2024-2025 Regular Season Game 26: Phoenix Suns (12-10) at Orlando Magic (16-9) - 6:30pm

[Rainwater]

Maybe they are trying to get Jett mins but he shouldn't be playing in front of Cole.

Nobody's really playing in "front" of anyone. We just need bodies out there lol. For instance, Caleb was in first but that was because WCJ was the first sub out, and it wouldn't have made sense to play Cole or Jett at PF.

I was speaking when the team is fully healthy. I feel like Cole has been in the doghouse due to poor play. But I feel like he has shown enough to get at least mins over Jett when everyone comes back.

[jezzerinho]

Stayed up to watch this one, really excited to see what the star-less Magic do (that would be a good meme, the old logo with no stars to symbolise the Magic without PB and FW..)

Anyway, f'in cable box crapped out and I missed it. So annoyed, but it seems to happen to me a lot that the few Magic games I stay up late for are losses or poor performances, so I guess I reverse jinxed this win for you all.

You're welcome!

[SOUL]

Maybe they are trying to get Jett mins but he shouldn't be playing in front of Cole.

Nobody's really playing in "front" of anyone. We just need bodies out there lol. For instance, Caleb was in first but that was because WCJ was the first sub out, and it wouldn't have made sense to play Cole or Jett at PF.

I was speaking when the team is fully healthy. I feel like Cole has been in the doghouse due to poor play. But I feel like he has shown enough to get at least mins over Jett when everyone comes back.

The best version of Cole is easily better than Jett currently (early 6MOY vibes last year) - if he can get back to at least some of that, it would be desperately needed. He also brings self-creation at the guard spot that nobody else has and can score in bunches. The issue is right now that for the role he came into this season, it meant reeling that in a bit and being efficient and smart with the ball.. which he has been really up and down with.

Jett has his moments but is kind of just "meh" right now as well, but his low usage and role allows him to fit in with more lineups.

Cole, much like Moe, when they're bad.. it causes like 10-0 runs for the other team. But for this current team and roster, we would benefit from a good Cole more than anybody else's "good" version outside of Suggs/Goga.

[drsd]

The game-flow here was fascinating.

Orlando is down 11 in the 3rd, a 19-7 run to have a small lead. Then another 19-7 run in the 4th as the icer.

B-e-a-utiful!

https://popcornmachine.net/gf?date=20241208&game=PHOORL

[CalOrl11]

Their challenge still lives rent free in my head. What were they thinking?

[eyriq]

Read on Twitter

?t=aqGoRmWeSzfkjpwkmC_xLA&s=19

[RichCollab]

Mosley is coach of the year.

[Bergmaniac]

Very solid win at the end. You got to hand it to Mosley, he really knows how to get his players to play hard. And he found a working lineup in the fourt and stuck with it. Suggs after a dreadful first half really stepped up in the second. He is much better offensively when he keeps it simple on offense and doesn't try fancy passes or tries to dribble into a crowd. Cole having a good game is a great sign. Goga dominated on the boards which was nice to see.

I thought Wendell played very well defensively, but the two big lineups won't work against teams with actual size if he doesn't regain his 3 ball, it's been disastrous this year.

It has to be sad that the Suns without KD and Nurk were a very favourable matchup for our shorthanded team. No rim protection whatsoever and no size. It would get harder from here, but a very good start.

[Skybox]

Nobody's really playing in "front" of anyone. We just need bodies out there lol. For instance, Caleb was in first but that was because WCJ was the first sub out, and it wouldn't have made sense to play Cole or Jett at PF.

I was speaking when the team is fully healthy. I feel like Cole has been in the doghouse due to poor play. But I feel like he has shown enough to get at least mins over Jett when everyone comes back.

The best version of Cole is easily better than Jett currently (early 6MOY vibes last year) - if he can get back to at least some of that, it would be desperately needed. He also brings self-creation at the guard spot that nobody else has and can score in bunches. The issue is right now that for the role he came into this season, it meant reeling that in a bit and being efficient and smart with the ball.. which he has been really up and down with.

Cole, much like Moe, when they're bad.. it causes like 10-0 runs for the other team. But for this current team and roster, we would benefit from a good Cole more than anybody else's "good" version outside of Suggs/Goga.

Agree about Cole….most, if not all, of my recent trade suggestions are for a better, more reliable version of Cole, with more firepower from the perimeter. But his “type” is what we lack.

McCollum, Sexton, Simons, Schroder, even Poole would light up our offensive playmaking and all are likely available for varying degrees of risk and prices. Also, they wouldn’t suddenly become long-term, redundant, overpaid 3&D specialists when Franz & Paolo return. In a vacuum, Cam Johnson or DFS make us better…but not enough and not at that price (which might hinder our ability to really improve).

If we wanted to aggressively pursue a combo deal for Cam & Dennis - fine, but Dennis would be the far more impactful one…like he is in BRK.

[Optimus_Steel]

The game-flow here was fascinating.

Orlando is down 11 in the 3rd, a 19-7 run to have a small lead. Then another 19-7 run in the 4th as the icer.

B-e-a-utiful!

https://popcornmachine.net/gf?date=20241208&game=PHOORL

The team has a lot of toughness. They were down 17 in the 4th against Philly and fought to make it a one possession game. They are tough group of guys.

[GameOver25]

Couldn’t watch the game tonight, will watch the replay.

Looks like people owe Suggs an apology.

I do, he wasn't playing well earlier, and I got on him, but stepped up tremendously in the 2nd half and specifically the 4th quarter. The players only team meeting where the players told him to lead them is good to know. We need this type of Suggs and his composure.

[JoshuaPotter]

We shouldn't have won this game. Bravo. Simply put. Bravo.

[VFX]

Couldn’t watch the game tonight, will watch the replay.

Looks like people owe Suggs an apology.

I do, he wasn't playing well earlier, and I got on him, but stepped up tremendously in the 2nd half and specifically the 4th quarter. The players only team meeting where the players told him to lead them is good to know. We need this type of Suggs and his composure.

People have to accept that we will live and die by Suggs streakiness on offense. His offense isn’t reliable enough to expect he will shoot Orlando out of zero shot creation on this roster currently.

He will make bad decisions and huge game shifting defensive plays on the other side. Most of the time , except for the New York game, he will equal out as a positive influence.

I’m just happy he can have some good games on offense as the main guy in the meantime.

[eyriq]

The game-flow here was fascinating.

Orlando is down 11 in the 3rd, a 19-7 run to have a small lead. Then another 19-7 run in the 4th as the icer.

B-e-a-utiful!

https://popcornmachine.net/gf?date=20241208&game=PHOORL

I love this app!

[JoshuaPotter]

I apologize guys but i'm not going backward. Are we really going to start anyone not named Goga at center going forward? The dude has clearly put in the work, and doesn't belong on almost anyones 3rd string depth chart.

[Last Guardian]

Are we ready to put the Goga vs WCJr starting center debate to bed now, or is it still a thing?

Has it been a debate? Like 2 people argue for WCJ and the logic is laughable.

[Knightro]

I apologize guys but i'm not going backward. Are we really going to start anyone not named Goga at center going forward? The dude has clearly put in the work, and doesn't belong on almost anyones 3rd string depth chart.

The silver lining on this new Franz injury is that Goga won't be taken out of the lineup for quite a while it appears.

He's obviously going to continue to start while Paolo is out.

And when Paolo returns, I expect the lineup to be Suggs/KCP/Paolo/Carter/Goga.

So I would say we're getting at least 18-20 more games of Goga starting at center before the Magic will be faced with a potentially difficult decision about who the starting center is when Paolo and Franz are both healthy.

And who knows? Maybe Carter will have gotten re-injured by then. He has trouble staying healthy as we all know.

[Rainwater]

Nobody's really playing in "front" of anyone. We just need bodies out there lol. For instance, Caleb was in first but that was because WCJ was the first sub out, and it wouldn't have made sense to play Cole or Jett at PF.

I was speaking when the team is fully healthy. I feel like Cole has been in the doghouse due to poor play. But I feel like he has shown enough to get at least mins over Jett when everyone comes back.

The best version of Cole is easily better than Jett currently (early 6MOY vibes last year) - if he can get back to at least some of that, it would be desperately needed. He also brings self-creation at the guard spot that nobody else has and can score in bunches. The issue is right now that for the role he came into this season, it meant reeling that in a bit and being efficient and smart with the ball.. which he has been really up and down with.

Jett has his moments but is kind of just "meh" right now as well, but his low usage and role allows him to fit in with more lineups.

Cole, much like Moe, when they're bad.. it causes like 10-0 runs for the other team. But for this current team and roster, we would benefit from a good Cole more than anybody else's "good" version outside of Suggs/Goga.

Completely agree

[Bensational]

Maybe they are trying to get Jett mins but he shouldn't be playing in front of Cole.

Nobody's really playing in "front" of anyone. We just need bodies out there lol. For instance, Caleb was in first but that was because WCJ was the first sub out, and it wouldn't have made sense to play Cole or Jett at PF.

I was speaking when the team is fully healthy. I feel like Cole has been in the doghouse due to poor play. But I feel like he has shown enough to get at least mins over Jett when everyone comes back.

I would really like to see Jett get some of Cole’s complete green light and high USG before declaring that battle over. We know all the reasons why Cole can be a liability both defensively AND offensively, but Jett is really only a defensive liability.

I think Jett could be creating a lot more offense for himself and others if he was given the touches. Last night Jett got into the paint, got to the FT line, made some gorgeous assists to the bigs and played solid defense. As a younger prospect with a much better 3pt shot than Cole but also with a height advantage, Jett’s got a lot more potential than Cole and since we’re desperate for playmaking and scoring Jett should absolutely be getting big minutes and touches whilst Franz and Paolo are out.

I’d put Cole into the SL instead of TDS and slide KCP to the 3. Then AB and Jett run the offense for the 2nd unit.

[Knightro]

I would really like to see Jett get some of Cole’s complete green light and high USG before declaring that battle over. We know all the reasons why Cole can be a liability both defensively AND offensively, but Jett is really only a defensive liability.

Jett's been a liability on both ends this season.

.507 TS%, .314 3PT%, -2.0 OBPM, -2.0 Offensive EPM.