2024-2025 Regular Season Game 74: Dallas Mavericks (35-38) at Orlando Magic (35-38) - 7pm

[JoshuaPotter]

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Man I remember saying at the beginning of the season that I think that the coach is actually our weakest link. While I might be technically right, the backcourt heard me and said "hold my beer"

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Who defends you matters.
3 wins streak vs:

Wizards- just allowed 162 points -top 5 most points allowed in nba history (without OT) and Wizards worst loss in franchise history. They are THAT bad.

Lakers- no PF/C in sight.

Hornets - team that lost: 35 to Clippers, 32 to Hawks, 35 to OKC, 17 to Heat ( and somehow beat Knicks )


Dallas team is crippled ( no PF, C backup C available) but they have actual defensive principles, where other 3 previous teams have no clue what they are doing. Lakers players understand concept of defense, but don't have players to make it work. I mean, their best individual defender is 40 and he hasn't been good on defense for 5 years at least.

That means nothing. We lost to the Trailblazers, Jazz, and Toronto and they had no defensive identity. Each game lost was due to shooting.

Toronto is best defense in nba post all star game, their whole roster has similar build to our own- tall defenders. It's just shameful in fashion we lost to them, where they threw game by benching starters and we couldn't win.

Post all star- Blazers are 12th defense.

Jazz suck, i have no argument there

We played Utah and Blazers before all star break and we lost to Toronto and Bulls (3 games) by a total of 5 points and each game we had a chance to win but our offense wasn’t going and only one of those games were we under our point average.

[89Magicfan]

This is shaping up to be one of those classic litmus test games for this fan base about Paolo.

Shooting great. Efficiency is really good.

But he has 6 turnovers through 3 quarters and is playing awful defense.

But because no one else is shooting it particularly well, I suspect he’ll get a pass since he’s the only one scoring.

It’s an interesting dynamic anyway.

I just don't know how Paolo is being blamed for everything.

His defense wasn't bad at all today. Had to rewatch the game just to make sure. Typically, there was something glaring but there was nothing today.

He wasn't losing his man like he typically does and wasn't getting blown by.

The Mavs only scored 101 points today, and Paolo had the 3rd best defensive rating (again a stat I hate) for guys playing over 20 mins.

People complained about Paolo's TS%. Since that has improved, the goal post has seemed to changed to something else.

In a game were the Mavs struggled to score, the magic only hit 5/30 from 3, magic players went scoreless including a starter, the second best struggled for the most part; I just don't see now Paolo (or his defense) is the problem when he went 35, 10, 4 on good efficiency.

Typical. Some fans expect the best player on the team to be best at this and that. He’s more under a microscope than anyone else. It’s natural. Illogical and irrational but it’s what comes with the territory.

Hard to remember how young he is and how there’s things he has to learn.

[eyriq]

This is shaping up to be one of those classic litmus test games for this fan base about Paolo.

Shooting great. Efficiency is really good.

But he has 6 turnovers through 3 quarters and is playing awful defense.

But because no one else is shooting it particularly well, I suspect he’ll get a pass since he’s the only one scoring.

It’s an interesting dynamic anyway.

I just don't know how Paolo is being blamed for everything.

His defense wasn't bad at all today. Had to rewatch the game just to make sure. Typically, there was something glaring but there was nothing today.

He wasn't losing his man like he typically does and wasn't getting blown by.

The Mavs only scored 101 points today, and Paolo had the 3rd best defensive rating (again a stat I hate) for guys playing over 20 mins.

People complained about Paolo's TS%. Since that has improved, the goal post has seemed to changed to something else.

In a game were the Mavs struggled to score, the magic only hit 5/30 from 3, magic players went scoreless including a starter, the second best struggled for the most part; I just don't see now Paolo (or his defense) is the problem when he went 35, 10, 4 on good efficiency.

Typical. Some fans expect the best player on the team to be best at this and that. He’s more under a microscope than anyone else. It’s natural. Illogical and irrational but it’s what comes with the territory.

Hard to remember how young he is and how there’s things he has to learn.

Advanced stats have swung in favor of Paolo but muscle memory of ingrained and wrong critiques won't go away overnight.

[Ducklett]

I wonder if 3 games in 4 nights with travel made this game a hot mess.

[89Magicfan]

I just don't know how Paolo is being blamed for everything.

His defense wasn't bad at all today. Had to rewatch the game just to make sure. Typically, there was something glaring but there was nothing today.

He wasn't losing his man like he typically does and wasn't getting blown by.

The Mavs only scored 101 points today, and Paolo had the 3rd best defensive rating (again a stat I hate) for guys playing over 20 mins.

People complained about Paolo's TS%. Since that has improved, the goal post has seemed to changed to something else.

In a game were the Mavs struggled to score, the magic only hit 5/30 from 3, magic players went scoreless including a starter, the second best struggled for the most part; I just don't see now Paolo (or his defense) is the problem when he went 35, 10, 4 on good efficiency.

Typical. Some fans expect the best player on the team to be best at this and that. He’s more under a microscope than anyone else. It’s natural. Illogical and irrational but it’s what comes with the territory.

Hard to remember how young he is and how there’s things he has to learn.

Advanced stats have swung in favor of Paolo but muscle memory of ingrained and wrong critiques won't go away overnight.

It won’t go away for even some. Some fans just expect unrealistic things and can’t enjoy what they got.

[eyriq]

I wonder if 3 games in 4 nights with travel made this game a hot mess.

Good call.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

I wonder if 3 games in 4 nights with travel made this game a hot mess.

No! Paolo and Franz had 55 points and everyone else had 37 total points. Paolo and Franz also played heavy minutes in those 3 games in 4 nights. What was everyone else’s excuse?

[byeganyo]

Dallas also played their 3rd game in 4 nights - and on the road too... enough with the excuses

[Knightro]

I just don't know how Paolo is being blamed for everything.

His defense wasn't bad at all today. Had to rewatch the game just to make sure. Typically, there was something glaring but there was nothing today.

He wasn't losing his man like he typically does and wasn't getting blown by.

The Mavs only scored 101 points today, and Paolo had the 3rd best defensive rating (again a stat I hate) for guys playing over 20 mins.

People complained about Paolo's TS%. Since that has improved, the goal post has seemed to changed to something else.

In a game were the Mavs struggled to score, the magic only hit 5/30 from 3, magic players went scoreless including a starter, the second best struggled for the most part; I just don't see now Paolo (or his defense) is the problem when he went 35, 10, 4 on good efficiency.

Typical. Some fans expect the best player on the team to be best at this and that. He’s more under a microscope than anyone else. It’s natural. Illogical and irrational but it’s what comes with the territory.

Hard to remember how young he is and how there’s things he has to learn.

Advanced stats have swung in favor of Paolo but muscle memory of ingrained and wrong critiques won't go away overnight.

Net points isn’t even a real stat. I only post them to humor you.

[eyriq]

Typical. Some fans expect the best player on the team to be best at this and that. He’s more under a microscope than anyone else. It’s natural. Illogical and irrational but it’s what comes with the territory.

Hard to remember how young he is and how there’s things he has to learn.

Advanced stats have swung in favor of Paolo but muscle memory of ingrained and wrong critiques won't go away overnight.

Net points isn’t even a real stat. I only post them to humor you.

I appreciate it

[GelbeWand09]

I tried to watch the last games and despite the 3 wins. We are still just **** show to watch. Even the Lakers game was so ugly Basketball. Iso Paolo, Iso Franz, Iso Paolo, Iso Franz..... Horrible. The defense got no intensity at all. The role players are all so limited offensively and most of them are bad athletes too. Than I watch LaVine less Chicago or Detroit games. Teams most people (me included) thought are ways worse than us before the season and they are so fun. Unlike the bad T-Mac or early Dwight years it doesn't even makes fun watching our so called stars, because of their playstyle and Paolos bad defense. Having the worst guard rotation by a mile in the leaque after 15 or more years of having top 3-5 worst guard rotations is just so painful that it's almost funny. KCP is probably my least favorite player and signing since forever. What a joke. Just worst season since Dwightmare.

[VFX]

This game informed us that KCP, Gary Harris, and Jonathan Isaac were terrible signings in the offseason and that Weltman is an idiot.

That’s all.