2022-2023 Preseason Game 1: Orlando Magic (0-0) at Memphis Grizzlies (1-0) - 8pm

[The-Stallion70]

I'm rewatching this, Suggs isnt very good sorry

[ChosenSavior]

At least this is the preseason lol. In all seriousness though, hopefully you start to see some better organization in the next game. Actually may go to the Spurs/Magic to see the team with my own eyes.

[richi_v25]

I’d love to agree, I really would. Bol Bol would be so incredibly fun to turn into something useful for us. But he is so insanely slow at dribbling and getting open it seems he can’t create any space to shoot. All that great shooting in the offseason videos and if there is a defender in the same state he can’t seem to get a shot up.

Again, I really hope I’m wrong but I’m visibly wincing when I watch him play this game. Bamba, low motor and all, at least is producing an impact on the game at times.

This is all just to say the least surprising thing: seems like Bamba is a backup and Bol Bol is likely out of the league unless something major switches with him.

Oh don't get me wrong, Bol stinks.

The players may be rusty but we are all in midseason form.

[thelead]

At least this is the preseason lol. In all seriousness though, hopefully you start to see some better organization in the next game. Actually may go to the Spurs/Magic to see the team with my own eyes.

If we lose to the spurs.... I don't want to hear about how easy Jabari and the Rockets had it the other night

[basketballRob]

Jabari Smith was great in his first preseason game.

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[ORLMagicGirl15]

Guys, let’s not end it this way, this was a hard one but, there has to be some positives.

1.) Magic basketball is back…yes, we’ve been waiting all off-season since we got the #1 pick.
2.) Paolo actually looked like the best player in the starting lineup. He had a horrible game but he went up against the Grizzlies front line. If he is who we think he is, this will only be motivation to get better and learn faster.
3.) Hampton was not as terrible as others seem.
4,) We do have shooters on the team, they just weren’t in the lineup with Paolo.
5.) Our defense is not quite where it needs to be but our length is legit.

Anyone has anything else?

[richi_v25]

I'm rewatching this, Suggs isnt very good sorry

My boy Suggs was trash, O Kay Kay is trash, Houstan trash, bol bol trash but Mo Wags was holding it down so I'm happy lol.

[thelead]

I'm rewatching this, Suggs isnt very good sorry

You don't have to be sorry. It's an objectively factual statement. The dude sucks right now. Let's hope he figures it out.

[Last Guardian]

The outcome doesn't matter sure. But you expect to see some glimpses of improvement. Saw nothing. Bamba more of the same. Suggs more of the same. Cole more of the same. Chuma more of the same. Didn't see anything different. Not a good start for Paolo but he gets a pass being a rookie. The rest is just shameful. On the plus side RJ looked moderately better.

In Franz and Fultz we trust. Team has no organization without them.

[thelead]

Guys, let’s not end it this way, this was a hard one but, there has to be some positives.

1.) Magic basketball is back…yes, we’ve been waiting all off-season since we got the #1 pick.
2.) Paolo actually looked like the best player in the starting lineup. He had a horrible game but he went up against the Grizzlies front line. If he is who we think he is, this will only be motivation to get better and learn faster.
3.) Hampton was not as terrible as others seem.
4,) We do have shooters on the team, they just weren’t in the lineup with Paolo.
5.) Our defense is not quite where it needs to be but our length is legit.

Anyone has anything else?

We'll be getting another top pick next year?

[ChosenSavior]

Guys, let’s not end it this way, this was a hard one but, there has to be some positives.

1.) Magic basketball is back…yes, we’ve been waiting all off-season since we got the #1 pick.
2.) Paolo actually looked like the best player in the starting lineup. He had a horrible game but he went up against the Grizzlies front line. If he is who we think he is, this will only be motivation to get better and learn faster.
3.) Hampton was not as terrible as others seem.
4,) We do have shooters on the team, they just weren’t in the lineup with Paolo.
5.) Our defense is not quite where it needs to be but our length is legit.

Anyone has anything else?

No one of importance got injured.

[ChosenSavior]

At least this is the preseason lol. In all seriousness though, hopefully you start to see some better organization in the next game. Actually may go to the Spurs/Magic to see the team with my own eyes.

If we lose to the spurs.... I don't want to hear about how easy Jabari and the Rockets had it the other night

Don't put that bad energy out there haha

[thelead]

At least this is the preseason lol. In all seriousness though, hopefully you start to see some better organization in the next game. Actually may go to the Spurs/Magic to see the team with my own eyes.

If we lose to the spurs.... I don't want to hear about how easy Jabari and the Rockets had it the other night

Don't put that bad energy out there haha

My bad. You're right... but I am thinking it

[ChosenSavior]

I need Wendell to set the tone in the interior. Didn't like the energy he brought to the game. I do agree that Bamba and him do not fit at all. Just want this team to play with more of an edge.

[Optimus_Steel]

Guys, let’s not end it this way, this was a hard one but, there has to be some positives.

1.) Magic basketball is back…yes, we’ve been waiting all off-season since we got the #1 pick.
2.) Paolo actually looked like the best player in the starting lineup. He had a horrible game but he went up against the Grizzlies front line. If he is who we think he is, this will only be motivation to get better and learn faster.
3.) Hampton was not as terrible as others seem.
4,) We do have shooters on the team, they just weren’t in the lineup with Paolo.
5.) Our defense is not quite where it needs to be but our length is legit.

Anyone has anything else?

We'll be getting another top pick next year?

Glass half full!

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[Optimus_Steel]

I'm rewatching this, Suggs isnt very good sorry

You don't have to be sorry. It's an objectively factual statement. The dude sucks right now. Let's hope he figures it out.

Last year he had a ton of injuries. He seems relatively healthy right now, no excuses, he was plain terrible. We need a lead guard and he surely seems like a career back up right now. Yea it's preseason, so what, show that you've grown, that you can handle the pressure. He showed that right now he still can't.

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[KillMonger]

Other than Cole, RJ and Moritz.... Everybody looked off and a step slow..... Granted we didn't have as much practice time as other teams but you'd think with so much of the same guys back we'd be ahead somewhat.... We looked like we were playing at half speed out there

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[fateis007]

Coach Mosley creates one of the worst offenses in the NBA, and our GM's allow and even help them do it. What should we honestly expect?

This will most likely be another tankathon, until we get a competent play maker(maybe Fultz?) or Franz transcends into an allstar, goto player this year.

Besides that were still the same bottom 2 team from last year with a putrid offense.

If the plan was to win, there is no way you keep this Coach on board imo.

[Black and Blue]

Hope everyone had fun watching the game. Some thoughts:

1) Like it or not, Cole Anthony at this moment in time looks way more like an actual basketball player than Suggs. Not giving up on Cole's development this early. He would be a quality 6th man on a playoff team at this point and could keep getting better if coach helps him round out the parts of his game that were lacking last year.

2) As mentioned by many in this game thread, Suggs is still overthinking and pushing too hard. He looked bad tonight. He needs to string some good games together this season to a point where he relaxes his shoulders and plays more instinctually. Hoping it happens this season because this was not an encouraging first game.

3) Paolo looked uncertain out there, which is to be expected in his first quasi-NBA game and I'm not worried. I wouldn't expect him to be the alpha he is destined to be while he is still learning the ropes this early, and am confident he will assume that role sooner than later. More problematic are moments where he would mess up and get annoyed instead of hustling back on D. That needs to be ironed out.

4) Bamba was Bamba out there, unfortunately, but Wagner looked much improved. His 3 was smooth and falling and he was hustling all over the court in a much more efficient way than we saw last season. With the way the contracts are structured, if he earns it with improved play there is no downside to making him the backup C. His brother seems to be rubbing off on him in a good way.

5) Kudos to RJ Hampton, who went from completely lost in the summer league to potentially the strongest guard out there for the Magic tonight. He seemed under control, taking smart shots and had a good amount of assists. We will see if this was fools gold but if it wasn't he has all the tools to be good in this league.

6) Bol Bol...I hope this isn't indicative of his play because he didn't look like an NBA player at all tonight. Unable to dribble, get open, or even set picks without getting whistled for a foul. He was trying, but is so slow that he needs to understand his strengths and weaknesses better to succeed. I'm not sure he even fully knows what those are yet.

Ultimately, it wasn't the first game we were all hoping to see, especially with all the offseason hype and promise with the addition of Banchero. I'm not sure we saw anyone get demonstrably better besides RJ Hampton and Mo Wagner, and those are not the two names we want read as being most improved this offseason. Here's to hoping Franz coming back in the next game opens up that first team to be more successful and brings us back that optimism we were starting to have. Cheers amigos.

[SOUL]

I'm rewatching this, Suggs isnt very good sorry

You don't have to be sorry. It's an objectively factual statement. The dude sucks right now. Let's hope he figures it out.

Last year he had a ton of injuries. He seems relatively healthy right now, no excuses, he was plain terrible. We need a lead guard and he surely seems like a career back up right now. Yea it's preseason, so what, show that you've grown, that you can handle the pressure. He showed that right now he still can't.

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You can't apply this logic because if he played well this game everybody would say that he's the future and turned a corner and that wouldn't be true either if he sucked the rest of the preseason and into the season. He either makes the jump or he doesn't.