It Was All a Lie

They wanted to workout Paolo but he keep postponed it. Eventually they get to talk, not sure on phone or zoom. I guess that's enough for them to take him #1. Hey I don't care. I wanted Jabari and Chet over Paolo all along anyway. I'm happy.

 

For the Magic to take Paolo who didn't work out for them and to have clearly led Jabari to believe he was their pick (or directly told him as much) makes me believe they fully intended to take him until the last 24 hours before the draft. I'm pretty sure they had them pretty close and there was probably some people in the organization split on who to take.

I honestly think they wanted the Rockets to trade up for him and even told the Rockets they'd take him if they didn't. So instead of looking like liars and like their word couldn't be trusted, they took him.

Rockets called their bluff and I'm pretty sure they were fine with whoever fell to them.

Ultimately, I don't think any of these teams will be kicking themselves, especially not the Rockets, since I felt like whoever we ended up with would be better here than in Orlando or OKC.

 

I rather be considered a lier behind closed doors over being a lier out in the open, just look at this gif

Magic 100% promised and told him that you're our guy(Jabari) they panic when Stone didn't fall for their threats and picked Paolo in hopes that it would screw us over but we did what everyone thought we would do and pick whoever falls.
lying to Jabari and most likely his family and agent will have an effect going forward for the magic FO.

 

Man you have to feel bad for the kid, he lying in this interview

"Interviewer: You only worked out for the Magic and the Thunder, When did you hear from the rockets?"
JSJ: "um my agent asked me if i wanted to send my medicals and stuff to them umm to at least get a look on me umm"

Jabari didn't expected to be at #3 watching this interview pretty much confirmed what we kinda all think that the magic gave him a draft promise but picked Paolo to see if they can get future 1st round picks from us, because he can't even remember our GM's name but i bet you Paolo's knows Mr. Stone's name.

 

Or maybe Stone made Orlando pick Banchero pretending he has to trade up, but when they did it was exactly how we wanted it since OKC would pick Chet anyway

 

At this point, I can only think of 3 scenarios:

1. The Magic places little emphasis on pre-draft workouts, and brought in Jabari and Chet as formalities as part of their ruse to extract value from Houston/OKC. They were happy keeping up with the ruse until the very end, so either they didn't sufficiently try hard enough to convince Paolo because they don't value pre-draft workouts, or Paolo didn't care enough to accept an invite.
2. The Magic saw something they didn't like in Jabari during pre-draft workout, but this is unlikely because they never worked out with Paolo and so couldn't evaluate all 3 prospects properly.
3. The Magic changed their mind last minute.

In all 3 scenarios, it just feels like incompetence from the Magic. At best they played themselves, at worse they're drafting without doing their due diligence.

 

Stone is not the GM of the Detroit Pistons.

 

Or OKC Thunder.

 

1: They brought in Chet and Jabari on the same week had them work out like a day or two after each other and didn't even want to bring in Paolo until the very last week of the draft(at this point if i am Paolo I don't think the magic are serious about me if they want me to fly out and work out for them on the very last few days).
2. Nothing wrong with your point two its correct they couldn't Evaluate all 3 prospects if they only worked out two
3. I am leaning towards this one being the answer, Media saying Paolo the real number one, Twitter people saying magic going to draft a role player etc etc I don't think the Magic FO is like the Rockets FO, where we don't value private workouts as much as other things. I could be wrong but we have Insiders on here maybe someone will leak something.

 

This! It seems so clear to me, I don't even know why this would be the "backwards" theory. They didn't work out Banchero because they had already made up their mind on him. They just wanted to do a Fultz-for-Tatum on the Rockets and it didn't work.

 

IMO - OKC and Oh!lando both tried dekes to get a Rox (or Sac) trade up.

Cost would have been high, likely prohibitive but worth the swing for those two.

Stone didn’t bite. Mebbe was satisfied with any of the three or would have traded out if Chet?

 

I can see OKC depending on how one views Chet vs Jabari. OKC went heavy upside. I like the Jalen Willams pick by them.

Pistons? I would not trade Jabari for Ivey and Duren. I could see an argument for a best bang for the buck draft, but if that is the case, Rockets should rate higher than OKC.

 

Props to Stone for staying disciplined. I would bet Paolo was 1st on his board, but he wasnt going to bid against himself and Orlando was perfectly fine with taking him without a workout since he was the best player in the draft. Paolo (or anyone from this draft) was not a good enough talent to mortgage the future for. Much respect to Stone for keeping his cool.

 

I agree. I think the Magic had someone in mind they wanted at 17 and were trying to get the Rockets to trade 17 and 3 for 1. I think they thought exactly what Stone thought. Stay at 3 and you can't miss.


Essentially, I think the Magic envied our position in the draft, with 3 and 17 despite having number 1, and they wanted that more than number 1 because there isn't that much difference in talent levels between the two picks.


I'd much rather have Smith and Tari Eason than Paolo. Props to Stone for holding strong.

 

Maybe Stone's plan all along.

Something like...

"Could definitely be Stone's strategy though probably just coincidence. Trade Wood the day he meets with Paolo to give the others something more to think on. I doubt it, but never know.

Regardless, nothing is set in Stone.

Paolo may not be there at 3."

 

I think Philly is trying to get a pick from another team to send us using Thybulle and this trade will get done before the deadline. Things have to settle out first after all the moves we saw. I don't see Gordon getting past the trade deadline.

 

Pretty sure we played up our liking of Paolo the entire time. Jabari is the prototypical Rocket.

The Magic felt inclined to hold our “preferred” player hostage. “NOOOOO DONT TAKE PAOLO!! YOU BETTER NOT!! NOOOOOOOOOOOooo okay I’ll take Jabari thanks”

 

Orlando had a freaking press conference for Jabari's workout!! LOLLL