2024-2025 Regular Season Game 58: Memphis Grizzlies (36-19) at Orlando Magic (28-29) - 7pm

[mattyBoi]

We have 5 of the 25 worst 3 point shooters in the entire NBA this season, to include the worst. KCP is one of those worst 25.

[MasterGMer]

We could easily win this one. But bad execution and TO killed the game. Very demoralizing, of course. But there are key games down the road. We've got to do a better job. Tough lesson. But the key is how we gonna come back.

[KillMonger]

it just sucks because you can't play AB because it looked like he wasn't handling the pressure well and cole was doing ok but he's just too small.....like Ja wouldn't have been able to do to suggs what he did to cole....

[Optimus_Steel]

Magic get up 19 and act like this game is over. This team feels like a lottery team that doesn’t know any better. In a few mins the lead was gone. This team just doesn’t have it mentally.

[FFBlitzace]

This season has turned out to be an extremely disappointing disaster and it will be a relief when it ends. But we don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. This season sucks in multiple ways and we will need to put it behind us, but we still have good things going for us and next season doesn't have to be a repeat of this disaster. I'm beside myself over what this season has turned into, but I still feel good about our future outlook.

[SOUL]

This season has turned out to be an extremely disappointing disaster and it will be a relief when it ends. But we don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. This season sucks in multiple ways and we will need to put it behind us, but we still have good things going for us and next season doesn't have to be a repeat of this disaster. I'm beside myself over what this season has turned into, but I still feel good about our future outlook.

Yeah it's just a dumb year.

Mavs MISSED the play-in after the Kyrie trade, then went to the finals the next year

[Optimus_Steel]

This team, along with having major guard and shooting deficiencies, still has a-lot of growing up to do mentally and being able to execute. Those were mental errors that 18 wins teams make.

[thelead]

Paolo gonna get Mose fired and fans gonna convince themselves some weird retread coach is better

Paolo’s contract is going to cripple us if he can’t level up. His efficiency is absolutely dog ****.
Weltman is also sabotaging his coach with this roster. He let Fultz and Ingles go and didn’t replace the playmaking.
And lastly, Mose is gonna get himself fired if he doesn’t swallow his pride and hire some experienced assistants.

[KillMonger]

KCP is doing what he has done for his career pretty much....not the percentages but he's pretty much always been a 10ppg player.....but you hope for more.....but the reality is, after pretty good sample size....what we're looking at is what we have in KCP....he took us for 66 million....i'm looking at malik beasley right now like....you should've been the one.....like tonight KCP scored 9 points in 33 minutes....Beasley has 10 points in 11 minutes right now.....detroit got him for 6 million

[ORLMagicGirl15]

BS. He’s 1 of the only 2 on this entire team that can create a good look for himself. Who the hell else you want taking those shots in crunch time? KCP? WCJ? AB?

???

i mean paolo shooting didn't do us any favors but i can't really go too hard on him when he goes to the free throw 13 times he's attacking at least....the problem was execution and we didn't execute tonight when we needed to....lost by 1....missed 8 free throws

No, my confusion is what the poster said. I never said that I don't trust Paolo having the ball in crunch time. I think his shooting in the 4th and him not calling a timeout didn't do the Magic any favors.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Magic get up 19 and act like this game is over. This team feels like a lottery team that doesn’t know any better. In a few mins the lead was gone. This team just doesn’t have it mentally.

Some of the fans as well. Leads in the NBA come and go, it is the celebrating in the 3rd that got me

[KillMonger]

???

i mean paolo shooting didn't do us any favors but i can't really go too hard on him when he goes to the free throw 13 times he's attacking at least....the problem was execution and we didn't execute tonight when we needed to....lost by 1....missed 8 free throws

No, my confusion is what the poster said. I never said that I don't trust Paolo having the ball in crunch time. I think his shooting in the 4th and him not calling a timeout didn't do the Magic any favors.

for sure.....4th quarter execution all around was horrific

[Knightro]

Goga made a tip layup with 4:39 to go. He was then subbed out for Carter before the next offensive possession.

From there...

Next possession: Paolo tries to get Morant switched onto him via KCP screen, but Memphis fights over it. Paolo iso into a 19 footer, missed. Zero passes.

Next possession: Paolo dribble hand off to Franz directly into a Paolo post up on Bane. This is actually pretty good action to create an advantageous scenario for the offense. But Paolo takes a very difficult spinning fadeaway over Bane that misses. One pass.

Next possession: They hunt the exact same Morant switch for Paolo with a KCP screen and again Memphis fights over it properly. Paolo isos and bully balls Aldama to get to the line. Splits the pair almost airballing the 2nd FT. Zero passes.

Next possession: Cole gives to Franz top of the key with 18 on the shot clock. Carter comes up immediately and screens Bane. This is quicker action finally. Memphis switches, leaving JJJ on Franz. Magic again hunt the Morant switch with KCP setting the screen and this time they finally get it, but Franz loses the ball out of bounds beyond the 3PT line. Turnover. One pass.

Next possession: Cole gives to Franz top of the key with 16 on the shot clock. KCP comes up and screens which gives Franz Bane on the switch. Cole then comes and screens Bane which gives Franz Clarke on the switch. For some reason, Franz does NOT attack Clarke in isolation and instead picks up his dribble beyond the 3PT line. He kicks sideways to Cole who has to take a late shot clock three against a reasonable Bane contest that is missed short. Two passes.

Next possession: Paolo dribbles up. The Magic attempt to get the Morant switch again, again fail, and so Paolo straight isolates on Aldama. Drives and looks to hit Carter on the cut, but a really good play by JJJ to break up the pass and knock it out of bounds as he was coming over to help. Was the right read by Paolo and Carter was wide open, but a heck of a play by a great defensive player. Magic retain possession. One pass not completed.

Continuation of the same possession: Paolo isolates on Aldama and makes the correct read to a wide open Franz in the corner as Memphis completely botches their defense. Franz pump fakes the three in order to side step Bane who was woefully out of position (THIS WAS REALLY BAD) and then misses short as Bane is able to get back into the play to contest from the side. Cole flies in for the OREB and kicks it back out to Paolo. At this point the Memphis defense is scrambled and Paolo has Clarke on him. He doesn't dribble or even look to drive to the rim, instead jab steps and takes a three which badly misses. Two passes, one before and one after the OREB.


The Magic wasted so much time on every possession trying to hunt mismatches and simply couldn't do it quickly... or successfully! They were unable to get Morant onto Paolo on THREE different occasions. They did run a perfectly reasonable Franz/Paolo dribble hand off into a post up action to get Bane on Paolo and Paolo bailed him out by taking super difficult fadeaway against a guy who is 5 inches shorter and 45 lbs lighter than he is. They did successfully get the Morant switch on Franz once... and he immediately turned it over.

Just awful basketball.

Paolo is just not efficient enough (not even close tbh) to grind all these late game possessions to a screeching halt to try and iso against smaller players.

Franz usually is, but he puked on himself late in the game tonight multiple times as well.

[ogmagicfan]

This season has turned out to be an extremely disappointing disaster and it will be a relief when it ends. But we don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. This season sucks in multiple ways and we will need to put it behind us, but we still have good things going for us and next season doesn't have to be a repeat of this disaster. I'm beside myself over what this season has turned into, but I still feel good about our future outlook.

Yeah it's just a dumb year.

Mavs MISSED the play-in after the Kyrie trade, then went to the finals the next year

Grizz had the 9th pick last yr and are on pace for close to around 55 wins this season

[byeganyo]

Paolo gonna get Mose fired and fans gonna convince themselves some weird retread coach is better

Mosley is a good coach. Bickerstaff is a good coach too....
I doubt the FO that kept JI for 8 years is going to make something as drastical as firing a coach, but good coaches get canned too.
This is a team that has never been good offensively under Mosley. Something gotta give.

Can someone give stats for the last 5 minutes in the league this season, where is orlando? i have the feeling that in the clutch we just stop scoring, but maybe is just the moment talking.

[FFBlitzace]

People need to calm down blaming a particular person for this loss. Everyone seemed to have a role in this loss. Franz turnover, Cole turnover, Paolo missed timeout, Franz missed rebound, no one can make shot, Cole being hunted on D.

The old mantra has never stopped being true. You win as a team, you lose as a team. Togetherness was a huge part of our success and it will have to be an equally huge part of their failure too.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

This season has turned out to be an extremely disappointing disaster and it will be a relief when it ends. But we don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. This season sucks in multiple ways and we will need to put it behind us, but we still have good things going for us and next season doesn't have to be a repeat of this disaster. I'm beside myself over what this season has turned into, but I still feel good about our future outlook.

Yeah it's just a dumb year.

Mavs MISSED the play-in after the Kyrie trade, then went to the finals the next year

Grizz had the 9th pick last yr and are on pace for close to around 55 wins this season

All of their starters were hurt, the year before they were a 55 win team. Last year for them was like the Warriors 2021 year where Steph was out for the season.

[Knightro]

Mosley will get fired long before the Magic do anything with Paolo, but I also don't think Mosley's doing anything from a scheme perspective that the front office doesn't actively want him to be doing.

The organization WANTS to force feed Paolo and Franz all these isolations and switches onto smaller guys because they think it will benefit them both and ultimately the franchise as a whole the most in the long run.

[thelead]

Down 1 with less than 30 seconds left and Franz AND Paolo decide to take 3’s. Paolo is shooting 29.7% from 3 and Franz is shooting 31.2% from 3 this season. Just dumb. We’re going nowhere with that level of shooting.

[Optimus_Steel]

Magic get up 19 and act like this game is over. This team feels like a lottery team that doesn’t know any better. In a few mins the lead was gone. This team just doesn’t have it mentally.

Some of the fans as well. Leads in the NBA come and go, it is the celebrating in the 3rd that got me

Our players have a lot of growing up to do. We are not good enough to be acting like this. We got up 19 and within a few minutes the lead was gone, and not just gone they were losing. Yes they got the lead back to end the 3rd up 3 but the damage was already done. This allowed it to be close enough for Mem to keep fighting and they are good team, they know they can pressure the Magic to fall apart and eventually they did.