2024-2025 Regular Season Game 66: Orlando Magic (30-35) at Houston Rockets (39-25) - 8pm

[eyriq]

Suggs off, Defensive Rating 112.33
Suggs on, Defensive Rating 106.83

That is a nice +5.5 point bump in defensive rating when Suggs is on vs off. His defensive impact is undeniable.

[basketballRob]

There defense has been hanging on, we’re still 3rd in defensive ratings at 109.5, it’s the offense that has been absolutely trash. I really want to know what happened in the locker room, where all of a sudden these guys can’t shoot. They weren’t the greatest last year but they were better than this.

The defense really isn't hanging on though. That season-long number is fueled by the really great start they got off to defensively over the first 30ish games.

Since January 5th, their defense rating is 15th in the league at 113.3.

A coach that preaches defense as hard as Mosley has preached it and who has said repeatedly over the years how defense and effort travel even when shooting and shot making don't always travel, you just can't have a 10 week stretch of being 15th defensively. That won't work. Especially when you can't coach offense (and obviously have a poor roster offensively).

The ONLY hope this organization has to have success is being a consistently elite defense, elite rebounding team that consistently playing with high effort and energy game to game. If they don't have that, they cannot win.

True. The defense fell apart after Suggs went out. He set the tone that other players bought into. When Suggs and Franz are healthy, the defense is top 5.

Isaac, too.

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[eyriq]

Regardless though, I want to see the offense keep improving. I think we are good enough to win the Southeast division and make the playoffs.

[KillMonger]

Wendell, I know you had 12 boards but the amount of times you failed to put a body on your matchup.....you don't have to get the board just put a body on your man to prevent them from getting it...... This is basics man, what are we practicing?

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[eyriq]

Our defensive rating was 107 tonight, that's not bad.

[eyriq]

Adams went God Mode

oNet +4.7, dNet +2.8, tNet +7.5

Cole went doodo mode

oNet -5.9, dNet -0.9, tNet -6.8

[Idiosyncratic]

Adams went God Mode

oNet +4.7, dNet +2.8, tNet +7.5

Cole went doodo mode

oNet -5.9, dNet -0.9, tNet -6.8

Adams always seems to make his team's better when he is on the floor. Even when it seems like the league is going a bit away from his archetype he still manages to get the job done. Tremendously impactful player for his career. He was at 7.4 offensive boards per 36 coming into this game

[SloNick Russia]

Our guards score 24 points total

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[pepe1991]

1st quarter
4:43 left
Magic 17 points
Rockets 8 points


end of first quarter:
Magic 19 points
Rockets 23 points

Season can't end fast enough. Getting killed by Jeff Green and Adams in 2025. ffs

[cedric76]

Out coached again
Bad rotations
Poor offensive scheme
Too many minutes to call

[drsd]

Our defensive rating was 107 tonight, that's not bad.

Orlando held the Rockets well below their usual FG% lines. Orlando ensured that no Houston player "went off".
The defense was somewheree between good and very good in this game. There is no real reason to look at that sid of the ball.

So: boxscore thoughts.

Orlando lost the FG% battle and lost the game. Actually its worse, as Orlando got absolutely smoked on eFG%. How on Earth does this team take 32 threes to end at 24 misses on a 25% make rate???
(please run a PnR once in a while coach)

In conclusion, shooting 32.6% in an NBA is more reflective of basketball in the 1930s and 1940s than anything since.
It is actually quite impressive the Magic only lost by 13, after shooting that badly.

Garry "zombie" Harris scored 3 points in 11 minutes played, and that was a better game than Caldwell-Pope. Sad.
In 21 minutes Caldwell-Pope took no shots, attempted no FTs and scored zero points.
Dude: your work title is "shooting guard".

[Tarheel]

2 big + zone lineup = easy Magic killer.

We're historically bad at outside shooting, so we will lose against that type of defense 9 times out of 10, IMO.

[Skybox]

You can't get any softer than watching Adams get a double double 11pts/11rebs (8 offensive).

Adams is the farthest thing from soft...even in limited minutes, isn't he pretty exceptional on the offensive glass? for a decade?

What? How'd you interpret me calling Adams soft from that?

Don't need to be soft to get run over by Adams...but, I see now what you meant

[Knightro]

Our defensive rating was 107 tonight, that's not bad.

It’s kind of funny, in some of the individual defensive metrics they factor in defensive rebounding as a positive thing for an individual since that technically ends an opponent’s offensive possession.

I also couldn’t help but laugh at Wendell after the game saying he didn’t think physicality was a problem last night after they just got absolutely embarrassed on the glass.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Our defensive rating was 107 tonight, that's not bad.

It’s kind of funny, in some of the individual defensive metrics they factor in defensive rebounding as a positive thing for an individual since that technically ends an opponent’s offensive possession.

I also couldn’t help but laugh at Wendell after the game saying he didn’t think physicality was a problem last night after they just got absolutely embarrassed on the glass.

He’s halfway right. Physicality wasn’t a problem, they just didn’t try. Hard to be physical when you’re going through the motions regardless.

[eyriq]

Our defensive rating was 107 tonight, that's not bad.

It’s kind of funny, in some of the individual defensive metrics they factor in defensive rebounding as a positive thing for an individual since that technically ends an opponent’s offensive possession.

I also couldn’t help but laugh at Wendell after the game saying he didn’t think physicality was a problem last night after they just got absolutely embarrassed on the glass.

The only defensive factor that was stellar was turnovers. We forced a ton. Otherwise it was a mid to poor defensive game.

I'm convinced that WCJ is on the lower end of the BBIQ spectrum and has a loser mentality. He never shows up in vest points because most nights he doesn't make a meaningful impact. He just goes with the flow.

[Bergmaniac]

The real problem in this game was the offense, not the defense, Adams does stuff like this against most teams, he is the best offensive rebounder in the league by far. Shooting 32.6% from the field against a Houston team missing their best defender is embarassing. Houston played Adams and Sengun together for 15 minutes, neither of which is remotely suited to play PF on defense in the modern NBA, and had a fantastic 65.5 DRTG in these minutes. And it was easy for them to do because they had so many guys they could leave completely open and have both Adams and Sengun stay in or near the paint on D. We got completely flummoxed by their zone and the whole game was Paolo and Franz taking turns to shoot tough shots. Apparently Cole was sick which explains why he was so listless, but your whole offense shouldn't collapse when a role player has a bad night. KCP was a complete ghost out there and the bench gave us nothing outside of Isaak who played great defense on Sengun and even hit a 2 threes, but he was completely ignored by Houston's defense which was one of the many factors making it tough for Paolo and Franz. I jus don't understand why we continue to have Wendell spot up at the 3, nobody is guarding him there, he is shooting 20% for the season, he should be a rimrunner only, yes, he is not that good at this either, but it's better than the alternative.

I’ve seen enough the KCP signing is absolute garbage. Dude just lived off open looks from Jokic and AG. We’ve got to try and sell a team on it just wasn’t a good fit but will be for you.

KCP last year with Denver
Combined Wide Open (no defender within 6 feet) and Open (no defender 4-6 feet) 3PT Attempts: 3.7 per game

KCP this year with Orlando
Combined Wide Open (no defender within 6 feet) and Open (no defender 4-6 feet) 3PT Attempts: 3.8 per game

He's just bricking.

And it's not like his shooting touch has completely disappeared from everywhere.

Career high (by a wide margin actually) 59% from 2PT.

86.6% from the FT line.

The freaking guy is shooting 55.2% on short middys and 53.6% on long middys!

His 3PT shot has just disappeared and it's completely perplexing.

I was thinking about this recently, it's mystifying, I can't think of another player who just lost his 3 point range over a summer while remaining a really good (better than before even) shooter on long 2s. In the last two months or so he's been playing like it's 1992, passing on open 3s to step inside and take a tougher off a dribble long 2 and he's been making these at a great clop while being just unable to make a 3, it's bizarre.

[JoshuaPotter]

Womp womp. This is so hard to watch. We just do not have offensive firepower and that just isn't something I was expecting to say in 2025.

[JoshuaPotter]

Suggs off, Defensive Rating 112.33
Suggs on, Defensive Rating 106.83

That is a nice +5.5 point bump in defensive rating when Suggs is on vs off. His defensive impact is undeniable.

Now do offensive rating.....

[pepe1991]

Womp womp. This is so hard to watch. We just do not have offensive firepower and that just isn't something I was expecting to say in 2025.

NBA offense in 2025 is nuclear warfare, Magic on offense have spears and stones