If Paolo was truly the BPA at 3, I would think the Magic would have played their cards better so that it wouldn't deter Paolo from scheduling a pre-draft work out with them. They were so clear on their intentions that Paolo was 3rd on their board that he didn't even bother to practice with them. The only incentives for them to throw out smoke screens is if they were trying to hype up Jabari's value so they can trade down and pick up Paolo, but at the end of the day, the only thing they got out of it was a player that they couldn't evaluate on their own terms. I don't recall the last time a player drafted 1st overall skipped the workout with the team that drafted them. Whilst I'm happy with Jalen Green, had Stone drafted him when he didn't work out with the team, l would be extremely concerned. When you can select practically any player in the draft, you want to evaluate every potential selection as much as possible. Smoke screening is reserved for those with a lower draft order that are trying to influence the teams selecting above.
Everyone was expecting Jabari to go first, but as a GM you always have different plan. I'm sure Stone has plan if Paolo isn't available at #3. I;m actually happy more with Jabari. He was #2 on my list. Better fit with Sengun. Disappointed Gordon is still on the team. I wonder what they will do if he's not traded before season start.
Start around 3:25 a reporter ask the magic GM what is there to be gained from the secret keeping you have the number 1 overall pick, his answer pretty much sounds like he wanted to rob houston blind but Stone didn't take the bait.
Sounds like Orlando puts too much weight into standardized metric tests. Man, what a garbage organization. They should be forced to sell and relocate.
But wouldn't this only work if Houston wanted Jabari Smith? The only signals coming out from Houston is how happy they were with Paolo, so even if they did move up to 1st, they'll just pick the guy that Orlando wanted all along. Even if the Rockets took Jabari, Orlando also cannot be certain that OKC wouldn't pick up Paolo.
Orlando was banking on Houston being so enamored with Banchero that Stone would just say “eff it” and give up the house to move up 2 spots. Orlando should have just went with who they said they wanted, but they tried to get cute. End of the day tho….Smith is the more ideal fit for the Rockets, so it worked out how it was supposed to.
No need to take the bait. This year top 3 all can go #1 depend on your preference. No idea what Orlando is thinking but at least now we can trust OKC more than Orlando.
I'm not totally clear on what went down (not even close!), but it was obvious, at least to me, that Smith was upset that he fell to 3rd and that he had every expectation of being selected first, and that Bachero was upset, even pissed, that he was picked 1st and wasn't going to Houston. It was clear to me by Paola's demeanor that he wanted to be selected 3rd by Houston, wanted to be here. He even told the post-selection interview chick that he just didn't have anything to say. Nothing, nada, and looking really ticked off while doing so. Ordinarily, you'd think he'd be thrilled to be the 1st pick of the draft. It's considered a huge honor, you are referred to that way the rest of your life whenever you're interviewed about your time in the league, it's worth more millions in your rookie contract, and extra millions in commercial opportunities. Yet Paolo was angry he didn't go 3rd, in my opinion. I think that reflects very well on the Rockets. Very well indeed. We clearly made a great impression on him. Apparently he really liked management, the coaching staff, and possibly most impressive, at least to me, our players. The guys he'd be "going to war" with. Banchero wanted to play with them, in my opinion. I think that bodes well for our future. I was a little surprised, to be honest, but all that clearly stood out to me while I watched the 1st three picks being made and their immediate aftermath. Maybe I need glasses.
End of the day the Magic wanted to get our picks and scare stone into trading the farm away for Paolo but he stay put and took whoever was left Pretty sure Magic pissed off not just Jabari but most likely his agent and his family, leading on this young man the whole way only to go with someone else.
LOL. Imagen having the number one pick, work out Jabari and Chet… but not work out Paolo… then picking the one guy you didn't work out. That was a knee jerk last min decision , that looks bad on the organization, they have no plan. LOL
Paolo is the next Julius Randle on the Magic. He's going to be disgruntled and probably leave for LA, as is traditon.
I think the Rockets players wanted him here too... Not a peep from them on Social media as far as what I've seen. JC did shout out Tari and Ty Ty, but not a peep about Jabari...
Maybe we have it backwards. Maybe the Magic wanted Paolo all along but wanted him at three. It makes more sense this way. The Magic make it seem like they are settled on Jabari, work him out, promise him they'll pick him, everyone was all set for Jabari to the Magic but maybe their intel was that the Rockets wanted him more. We actually don't know who the Rockets would have picked at 1, I think some have said it would have been Chet but clearly OKC were drafting Chet. OKC were drafting Chet if they were #1, so with OKC at 2 the Rockets had no shot at getting Chet...but maybe they valued Jabari over Paolo and the Magic knew this. If the Magic know this then it makes sense for them to act like they are going to draft Jabari to try and get the Rockets to move up for their guy. Even if the Magic get a future lotto protected pick, it's still a bonus. My theory is that once the Magic realized that Stone wasn't budging they revealed their hand and that they wanted Paolo all along and all this stuff about Jabari was an attempt to get something from us. As for "Why not work out Paolo if that's who they wanted?" well, they smoke screened so hard that even Paolo thought they were taking Jabari, they tried to work him out, he didn't go. It could be Orlando didn't know who we wanted out of Jabari and Paolo but maybe the Rockets did talk to them about moving up and so they tried to play this game of "We're set on Jabari..." then maybe as the draft gets closer Stone doesn't up his offer or call back and now all of a sudden. "No wait, we're drafting Paolo!" Just a random theory, Could be that they argued about the two till the last moment in the end. That's the most likely scenario any way.