What to take away from a rough night as Orlando fell to Golden State 111-96.
Victor Oladipo is Not a Point Guard
While many coaches including Jacque Vaughn preach the virtues of a position-less scheme in today’s NBA, where a player is at on the floor still matters. Giving Oladipo the flexibility to play off the ball at times can be very effective. Having him worry about being a distributor takes away from his score-first mentality. The injury also has its role in holding Oladipo back, but giving the second year guard more freedom on the court benefits the team long term in multiple ways.
More Minutes for Elfrid Payton
One of those ways the Magic stand to benefit is by getting their rookie lottery pick in the mix more. Vaughn seems averse to the Payton-Oladipo backcourt, but that seems counterproductive to the future Magic blueprint. Some on media row said that Vaughn did not want to expose Payton to Stephen Curry, but Curry still went off for 28 points. When Payton played he shined and there clearly was no one else on the roster more capable of defending one of the league’s top scorers.
Stephen Curry is a Joy to Watch
How many guys would you pay to see play in the NBA before you would pay to see Curry? He was in high gear on the Amway floor, making many aspects of the game look flawless. While physically imposing, even LeBron James does not even have the crowd-pleasing game that Curry has. He may be the most enjoyable player to watch in the NBA.
Off-Court Showstoppers
Last year, Shaq was noticeably absent when the Magic brought several former players back to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The Big (insert nickname here) made a courtside appearance tonight and received nothing but cheers from the 17,702 on hand at Amway Center. Old grudges appear to have melted away.
Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
Oh, and allow me to melt your hearts with Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Gabriela Berrios Pagan, who also certainly made her presence felt courtside tonight.
