2025-2026 Regular Season Game 6: Orlando Magic (1-4) at Charlotte Hornets (2-2) - 7pm ET

[Last Guardian]

As bad as the season has started there are some developments to be encouraged by:

- AB scoring
- Paolo passing
- Franz 3 ball

Discouraging:

- shooting curse effecting a new acquisition yet again
- C’s are having a tough time battling opposing C’s
- Free throws

[OrlandoDream]

Glad to see us handling bad teams like supposed to. We need to build on playing thise bad teams and get some Ws. If we can win in WAS and big one in ATL to end the road trip and finish 3-2 going back home 4-4 after a horrid start, that would be huge.

[Jaxfann]

We won, without Suggs!
A rare occurrence.

[MasterGMer]

So happy AB is balling. Could be real critical for us if we have our ambitions

[fendilim]

Great game tonight. Still lacking a dominant C to protect the paint.

Last night was abysmal, the Pistons clogged the paint and dared us to shoot. Wish we can do the same too.

[MasterGMer]

It terms of player evaluation, we need to have a progressive view on our players.

Why do I mention that? If this current season Paolo keeps improving and AB has a breakout season. We always mention our core of Franz, Paolo, Suggs and Bane. Now we could add AB in it. And he is going to get his rookie extension from us. I have high hopes for AB always. But he delivered today.

This CHA win is so nice. I really like our collective play. But it is too early to assume judgement. Let's wait and see. Good W

[RookieStar]

We won, without Suggs!
A rare occurrence.

On a back2back as well!!

Granted it was the Hornets..

[pepe1991]

Not been on here recently as don't have the mental fortitude for the type of posts I guess are being posted regularly atm. But thought it was worth popping into the game thread to note that seeing Miles Bridges on the court is always upsetting.

Should have be in jail.

[GelbeWand09]

Props all around for such a game on a back to back. All criticized players except Banes shooting / how gets used on offense and some Carter Jr moments stepped up.
BTW Franz 3pointshot looks promising. I hope it lasts.
Paolo finally started to pass the ball again on this road trip.
I hope we somehow can trade a bundle of players for a long and athletic center. Even if we are turn this ship around, the front courts of most other teams gonna eat us alive.

[GelbeWand09]

TDS continues his good euro form. If he just weren't so slow footed on both sides, he would have fringe all star potential skill wise.

[pepe1991]

Hornets simply aren't measuring stick this team should be measured by. Neither are Wizards, Nets , Pelicans or Kings. Not just for Magic but for any nba team that isn't complete joke.

Bane and Franz make more money than almost entire Hornets roster, minus Lamelo , combined.

On top of that, they don't even have Miller, who is their second best player, if not the best, depending on personal opinions on LaMelo.

Hornets, Nets, Wizards are bottom of a barrel of nba. Hornets, tonight, not only played 4 rookies ( with 4 nba games experience in their lives) but also started 3.

I still have no clue how Tidjane Salaün ended up in nba. Hornets set "French rookie" search and autopick in 2024, and Risacher and Sarr were gone so they took Salun by accident? That's actually way better excuse than actually drafting him on purpose.

6th overall pick who shot 37% FG & 32% for 3 on mediocre French team, in mediocre French league who couldn't even play there serious min, and was often shifted to youth team. Just. Mind.Blowing.

What Hornets did with their team in past 10 years, while being in lottery basically every year is just unreal. They are poster example why nba needs relegation system to purify from garbage.
Team that drafted Kaminsky over Turner/ Booker.
Team that drafted SGA, than later that day traded him for Miles Bridges.
Team that didn't find anything wrong with Miles Bridges beating piss out of his girlfriend in front of two small children.
Team that gave PJ Washington for next to nothing.
Team that drafted Bouknight despite PG being only position they had solved ( left Murphy, Segun, Kispert, Moody on table). In most Hornets -way- possible, they just cut him
Mark Williams saga.

This year they had Lamelo, KJ Simons ( drafted him 40# last year), Mann, Reeves , Green, Sexton, Dinwiddie on contracts, entering draft. What was next logical move? Drafted Sion James , point guard, 6th on roster, and wave Diwinddie , of course it was only logical.

FFS... move them to Seattle and find them some ownership & leadership group that can keep nose away from cocaine for few days.

[zaymon]

We really needed this win. Hornets are weak inside so this game is not saying a lot.
If Banchero can dial down his usage maybe there is a chance for us. This means we still dont have player capable of leading offense but at least Banchero adapts to winning basketball. I think fan pressure was well deserved but to his credit he reacted well.
1. He decreased his usage to 21%.
2. Franz had more shots than him.
3. His assists were more just moving the ball than running real offense. Still a good sign but absolutly not a sign that he somehow became great playmaker.

Still we needed unsustainable level of shooting to win against a weak depleted squad. Black wont shoot 50% from 3 on 6 attempts. We needed Bane to run our offense more but then we partially lose our best shooter and we need nights like this one to keep oir offense flowing.

Good that we won but our problems stand. We dont have enough players to run our offense and we dont have good enough big man rotation to keep up with better teams when our perimeter defense is not top 2(1?) in the league.

[drsd]

The Magic need to get to .500 with this schedule

Next 4-games:
@ Washington
@ Atlanta
Boston
Boston

3-1 seems reasonable to get the team to 5-5 over the first 10. But I am dreaming larger: sweep them for a 6-4!

[drsd]

Paolo now at 53.5 TS% after tonight's 68.3% performance. Very solid game for him tonight.

"Solid" until we see the full boxscore and note the 9 assists, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals on only 1 TO.

Banchero had an "excellent" game, in my opinion.

[RookieStar]

Paolo now at 53.5 TS% after tonight's 68.3% performance. Very solid game for him tonight.

"Solid" until we see the full boxscore and note the 9 assists, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals on only 1 TO.

Banchero had an "excellent" game, in my opinion.

He could do that because there was no one who could give him trouble in CHA roster.

[jezzerinho]

Hornets simply aren't measuring stick this team should be measured by. Neither are Wizards, Nets , Pelicans or Kings. Not just for Magic but for any nba team that isn't complete joke.

Bane and Franz make more money than almost entire Hornets roster, minus Lamelo , combined.

On top of that, they don't even have Miller, who is their second best player, if not the best, depending on personal opinions on LaMelo.

Hornets, Nets, Wizards are bottom of a barrel of nba. Hornets, tonight, not only played 4 rookies ( with 4 nba games experience in their lives) but also started 3.

I still have no clue how Tidjane Salaün ended up in nba. Hornets set "French rookie" search and autopick in 2024, and Risacher and Sarr were gone so they took Salun by accident? That's actually way better excuse than actually drafting him on purpose.

6th overall pick who shot 37% FG & 32% for 3 on mediocre French team, in mediocre French league who couldn't even play there serious min, and was often shifted to youth team. Just. Mind.Blowing.

What Hornets did with their team in past 10 years, while being in lottery basically every year is just unreal. They are poster example why nba needs relegation system to purify from garbage.
Team that drafted Kaminsky over Turner/ Booker.
Team that drafted SGA, than later that day traded him for Miles Bridges.
Team that didn't find anything wrong with Miles Bridges beating piss out of his girlfriend in front of two small children.
Team that gave PJ Washington for next to nothing.
Team that drafted Bouknight despite PG being only position they had solved ( left Murphy, Segun, Kispert, Moody on table). In most Hornets -way- possible, they just cut him
Mark Williams saga.

This year they had Lamelo, KJ Simons ( drafted him 40# last year), Mann, Reeves , Green, Sexton, Dinwiddie on contracts, entering draft. What was next logical move? Drafted Sion James , point guard, 6th on roster, and wave Diwinddie , of course it was only logical.

FFS... move them to Seattle and find them some ownership & leadership group that can keep nose away from cocaine for few days.

Please don't do this every time we win.

[pepe1991]

Hornets simply aren't measuring stick this team should be measured by. Neither are Wizards, Nets , Pelicans or Kings. Not just for Magic but for any nba team that isn't complete joke.

Bane and Franz make more money than almost entire Hornets roster, minus Lamelo , combined.

On top of that, they don't even have Miller, who is their second best player, if not the best, depending on personal opinions on LaMelo.

Hornets, Nets, Wizards are bottom of a barrel of nba. Hornets, tonight, not only played 4 rookies ( with 4 nba games experience in their lives) but also started 3.

I still have no clue how Tidjane Salaün ended up in nba. Hornets set "French rookie" search and autopick in 2024, and Risacher and Sarr were gone so they took Salun by accident? That's actually way better excuse than actually drafting him on purpose.

6th overall pick who shot 37% FG & 32% for 3 on mediocre French team, in mediocre French league who couldn't even play there serious min, and was often shifted to youth team. Just. Mind.Blowing.

What Hornets did with their team in past 10 years, while being in lottery basically every year is just unreal. They are poster example why nba needs relegation system to purify from garbage.
Team that drafted Kaminsky over Turner/ Booker.
Team that drafted SGA, than later that day traded him for Miles Bridges.
Team that didn't find anything wrong with Miles Bridges beating piss out of his girlfriend in front of two small children.
Team that gave PJ Washington for next to nothing.
Team that drafted Bouknight despite PG being only position they had solved ( left Murphy, Segun, Kispert, Moody on table). In most Hornets -way- possible, they just cut him
Mark Williams saga.

This year they had Lamelo, KJ Simons ( drafted him 40# last year), Mann, Reeves , Green, Sexton, Dinwiddie on contracts, entering draft. What was next logical move? Drafted Sion James , point guard, 6th on roster, and wave Diwinddie , of course it was only logical.

FFS... move them to Seattle and find them some ownership & leadership group that can keep nose away from cocaine for few days.

Please don't do this every time we win.

Hornets are really type of team that shouldn't exit, for sake of quality of a league.



2004-05 to 2024-25, cumulative record: 651-1028.

38% win rate in 21 years. We talk about team who in past two decades at average has 31-51 record. What's the point of existence of such team in competitive sport?

Hornets are so damn terrible for so long that they would have to go 82-0 for 5 and half seasons in a row, just to become .500 team. Ofc, they are also proud owner of worst single season record of all time

[Optimus_Steel]

The Hornets may be just what the doctor ordered. They are a bad team but at this point beggars cant be choosers. It was a much improved defensive effort and they showed they wanted it. AB had his best career game and most complete game. Making good assertive decisions in offense, good defense, etc. Glad he wasn’t really initiating the offense as he is just incapable but playing off the ball as he did last night suits him better.

[Optimus_Steel]

TDS continues his good euro form. If he just weren't so slow footed on both sides, he would have fringe all star potential skill wise.

TDS was very good. He had a tough game the other night and people wanted him benched, ummm no he has been our best backup.

[Optimus_Steel]

I never saw Mosley sweat a lead more than this one.

The lead got to 3 late in the 3rd, that was not a good place to be but they pushed it back. We play so disjointed at times.