2024-2025 Regular Season Game 7: Orlando Magic (3-3) at Dallas Mavericks (3-2)

[Knightro]

Last year on East almost every single mid tear team lost it's best or second player for near half of a season.
Non of them looked like this.

Sure they did.

Philadelphia went 31-8 when Embiid played last year and 16-27 without him.

It sucks that this Paolo injury happened right before arguably the toughest road trip of the season, but it is what it is.

[ogmagicfan]

TDS real nice on the catch & shoot

[Knightro]

Paolo watching this thinking 'I'm going to need to put pressure on this FO if I'm going to stay here'

Paolo needs a real #2. We have all of our picks, Denver's pick, and a bunch of tradeable contracts.

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

[JF5]

Paolo watching this thinking 'I'm going to need to put pressure on this FO if I'm going to stay here'

Paolo needs a real #2. We have all of our picks, Denver's pick, and a bunch of tradeable contracts.

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

Yeah, this young team is getting whipped by contenders without their best player. How is this shocking?

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Does anyone know how to block someone?

[ogmagicfan]

eh, Franz has had plenty of opportunities to run the offense tonight and hasn't had much success.

Weltman decided to go for KCP instead of someone like Tyus Jones. The FO made their decision in the direction of this team.

It's not the direction I would have gone but I'm sure Mose was on board with it.

For better or worse, the Magic showed a good amount of faith in Suggs and Black with what they decided to do with their cap space this summer.

But like... is that not what they should have done?

If you sign Tyus, Black's basically not playing. And certainly not playing on the basketball.

Is that ultimately what you want?

Yes

AB could still handle PG duties off the bench anyways

We cant hold up the timelines of our team when our 3 best players showed theyre ready to take the next step towards contending and have grown their games, are we going to continue holding back on making moves that improve our team because it'll threaten our 6th/7th option on offense?

He could develop while leading the bench and learn from an actual PG like Tyus Jones at the same time

[Knightro]

The Magic lost a guy averaging 29-9-6 on a .590 TS% and we have people suggesting that Paolo might be looking for a way out because the team is struggling without him against two really good teams on the road?

What are we even talking about here guys and gals?

[thelead]

Paolo watching this thinking 'I'm going to need to put pressure on this FO if I'm going to stay here'

Paolo needs a real #2. We have all of our picks, Denver's pick, and a bunch of tradeable contracts.

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

Franz is not a real 2. Real 2's are all-stars.

He may develop into one but he is not there yet. It's the same 'he's a max/he's not a max' argument though so we'll have to agree to disagree.

[RookieStar]

Paolo watching this thinking 'I'm going to need to put pressure on this FO if I'm going to stay here'

Paolo needs a real #2. We have all of our picks, Denver's pick, and a bunch of tradeable contracts.

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

Exactly.. Paolo has help. The team is actually built around him. He has a #2 that continuously attacks and cuts to the basket. He has actualy 2 #3s that are just waiting at the 3pt line for his shot.

And the most important, he is surrounded by guards wing and bigs that are known defenders to make his life easier

[ogmagicfan]

I think this stretch will shut the door on the "Franz is actually the best player on the Magic" conversations

[The-Stallion70]

Paolo watching this thinking 'I'm going to need to put pressure on this FO if I'm going to stay here'

Paolo needs a real #2. We have all of our picks, Denver's pick, and a bunch of tradeable contracts.

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

Franz is not a real 2. Real 2's are all-stars.

He may develop into one but he is not there yet. It's the same 'he's a max/he's not a max' argument though so we'll have to agree to disagree.

Now you're just trolling

[SOUL]

I feel like one of our issues is that we work really well as a team when all healthy, etc, but there's almost too much comfort/reliability in their roles that when we're missing someone and have to change up the order/do different lineups, etc, there are less guys we have compared to other teams that can sort of explode for randomly big games, or at least having enough of those guys every night.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

The Magic lost a guy averaging 29-9-6 on a .590 TS% and we have people suggesting that Paolo might be looking for a way out because the team is struggling without him against two really good teams on the road?

What are we even talking about here guys and gals?

If you are referring to me, I don’t mean for Paolo to actually go and look for a new team, I meant that the front office should be able to see the need through this roadtrip and make changes without Paolo needing to say anything.

I have said all summer, we need a point guard.

[OrlChamps2030]

"The roster sux without Paolo!"

Like... no kidding?

He's their best player who appeared like he was making a leap into efficient superstardom.

Franz goes from a very good No. 2 to an ill suited No. 1. Suggs goes from a very good No. 3 to an ill suited No. 2. The role players don't benefit from the gravity. Etc.

It's no different than the Sixers absolutely sucking without Embiid.

So much of what so many NBA teams do is legitimately centered off the individual greatness of their best player.

Nope. This is different than what is going on in Philly.

The 76ers have 100 mill tied up in Embiid and Paul George this year - and neither have played a minute this season.

[Rainwater]

Last year on East almost every single mid tear team lost it's best or second player for near half of a season.
Non of them looked like this.

Sure they did.

Philadelphia went 31-8 when Embiid played last year and 16-27 without him.

It sucks that this Paolo injury happened right before arguably the toughest road trip of the season, but it is what it is.

I know it has only been two games but Maxy put a better effort in those games without Embiid than Franz has without Paolo.

Hell, look at the effort that Paolo put in while Franz was gone. It’s night and day.

[ogmagicfan]

I feel like one of our issues is that we work really well as a team when all healthy, etc, but there's almost too much comfort/reliability in their roles that when we're missing someone and have to change up the order/do different lineups, etc, there are less guys we have compared to other teams that can sort of explode for randomly big games, or at least having enough of those guys every night.

Lack of guys who can create their own shot

When we have another player show up offensively we're so hard to beat, referencing last season: Cole, Moe, AB had some games where they went off and we beat teams through those efforts, some of those being contenders

If the Lakers, who have Anthony Davis & Lebron are on the market for another guy who can create their own shot because they dont have enough players who can, there's no reason why the Magic shouldnt be doing the same

[thelead]

He has a real No. 2.

And a real No. 3.

And he's a real No. 1.

What are you even talking about?

Franz is not a real 2. Real 2's are all-stars.

He may develop into one but he is not there yet. It's the same 'he's a max/he's not a max' argument though so we'll have to agree to disagree.

Now you're just trolling

How am I trolling? Our 'real #2' has given us 15ppg on terrible percentages in the first 2 games we needed him most so far.

I expect real #2's to be able to score consistently on their own. I expect real #2's to be in all-star conversations.

That is not Franz. Yet. Maybe he gets there, maybe he doesn't but he isn't there today and that is a fact.

[ogmagicfan]

I think this stretch will shut the door on the "Franz is actually the best player on the Magic" conversations

This stretch will also expose the shortcomings of all those advanced stats that people reference when saying that Paolo isnt impactful

He takes a huge load off players offensively and allows them to lock in more for the defensive side of the ball

[Knightro]

Franz is not a real 2. Real 2's are all-stars.

He may develop into one but he is not there yet. It's the same 'he's a max/he's not a max' argument though so we'll have to agree to disagree.

So hypothetically... the 28th best player in the NBA isn't a "real" No. 2 in your eyes because he's not one of the 24 guys voted to the all-star team?

Come on now.

If you look at all of the 2nd best players around the league, Franz is one of the better ones.

[OrlChamps2030]

About Jett, what did you expect from guy who nobody projected to be lottery pick, with some out of first round projections, who also spent whole rookie year playing hardly professional basketball?

From a moment they drafted him to today, i still can't find one logical reason why that pick wasn't traded on draft night.

He is slowfooted 6'7 PF. He wasn't even that good of a college player.

Really weird pick - one of those picks you knew would likely turn out bad the moment Silver announced it.

Non-basketball reasons had to be at play.. I think Jett agreed to spending the year in the G-League. Similar to this FO taking Okeke because he agreed to wait a year to sign his deal.