2024-2025 Regular Season Game 68: Orlando Magic (31-36) at Minnesota Timberwolves (38-29) - 8pm

[Knightro]

Probably Franz’s worst game of the entire season.

[KillMonger]

Yep back to ISO Paolo, he can't help himself.

yeah.....who else is stepping up? nobody? ok then....who else is going to get a bucket?

I mean you're not wrong, but still I felt like in the 1st half he was making reads based on what the defense was giving him. The 2nd half he was in his ISO let me show you my bag style of play. Whatever.

what do you expect when he goes to the bench and we go like 3 or 4 straight minutes scoreless.... and thats WITH franz on the court.....i mean the paolo franz iso also isn't my favorite part of our offense but tonight isn't the night to complain when he was the only one besides caleb actually seeing the ball go in the hoop

[thelead]

32 shots is a lot of shots.

On this offensively challenged team, I'll EASILY take a guy who shoots 58.4 TS% on 32 shots/11 FTs.

[Idiosyncratic]

7 points 4 boards in 46 minutes from our bigs. For as much as we need a guard, the bigs do very little now that Goga is unplayable.

Franz was really bad.

Paolo was basically a point per possession until the three free layups at the end, with bad defense. Don't think this is the game to make Paolo's case. Wasn't bad, but not as good as the points say.

Team was in the game because of hot role player shooting.

was with you until you said this

Until the layup line layups at the end he was like what 33 points on 33 possessions used? Even with the ending 43 on 39 possessions (2 free throws= 1 shot) , with some below average defense? It wasn't a great game IMO. Not bad, but you shoot that much you're going to score something. And he has to carry a heavy load but he didn't look to pass at all at the end.

[Redwood]

Kinda sucks to get six 3's from a guy who typically provides nothing and still lose, but it's not surprising when you have so many offensively inept players. We have the strangest box scores night after night, I've never seen scoring stats like what we put out there.

[GameOver25]

Good thing Black wasn’t on the court - he escapes blame for this collapse.

Nah he was on the court during the Wolves run and Magic drought. Couldn't dribble, missed layups, lack of assertiveness, not controlling the offense.

He was dribbling fine. DDV was doing a lot of grabbing and he mostly got away with it.

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Black dribbles from his back like Magic Johnson. Listen I want to like the kid but he's disappointing. He needs to be above average to survive with the core players and he's no where near it.

[ogmagicfan]

Paolo has been shooting alot better at the FT line since the all star break

Really encouraging, and a sign that his oblique is getting better

[Knightro]

Paolo padded his stats pretty good at the very end with 15 points in the final 3:56 when the Magic were trailing the entire way, but I’m not knocking him for that.

[Bensational]

32 shots is a lot of shots.

On this offensively challenged team, I'll EASILY take a guy who shoots 58.4 TS% on 32 shots/11 FTs.

Yeah I made an edit straight after expanding that it was still good efficiency on the high attempts. Not a dig at PB.

[ogmagicfan]

Kinda sucks to get six 3's from a guy who typically provides nothing and still lose, but it's not surprising when you have so many offensively inept players. We have the strangest box scores night after night, I've never seen scoring stats like what we put out there.

Back when I used to bet, I hated betting on the Magic because outside of Paolo & Franz there isnt much consistency from any of our other players

[Howard Mass]

One issue for The Magic is not enough shooting down the stretch.

When they played smaller tonight and with more shooting, the offense was better. Franz is going t have to become a better shooter if this team is going to win down the stretch.

[thelead]

Paolo padded his stats pretty good at the very end with 15 points in the final 3:56 when the Magic were trailing the entire way, but I’m not knocking him for that.

Definitely some stat padding at the end but man does it show how vulnerable Minny is defensively when Rudy is not out there. Paolo just put his head down and attacked the rim.

[ogmagicfan]

Wolves are one of the best at trapping in the NBA (Thunder are right with them)

[JF5]

Yeah, this team doesn't have the connectivity/chemistry to win even though they lack talent outside of Banchero and F. Wagner.

They could've won this game if they had that. But there are too many miscommunications out there.

[Idiosyncratic]

Paolo was like a point per possession until the Wolves conceded free buckets at the end. He did not play good defense. That is not a great game even if your point total is 30. IDK, I'm not in the trade Paolo hater camp, but that just is an OK game. We can't still be overrating raw points without context in 2025.

[GameOver25]

yeah.....who else is stepping up? nobody? ok then....who else is going to get a bucket?

I mean you're not wrong, but still I felt like in the 1st half he was making reads based on what the defense was giving him. The 2nd half he was in his ISO let me show you my bag style of play. Whatever.

what do you expect when he goes to the bench and we go like 3 or 4 straight minutes scoreless.... and thats WITH franz on the court.....i mean the paolo franz iso also isn't my favorite part of our offense but tonight isn't the night to complain when he was the only one besides caleb actually seeing the ball go in the hoop

I agree, I can't argue, he's been playing better overall.

[basketballRob]

Paolo padded his stats pretty good at the very end with 15 points in the final 3:56 when the Magic were trailing the entire way, but I’m not knocking him for that.

It reminds me of a TMac game from back in the day

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[KillMonger]

7 points 4 boards in 46 minutes from our bigs. For as much as we need a guard, the bigs do very little now that Goga is unplayable.

Franz was really bad.

Paolo was basically a point per possession until the three free layups at the end, with bad defense. Don't think this is the game to make Paolo's case. Wasn't bad, but not as good as the points say.

Team was in the game because of hot role player shooting.

was with you until you said this

Until the layup line layups at the end he was like what 33 points on 33 possessions used? Even with the ending 43 on 39 possessions (2 free throws= 1 shot) , with some below average defense? It wasn't a great game IMO. Not bad, but you shoot that much you're going to score something. And he has to carry a heavy load but he didn't look to pass at all at the end.

i mean at that point he had to do it....he was supposed to be getting more rest but had to come back in the game a bit earlier than usual because nobody could score....so when that happens yeah, you're the best player and at times you have to put the team on your back when everyone else having a tough shooting night...

[JF5]

Paolo was stat padding at the end. He still played a good game though against that tough defense Minny plays

[ogmagicfan]

32 shots is a lot of shots.

On this offensively challenged team, I'll EASILY take a guy who shoots 58.4 TS% on 32 shots/11 FTs.

With this game, Paolo's TS% is higher than last season