pistons would be more likely to re-sign Schroeder and Beasley, and they have Ivey. They’re set at G for the time being.
The Pistons need a 4 to be an eventual starter to replace Tobias. Tek hasn’t been playing well this season, and Bobi is a developmental prospect. That’s their biggest need at this point.
Will they spend money on Schroeder (or a Schroeder replacement)? His role right now is basically a result of not having Ivey. If Ivey’s healthy, that’s like a 9-10 mpg role, and I think Sasser is fine.
Yeah, that’s a good point. Beasley is far more likely to be retained than Schroeder.
Juwan and an old friend:
Franz leads the way for the Magic to get their first win of the playoffs. He still missed many 3’s and FT’s but had two big layups with about a minute to go. 32/7/8 statline.
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Moe would’ve had 20 / 6 / 2 this game 
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Moe was such a perfect fit for this offensively challenged Magic team. Could play 15 minutes, put up 12 points…and his defensive lapses were covered up pretty well.
1 Like