2023-2024 Regular Season Game 3: Orlando Magic (2-0) at Los Angeles Lakers (1-2) - 10:30pm

[Rainwater]

Magic's best player is Franz. Magic best player from last year was also - Franz.

Not saying who is the best player but this is debatable especially for those who aren't magic fans and those in the national media. There is a guy on the general board who created a thread predicating 23, 8, and 6 for Paolo if i remember correctly, lol.

I was listening nba preview podcast ( pro sports writers, nba games brodcasters) from eastern Europe, and man, they weren't high on Banchero at all.

I see what you did there. I completely agree, it could depend on your source. I just feel like people outside of Magic fans like Paolo more but I definitely could be wrong.

Before you said eastern European, when you said they weren't high on Paolo my guess was that they were German or Italian

[Bensational]

He is the arguably the teams best player, he just won rookie of the year last year. He is not getting benched in those situations. Its wishful thinking if you think they would. You live and die by their performance regardless of how badly they played. There is no team that would would do such a thing.

You’re confusing what Paolo has the skills and ability to be with what his performances presently are.

What team limits their healthy best player to 30mpg and 10fgas a game? Mosley has benched him for like 13 minutes straight. What other rookie of the year “best player” gets that treatment? And if he can be pulled for large chunks of the game, why not the end? Our #6 pick can’t even touch the court, so yeah, there’s enough precedence for it with this team.

I Know what you are saying about. However, benching one of your key players in the closing mins of a game for poor is something that rarely happens. Honestly, I can't remember the last time it happened. I just feel like people are requesting something that is not reality.

Although just as rare, what is happening with Black is more understanding as this team is already deep at the guard position and he is still pretty raw. I feel like he will get mins at some point, just not now.

All good, I’ve already talked myself out of defending that position, lol. I still want Paolo to learn in those moments, on the ball or off, so he needs to be on the court in those moments.

Honestly, my frustration really just comes from Harris being under-utilised when he’s shooting so damn well. Any other team would see a guy go 6-6 and give him another 6 quick smart. Us? We bench him.

[Rainwater]

You’re confusing what Paolo has the skills and ability to be with what his performances presently are.

What team limits their healthy best player to 30mpg and 10fgas a game? Mosley has benched him for like 13 minutes straight. What other rookie of the year “best player” gets that treatment? And if he can be pulled for large chunks of the game, why not the end? Our #6 pick can’t even touch the court, so yeah, there’s enough precedence for it with this team.

I Know what you are saying about. However, benching one of your key players in the closing mins of a game for poor is something that rarely happens. Honestly, I can't remember the last time it happened. I just feel like people are requesting something that is not reality.

Although just as rare, what is happening with Black is more understanding as this team is already deep at the guard position and he is still pretty raw. I feel like he will get mins at some point, just not now.

All good, I’ve already talked myself out of defending that position, lol. I still want Paolo to learn in those moments, on the ball or off, so he needs to be on the court in those moments.

Honestly, my frustration really just comes from Harris being under-utilised when he’s shooting so damn well. Any other team would see a guy go 6-6 and give him another 6 quick smart. Us? We bench him.

I feel the same exact way.

[KillMonger]

Guy from locked on magic made a decent point....mose's "by committee" approach might be getting in the way of the Magic players establishing a pecking order.... He says that in crunch time there was confusion because there was no established "closer" because mose wants it to be where it can be any guy.... But the nba isn't like that.... Most teams you know who's getting the last shot.... Fair point

Sent from the phone in my hands

[drsd]

Orlando lost close on the road to a team that might win the NBA title. Let's pause to reflect that. This is not a disaster.

[drsd]

Basic reflections.

1) Orlando lost the FG% battle - which usually means losing the game.

2) Orlando had an amazing 16 more FG attempts because of rebounding and TO advantages. Winning the rebounding and TO battle is huge!

3) Three point shooting percentage kept Orlando in the game (of all things)

4) The Magic failed to get to the line regularly, and that is core to this loss.


p.s. off of the bench, I have been impressed with G-Harris this season. Maybe this was always to be his role.

[SOUL]

Fraud Wagner
Paolo Bustchero

[RookieStar]

Fraud Wagner
Paolo Bustchero

Jalen Sucks
Markelle Foolz

[Message Boar]

Looks like we might have perfect timing for our Clippers game tomorrow, with them missing their outgoing traded players, but not yet having their incoming players.

That being said, it's a road b2b with a rest disadvantage and the Clips still have all their main guys, so we'll probably lose anyway.

[RookieStar]

Looks like we might have perfect timing for our Clippers game tomorrow, with them missing their outgoing traded players, but not yet having their incoming players.

That being said, it's a road b2b with a rest disadvantage and the Clips still have all their main guys, so we'll probably lose anyway.

Dude... they wont miss who they traded as long as Zubac PG Kawhi and even RW is still there...

[SOUL]

Looks like we might have perfect timing for our Clippers game tomorrow, with them missing their outgoing traded players, but not yet having their incoming players.

That being said, it's a road b2b with a rest disadvantage and the Clips still have all their main guys, so we'll probably lose anyway.

Dude... they wont miss who they traded as long as Zubac PG Kawhi and even RW is still there...

Half of their team is questionable and they traded away 3 rotation guys (one being a starter), having to play 3-4 third string guys is absolutely a positive even if you have your best players. Magic learned the hard way last year with our depth being depleted.

[GelbeWand09]

Bitter loss, because the Clippers game is a typical schedule loss anyway.

[Ralof]

Disastrous loss,those ones will make the difference at the end of the year.

Early to say maybe,but offense is a problem or seems it will be soon.
We don't have any type of structure,hierarchy,anything.
Play starts usually with Wendell hand-off,if we can't find anything from there in first seconds,offense stinks.

Sometimes Wagner pick and roll,sometimes (when he graces with his presence and will to play)Fultz go hard to the basket,sometimes we left Banchero running the show like he is LBJ or Doncic(spoiler:he is not),sometimes(too many times)it's the"Cole Anthony Freaking show".

Our bread and butter it is transition or extemporaneous situations,like rebounds,deflections,opposing team mistakes,ecc.
Some good cut,but it is more on the singolar player than something really prepared.

i dont' know,maybe defending in a good way and play like this will be enough for our goals,but it is really depressing for something like,ten years straight,we can't see a decent offense.

[drsd]

Bitter loss, because the Clippers game is a typical schedule loss anyway.

Actually the loss does suck. Orlando did not score in the last 2 minutes-plus of this game. A single field goal or a single trip to the line in that final two-minutes changes the whole trajectory of the game.

Orlando failed to have a player manufacturer points. There was no Mr. 4th quarter here.

Suggs makes a three at 2:05. Then:
1:26 Paolo Banchero misses driving layup
53.1 Paolo Banchero misses 23-foot three point jumper
12.1 Anthony Davis blocks Jalen Suggs 's 4-foot driving layup
10.1 Markelle Fultz personal foul
8.0 Franz Wagner personal foul
6.1 LeBron James blocks Franz Wagner 's 29-foot three point pullup jump shot
1.0 Jalen Suggs misses 26-foot three point shot

That's seven events that had a non-positive consequence to the outcome.

The positives in these negatives is that is is Banchero and F-Wagner we fans need to be taking late-game shots. That said, I probably would have wanted Anthony brought in for Suggs to get some more scoring chances. This was a winnable game after all.

[GelbeWand09]

Disastrous loss,those ones will make the difference at the end of the year.

Early to say maybe,but offense is a problem or seems it will be soon.
We don't have any type of structure,hierarchy,anything.
Play starts usually with Wendell hand-off,if we can't find anything from there in first seconds,offense stinks.

Sometimes Wagner pick and roll,sometimes (when he graces with his presence and will to play)Fultz go hard to the basket,sometimes we left Banchero running the show like he is LBJ or Doncic(spoiler:he is not),sometimes(too many times)it's the"Cole Anthony Freaking show".

Our bread and butter it is transition or extemporaneous situations,like rebounds,deflections,opposing team mistakes,ecc.
Some good cut,but it is more on the singolar player than something really prepared.

i dont' know,maybe defending in a good way and play like this will be enough for our goals,but it is really depressing for something like,ten years straight,we can't see a decent offense.

Not surprising when you have 4 players who arent good or even non shooter and one average shooter in Franz in the starting lineup & a bench unit without a PG. This year we can fight for a PO spot with our defense/depth alone, but next year the expectations are higher & Weltman finally have to do something (and Paolo needs to learn to shoot no matter if we upgrade the other positions shooting wise). We are kinda the anti Pacers.

[drsd]

Guy from locked on magic made a decent point....mose's "by committee" approach might be getting in the way of the Magic players establishing a pecking order.... He says that in crunch time there was confusion because there was no established "closer" because mose wants it to be where it can be any guy.... But the nba isn't like that.... Most teams you know who's getting the last shot.... Fair point

Sent from the phone in my hands

And-1

The only thing I can take from the rotation so far is that Ingles shouldn't be in it. Orlando has a clear 9-man rotation, but in agreement with you, no real pecking order within those 9.

[Ralof]

Also:this is not the kind of game you should go to micro-analyze the final minutes,imho.

if you want to win this,you have to win it before,against tired lakers who had not a great offensive night and with LBj clearly pacing himself.
if you go head to head against them in the final playing one-punch-me vs one-punch-you will be a L nine out of ten times,talent difference is too much.

Not surprising when you have 4 players who arent good or even non shooter and one average shooter in Franz in the starting lineup & a bench unit without a PG. This year we can fight for a PO spot with our defense/depth alone, but next year the expectations are higher & Weltman finally have to do something (and Paolo needs to learn to shoot no matter if we upgrade the other positions shooting wise). We are kinda the anti Pacers.

not agree with this but it is an old discussion,and i have been polemic enough for today

[ORLMagicGirl15]

I watched the ending on the game and I almost choked up seeing Suggs so emotional. I hope he doesn’t put that loss on himself.

Also, will we be arguing this season about who is better Franz or Paolo? Truthfully in these types of situations where you need a shot to tie or win the game, neither one have really stepped up, so not sure why it is even a debate. Whoever can do that first can win the title of best on the team.

[fendilim]

Paolo clearly struggling against longer players

[tooler]

I didn’t watch the game but that’s too bad about our closing offense. Franz got blocked on late game 3s last season as well. They’ll need to figure something out as a team. Less of a pecking order and more of who can get a bucket in a close game at the end.