2023-2024 Regular Season Game 79: Orlando Magic (46-32) at Houston Rockets (38-40) - 8pm

[CocoaFan]

Mosley is an idiot for playing Fultz over Suggs. I'm sick of his rotations.

LMAO how does this have to do with Fultz? The team can't play defense and your best player is having an atrocious game.

I don't like Fultz but he played well in the 4th, he is not to blame.

I have been a Fultz supporter in the past but I'm over it. He had a decent scoring game 8/18 2 assists 3 TO's, but his perimeter defense was atrocious. That loping running style doesn't cut it with quick guards.

[eyriq]

I'm going to keep it real.... The best I felt about this team was when AB and Goga was starting... I felt we played with more energy with that lineup, we ran more the ball didn't stick as often more ball movement... And the opposing players couldn't just drive it into the paint with no fear like they can against Wendell....when Dell and kelle got healthy and needed to be reintegrated into the team we got more talented but the brand of ball we were playing suffered

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Exactly

[basketballRob]

Harris only got 3 shots in 30 minutes. They should make a better effort to get him shots.

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[RookieStar]

I don’t think the Magic have much of a chance to beat Philly in Philly on Friday night. The Sixers will be much more rested and Embiid will be playing.

So you basically have to take these two games off the Bucks without Giannis to avoid the play in.

Good thing GA just got injured and they are on a back2back?

[thelead]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

[VFX]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

Pfft. Mosely hasn’t even figured out his best lineups were 2 months into the season when Orlando was beating teams like Denver and Boston.

[basketballRob]

I don’t think the Magic have much of a chance to beat Philly in Philly on Friday night. The Sixers will be much more rested and Embiid will be playing.

So you basically have to take these two games off the Bucks without Giannis to avoid the play in.

Miami has 1 tough game tomorrow against Dallas at home. If they win, they should sweep the rest of the games. Philadelphia and Miami sweeping the rest of the games means we have to go 2-1 to stay ahead of them.

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[ORLMagicGirl15]

I'm going to keep it real.... The best I felt about this team was when AB and Goga was starting... I felt we played with more energy with that lineup, we ran more the ball didn't stick as often more ball movement... And the opposing players couldn't just drive it into the paint with no fear like they can against Wendell....when Dell and kelle got healthy and needed to be reintegrated into the team we got more talented but the brand of ball we were playing suffered

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That has been my favorite lineup. Watching Dell and Kelle this season has been very rough. I also like the JI-Paolo-Franz-Jalen-AB lineup that we went to in the 4th quarter as well.

[Optimus_Steel]

Say what you will about the offense, but Franz’s defense was a major missing factor here.

Paolo visibly gets in his own head. It’s good on one hand...means he cares that much, but hopefully it will mature over time (and likely will).

That’s what I see. Paolo letting tough starts frustrate him and it’s happen to Franz too. This was what I was concerned about in this stretch of games, these guys are still really young and lacking important games experience and it shows. The pressure is different when you are the man and the defense focus on you. We dont have vets we can rely on to carry them. I was hoping we would have a good enough gap to overcome it but it’s crazy how tight the east has gotten and it may not be enough which would a huge shame after what has been a great season overall. It’s still frustrating either way.

[msmoore66]

Just. Relax. Paolo took a dookie, he's still young and learning. Or shall we give up on him now lol.
It's hard, we have exceeded expectations this season, and that in turns increases the expectations, but part of youth and inexperience (players and coaches) is inconsistency. This will happen. Poor timing it is at the end of the season.
Let's move onto the next one and hope they can figure it out.

Or, lets trade em all. Grass is always greener right??

[basketballRob]

I wonder if they play Isaac tomorrow?

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[Knightro]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

For what it’s worth…

If we consider the all-star break right around the time the league started calling fewer fouls, Paolo’s FTAs per game have only dropped from 7.2 to 6.2.

That’s a less significant drop than a lot of other star players.

Luka: 9.3 before, 7.3 after
SGA: 9.1 before, 7.2 after
DeRozan: 9.0 before, 7.2 after
Lillard: 7.6 before, 5.6 after
Booker: 7.0 before, 5.8 after
Durant: 6.3 before, 4.7 after

The issue is that those guys all still make shots and Paolo’s overall shotmaking has declined a lot, especially over the last month.

[eyriq]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

For what it’s worth…

If we consider the all-star break right around the time the league started calling fewer fouls, Paolo’s FTAs per game have only dropped from 7.2 to 6.2.

That’s a less significant drop than a lot of other star players.

Luka: 9.3 before, 7.3 after
SGA: 9.1 before, 7.2 after
DeRozan: 9.0 before, 7.2 after
Lillard: 7.6 before, 5.6 after
Booker: 7.0 before, 5.8 after
Durant: 6.3 before, 4.7 after

The issue is that those guys all still make shots and Paolo’s overall shotmaking has declined a lot, especially over the last month.

Sophomore slumps happen

[3ddman23]

Typical orlando magic thing. You are Ahead of miami practically all year in the standings just for them to leap frog you and win the division at the very end of the season sending you into the play in. We are just a doomed franchise. I can't believe this is how its gonna play out.

[Optimus_Steel]

It's wild that we could still not make the playoffs.

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It is wild and it would a gigantic let down for that to happen.

Kind of wish it would happen. That way there is no illusion that we are close to being good. Because we are in fact not even remotely close to be good.

That’s crazy talk. If we make it or not the same problems exist regardless but we would be better served getting Paolo, Franz and Suggs real playoff experience as opposed to not getting it. It will help them develop, let’s get them there. Heck it will probably help them a lot going into next regular season.

[Knightro]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

Pfft. Mosely hasn’t even figured out his best lineups were 2 months into the season when Orlando was beating teams like Denver and Boston.

Statistically the Suggs/Harris/Wagner/Banchero/Carter lineup (+11.5 NET) has been better than the Black/Suggs/Wagner/Banchero/Bitadze lineup (+9.2) on a larger minute sample at this point.

No Franz tonight was a killer. He’s in every good lineup they have basically.

[Optimus_Steel]

Typical orlando magic thing. You are Ahead of miami practically all year in the standings just for them to leap frog you and win the division at the very end of the season sending you into the play in. We are just a doomed franchise. I can't believe this is how its gonna play out.

Certainly feeels that way, but let’s see what happens this east playoff seeding is crazy

[Knightro]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

For what it’s worth…

If we consider the all-star break right around the time the league started calling fewer fouls, Paolo’s FTAs per game have only dropped from 7.2 to 6.2.

That’s a less significant drop than a lot of other star players.

Luka: 9.3 before, 7.3 after
SGA: 9.1 before, 7.2 after
DeRozan: 9.0 before, 7.2 after
Lillard: 7.6 before, 5.6 after
Booker: 7.0 before, 5.8 after
Durant: 6.3 before, 4.7 after

The issue is that those guys all still make shots and Paolo’s overall shotmaking has declined a lot, especially over the last month.

Sophomore slumps happen

Not really man. At least not for star players.

[basketballRob]

I wonder when Mosley is going to realize the game isn't called the same way and hasn't for months... in the Celtics/Bucks game, there were a total of 2 free throws attempted. 2... Bobby Portis shot 2 FTs and that was it.

Paolo hunting for fouls is not going to work and hasn't for a while now.

Pfft. Mosely hasn’t even figured out his best lineups were 2 months into the season when Orlando was beating teams like Denver and Boston.

Statistically the Suggs/Harris/Wagner/Banchero/Carter lineup (+11.5 NET) has been better than the Black/Suggs/Wagner/Banchero/Bitadze lineup (+9.2) on a larger minute sample at this point.

No Franz tonight was a killer. He’s in every good lineup they have basically.

With the AB and Goga lineup, you would still have Harris and Wendell to play on the second unit. Now we just don't have as deep of a team.

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[Bensational]

Paolo’s efficiency will settle once he finds a better balance between running point and attacking. When he gets blitzed by 3 defenders he sees 6 arms to draw a foul off instead of 3 open Magic players (who could also do better at getting better position). When the foul isn’t called then it’s a bad shot with low chance of dropping. If he’d made the pass at least the ball is alive, but there’s also every chance he passes to someone who doesn’t utilise the open look and puts the ball on the floor to drive again.

Striking the balance will help a lot, but that takes time and experience.