Isaac has had many injury concerns but he’s also getting paid 17 million this upcoming year. I can’t see the Magic sitting him on the bench so they can see what Franz can do. I think people get it twisted Franz isn’t an 18 shot per game guy but if all you can do at this stage is back cut, run the court and play some D for a top 10 pick that might get you a few minutes a night. This isn’t even accounting for if he struggles to shoot the ball because he will find himself on the bench if that happens.
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Why do you think they drafted Franz if they don’t have a role envisioned for him? They could have just drafted someone else at a different position
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What’s the consternation? Franz will have plenty of time. Isaac and Okeke are primarily 4s. At C they have WCJ, Robin Lopez, and Bamba. Then Hampton, Fultz, Anthony, Suggs, Harris take up the 1 and 2 minutes.
So Franz competition for minutes at the 3 is Isaac, Okeke, Harris, and Terrence Ross. Seems fairly easy to find him 20-25 MPG. And as much of a concern there is for Franz shooting I don’t think Okeke or Isaac do much to alleviate that.
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I don’t think they will sit Isaac over him, but Isaac hasn’t shown he will be available. Also, there are minutes behind him. Wagner will at least start the year in the rotation.
Also, according to BR, Okeke played 77% of his minutes at the 4, and Isaac has played 0% of his minutes in his career at the 3.
I would argue the Magic don’t have a 3 on the roster without Franz or pressing Gary Harris and Terrence Ross to play up.
I mean, agreed that if he plays badly he’ll probably play less.
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Charles Matthews had a great day. I’m guessing the Sixers sat some of their main guys, and he got 14/4/2/2 in 20 mins
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Okeke was a very good shooter at Auburn, and shot 34% his rookie year behind the arc and Isaac has always hovered around 34%. I am not sure Wagner can duplicate that. It isn’t difficult to do but we haven’t seen very good shooting from Franz. I just think with a new coach who most likely had zero input on this draft or what his vision is that can work either way for Franz. I also don’t have a lot of faith in the Magic with their history of drafting.
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It’s weird to say the coach, who was an employee when Franz was drafted, will have faith in Isaac and Okeke (who were drafted prior to his arrival).
Also neither are 3’s, and Franz is the only thing vaguely like a 3 on the roster.
He’s going to get a chance to play until he shows he can’t.
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Why would the new coach have had zero input on this draft? He may not have had a lot, some coaches have more than others, but I do know he had zero input on Okeke being drafted.
Isaac is a 4/5. Okeke is a 4. Their presence still has little to do with Franz, other than he will probably exclusively play at the 3. If Franz can never be counted on to shoot 34% from 3 on 3 attempts per game then yeah he’s likely not going to be particularly valuable or last long. But there are plenty of reasons to think he will shoot at least that well and top 10 picks get lots of chances to show that for their first couple years. And Franz main competition for PT being Terrence Ross means he’ll get his chances moving forward
Okeke is also 3 years older than Franz
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Charles Matthews is skeptical of plus-minus stats.
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Any news on whether he might stick around Philly?
Sixers have 15 guys under contract and both two ways accounted for. If he stuck it would be with the G League, but with the summer contracts they have no specific claim on him over other teams.
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My man Cam Thomas dropped 21 in his debut. Steve Nash hinted he needed to work on his D and being a better team player. Thomas dropped this gem of a quote:
“I feel like I haven’t struggled on defense. This is my first time in an NBA system, so you’re learning on the fly. I’m a rookie playing with all vets. They already know the tricks, all the different terminology. I’m learning as I go so I feel like I haven’t really struggled. Of course, I’ve had some mishaps because you’re learning, but I haven’t really struggled,” Thomas said.
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Big Peter Gibbons energy from Cam:
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In Cam’s defense, there’s no reasonable expectation that he should know whether or not he struggled on defense because he went to LSU.
(Do not recall any game ever in which the broadcast booth was so openly LOL at a team’s lack of effort on D)