[True_JafiParticipant]

Nikola Vucevic had a big game tonight with 30 points and 20 rebounds. Currently second in the league in rebounds. I know Philly is really feeling this since they gave him up for a center who hasnt played all season but has had 20 different hair styles

[TheLastWordParticipant]

The guy is a monster. His 9’5″ reach just lets him inhale rebounds and he knows how to box out unlike quite a few big men.

[SnowtaParticipant]

I think something needs to be said for the job that the Magic’s front office has done over the past year. Looking at the spot they were in last season at this point they’ve really made the most of a terrible situation with the Dwight saga. Harkless and Vucevic look like they will be solid starters in this league for a long time and the Harris trade is looking like a great move at this point. Obviously their record doesn’t show it and they still have a long way too go, but if they get Smart I think they would have a solid, young nucleus they can continue to add pieces to in the future.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

You can’t mention him without tagging Tobias along 30 19 5

[T-Dot-BallerParticipant]

Nice to see young centers like Vucevic, Valanciunas, Drummond putting up big numbers as the game is lacking dominant big men like in the past. Theyve slowly been replaced by the hybrid 4/5s with a lot of teams going small. Nice to see some big men doing work

[omphalosParticipant]

Yeah the Magic have done a great job of bouncing back, but I’d be targeting Trey Burke, not Marcus Smart. They need leadership, shooting and a steady hand from their PG spot, and Burke gives them that.

I wasn’t a believer in Burke before, but after seeing his play in the tournament I’d say he should be above Smart in the draft rankings; he has all the makings of a very successful rookie year like Lillard is having.

Vucevic is doing a great job, very happy with his progress, and having a big guy who can bully people inside is an advantage in this Eastern Conference which is seriously lacking in quality Cs at the moment.

[HuRRiCaNeS324Participant]

no better leader than marcus smart man…

his tenacity on both ends rubs off everyone. he makes teammates better by just being on the court.

once he gets a consistent shot and gets more comfortable at the pg spot, he will be a top 10 PG.

[BenchWarmerParticipant]

John henson had 17 25 and 7blocks. This game was a stat stuffer

[HaleParticipant]

It really is remarkable that Orlando won the Dwight deal considering how bad it looked at the time.

[rileymcshea3Participant]

I have a question though, what’s gonna happen with Mo Harkless and Tobias Harris in the future? Tobias just become a super mismatch at the power forwards? But whatever happens I kinda see them in the making of a Nuggets type team with no real superstars but just roots of good players

[BigMac12111Participant]

Harris is definitely going to stay at PF. He was a SF with the Bucks and had some problems consistently guarding the 3. Harkless is more of a SF anyways and has been improving there, so I’d keep him at the 3 and have Harris be a stretch-4.

[kingofbumsParticipant]

just want to throw out a stat out there

henson : 17pts 25rbs 7blks off the bench…the second time this seasonhes produced like crazy when given the minutes

[King CaluchaParticipant]

Vucevic should be a very good player. He rebounds and has range. I can see him developing a strong post defense in the near future.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Don’t remind me.

I loved Nikola’s game in college and was praying the Rockets would take him with the 14th pick that year. Instead we went with Marcus Morris.

We could have had a line-up of Vucevic-Patterson-Parsons-Harden-Lin right now. Hell, we could have still signed Asik and played both Asik and Vucevic.

[220Participant]

The 76ers have to be feeling some major pangs of regret knowing they dealt Vucevic for Bynum who may never even play for the 76ers.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

we shoulda traded Lavoy instead of Nikola

[220Participant]

I agree with you there, but the deal probably doesn’t get done without Vucevic being included.

[ASAP HenryParticipant]

Kind of blows my mind that Orlando may have gotten the best deal last summer when they shipped out D12. Vucevic had impressed me every single time I saw him play this year. Mo Harkless is looking like he can be a really good swingman in the NBA as along as he continues to work on shooting and ball handling. Not to mention how they got Tobias Harris in the JJ Redick deal. I’m sure the Sixers management is pulling their hair out every time they see Vucevic and HArkless having big games (which has been often as of late).

[HitsterParticipant]

Y2G and Omphalos both hit it on the head, Rob Hennigan did a deal which now looks a lot better on paper than it did last August. Luckily for the Magic they look to have got a guy who is well versed in how to draft and trade having worked for both the Spurs and the Thunder previously.

The Magic with a likely very high pick this year could well be back in the play offs within a few years if they can land one legit star via the draft, they have a decent supporting cast at the moment and although they have had a poor season, don’t forget the roster has 5 rookies and 3 NBA 2nd year guys on it. So there is likely a lot of upside from Vucevic, Harkness, Harris and co plus they will have draft picks due from the Dwight deal which will give Hennigan a lot of draft options. For example they are guaranteed two first rounders next year in the likely loaded 2014 draft.

As regards the draft I’d say their targets would be McLemore, Smart and Burke in that order. With Vucevic and Big Baby as the starting frontcourt backed by Nicholson and Harris and Harkness at SF and some PF then IMO, positions SF to C look fairly strong.

If Philly had kept Harkness and Vucevic I’m sure they would have been a play off team this year especially if they still had Iggy or had traded him seperately for a nice package.

[Sewok15Participant]

The Sixers screwed up again…as a life long fan I am used to it by now. People around the league loved the trade because it gave the Sixers the second best center in the league. However he has yet to play in Philly and is on the last year of his deal. They practically gave away one of the best young centers in the league, Harkless their 1st round pick and replacement for Igoudala whom they also traded in this deal.

The Sixers should look like this.

PG- Jrue Holiday
SG- Evan Turner
SF- Moe Harkless
PF- Andre Drummond (whom they could have drafted by trading Iggy to Golden St or Toronto.)
C- Nikola Vucevic

That is a team that I could be excited about moving forward. Instead they have an aging Jason Richardon and no knees Bynum. Richardson has a terrible contract and Bynum’s is expiring. The more I look at this trade the more it angers me.

[HitsterParticipant]

The deal looked good on paper for the Sixers but they look the real losers now, Denver came out well as they got Iggy and he’s helped them.

Philly may improve but they owe two future first rounders already so their future draft options may be a bit limited but they do have cap space and desperately need to land a quality big man unless they get lucky in this year’s draft.

[Author]

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