Official 2024-2025 Magic General Season Thread I

[pepe1991]

Mosley and Simmons on podcat about Orlando- taken from reddit

He states that Mose was his #2 coach of the year candidate last year, but the injuries are not an excuse for just how bad and uncreative the offense is right now.

“Someone in what’s left of the Orlando basketball media has to gently ask the question, so what’s the idea for this offense?”

“When is the expiration date on the magic being a feel good story? Can we treat them like a real team now?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Q4dGSjti6R0&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F

Around 1:44:40

Lowe says that Mosley's seat is - ice cold. But doesn't hold punches calling offense unwatchable, "stinks, no matter who is on the floor, 27th on offense".

[BadMofoPimp]

The Magic should not be living and dying at the 3 shooting 30+ of them a game. If they don't have the shooters, STOP shooting them and go for high percentage 2's then also attack the damn basket. Just idiotic coaching to allow this to happen for this long. If it ain't working, don't do it.

[pepe1991]

The Magic should not be living and dying at the 3 shooting 30+ of them a game. If they don't have the shooters, STOP shooting them and go for high percentage 2's then also attack the damn basket. Just idiotic coaching to allow this to happen for this long. If it ain't working, don't do it.

If you stop taking them, defense will clog paint even more. We already saw some of ugliest, deepest 2-3 zones vs us.

[BadMofoPimp]

The Magic should not be living and dying at the 3 shooting 30+ of them a game. If they don't have the shooters, STOP shooting them and go for high percentage 2's then also attack the damn basket. Just idiotic coaching to allow this to happen for this long. If it ain't working, don't do it.

If you stop taking them, defense will clog paint even more. We already saw some of ugliest, deepest 2-3 zones vs us.

This has nothing to do with not taking them, just take much less. Shooting 40 3's a game is killing this team. If they clog the paint, then the 3's they do take will be more open 3's. As of right now, they are forcing 3's on the majority of plays.

[eyriq]

Mosley and Simmons on podcat about Orlando- taken from reddit

He states that Mose was his #2 coach of the year candidate last year, but the injuries are not an excuse for just how bad and uncreative the offense is right now.

“Someone in what’s left of the Orlando basketball media has to gently ask the question, so what’s the idea for this offense?”

“When is the expiration date on the magic being a feel good story? Can we treat them like a real team now?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Q4dGSjti6R0&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F

Around 1:44:40

Lowe says that Mosley's seat is - ice cold. But doesn't hold punches calling offense unwatchable, "stinks, no matter who is on the floor, 27th on offense".

It should be ice cold.

[basketballRob]

Suggs and AB had nearly identical second season stats.

https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=suggsja01&p1yrfrom=2023&p1yrto=2023&player_id2=blackan01&p2yrfrom=2025&p2yrto=2025

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Ducklett]

Durant trade destinations popping up.

[eyriq]

Suggs and AB had nearly identical second season stats.

https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=suggsja01&p1yrfrom=2023&p1yrto=2023&player_id2=blackan01&p2yrfrom=2025&p2yrto=2025

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

Yup. With better size and availability. Suggs looks like the better scorer, AB the better playmaker, which means they could be a very very good compliment to each other.

[eyriq]

ESPN’s updated impact metrics (oNet = offensive net rating, dNet = defensive net, tNet = total) show some telling trends for the Magic’s core between 2024 and 2025.

Biggest tNet Risers:
• Paolo Banchero: +0.88
• Significant gains in both oNet (+0.53) and dNet (+0.35); he’s evolving into a two-way star.
• Goga Bitadze: +0.75
• dNet leap from 1.22 to 2.47 (+1.25) suggests real rim protection value, even with a minor oNet dip.
• Anthony Black: +0.38
• Still negative overall, but improved defensively (dNet: -0.16 → 0.55).

Defensive Growth:
• Jalen Suggs: dNet jumped +1.12 (from -0.05 to 1.07), but oNet dropped hard (-1.13). Still a net negative, but trending toward specialist status.
• Franz Wagner: Small but steady uptick in both oNet (+0.04) and dNet (+0.22).

Major Declines:
• Jonathan Isaac: tNet fell from 4.63 to 1.3 (−3.33). Both oNet (−2.26) and dNet (−1.07) dropped, though he remains a solid defender.
• Wendell Carter Jr.: tNet loss of −1.06, with a concerning −1.15 dip in oNet.
• Cole Anthony: Declined on both ends; tNet fell −1.42.

Summary:
The 2024 Magic posted a stronger collective tNet, driven by Isaac’s elite impact, Moritz Wagner’s high oNet, and a tighter rotation. The 2025 squad has seen promising development from Banchero and Bitadze but lacks the same depth as last year.

[Knightro]

The 2024 Magic posted a stronger collective tNet, driven by Isaac’s elite impact, Moritz Wagner’s high oNet, and a tighter rotation. The 2025 squad has seen promising development from Banchero and Bitadze but lacks the same depth as last year.

2024 Magic also had Joe Ingles (-0.2 tNET) who's minutes have mostly been replaced by Da Silva (-1.6 tNET) who has been much worse overall.

[Skybox]

Durant trade destinations popping up.

Watching to see what bargain we can pluck from a team chasing big game and, perhaps, sacrificing a young talent for pick(s) or better-fitting players to package to PHX…a team already loaded with guards

[KillMonger]

Read on Twitter

[Knightro]

The 2024 Magic posted a stronger collective tNet, driven by Isaac’s elite impact, Moritz Wagner’s high oNet, and a tighter rotation. The 2025 squad has seen promising development from Banchero and Bitadze but lacks the same depth as last year.

Long story short...

The Magic's bench last year was extremely effective and this year it's been awful.

Cole/Ingles/Isaac/Moritz as a four-man combo had the most games played together last year of every four-man combo on the team and put up a +11.1 NET.

It didn't matter if the 5th man was Franz, Harris or Black - those four guys together were really good with whatever 5th man they had out there.

Isaac has regressed DRAMATICALLY from last year. His individual net rating in 2024 was +10.9 (113.0 ORTG, 102.1 DRTG). This year's it's -1.2 (105.2 ORTG, 106.4 DRTG). Statistically, even though he only played 16 MPG, he was the most impactful defensive player on a per minute basis in the entire NBA last year. The Magic were the best team in the NBA defensively by a mile when Isaac was on the floor and just absolutely killed people.

Cole is also much worse (+2.6 NET last year, -1.1 NET this year).

Ingles (+5.8 NET) wasn't retained and his primary replacement TDS (-3.5 NET) has been really bad.

And Moritz because of injury is going to play 851 minutes less than last year.

---------

Basically it's exactly what I laid out in the Clippers game thread.

1. They gambled that they could effectively replace Ingles' playmaking responsibilities internally and that did not happen
2. Isaac regressed SEVERELY year over year - went from unquestionably the most impactful low minute player in the NBA to an actively harmful player
3. KCP, because of poor shooting in comparison to the rest of his career, has not effectively replaced Suggs/Gary in the starting SG role
4. Franz and Paolo, while overall better players than last year, are both still such inconsistent and overall poor perimeter shooters that they negatively impact wins and losses more significantly on a game-to-game basis (Franz 34% 3PT in wins, 23% 3PT in losses - Paolo 38% 3PT in wins, 27% 3PT in losses)

[Bensational]

Can the Magic take 4 of the next 5 games to finish .500?

WAS - Yes
ATL - Maybe
BOS - Unlikely (2nd night of b2b)
IND - Unlikely (3rd game in 4 nights)
ATL - Maybe

Will require some serious rallying from them to take some of those games. They’ve already beat every team there once this season, so they’ve proven it’s doable.

41-41 after all the injuries and other struggles this season would be a pretty decent accomplishment. Lose Paolo for 34 games, Franz for 20, Suggs for 47, Mo for 52 and only lose 6 games more than the season prior?

Leggo 500!!!!

[pepe1991]

Durant trade destinations popping up.

Watching to see what bargain we can pluck from a team chasing big game and, perhaps, sacrificing a young talent for pick(s) or better-fitting players to package to PHX…a team already loaded with guards

Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, reports Shams Charania.

Let's play a little with this list

Wolves
Durant for Randle, McDaniels and Pistons 2025 pick.

Miami Heat
Durant for Ware, Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, picks (assuming Robinson picks player's option )

Knicks
Durant for OG, Mitchell Robinson, picks

Spurs
Durant for Keon Johnson, Vassell, Castle (? why? ) or Sochan + picks

Rockets
Durant for Jabari, Brooks, Shappard, getting Suns pick back


Key for Suns is to convince Beal to get a f*** out. Wizards were already interested, because why not

[Knightro]

Durant trade destinations popping up.

Watching to see what bargain we can pluck from a team chasing big game and, perhaps, sacrificing a young talent for pick(s) or better-fitting players to package to PHX…a team already loaded with guards

Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, reports Shams Charania.

Let's play a little with this list

Wolves
Durant for Randle, McDaniels and Pistons 2025 pick.

Miami Heat
Durant for Ware, Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, picks (assuming Robinson picks player's option )

Knicks
Durant for OG, Mitchell Robinson, picks

Spurs
Durant for Keon Johnson, Vassell, Castle (? why? ) or Sochan + picks

Rockets
Durant for Jabari, Brooks, Shappard, getting Suns pick back


Key for Suns is to convince Beal to get a f*** out. Wizards were already interested, because why not

I strongly suspect Durant will fetch a lot less in a trade than people expect.

Only one year left on his deal and he’s already talking about ring chasing at the end of his career.

[I Rasharted]

Watch on YouTube

[pepe1991]

Watching to see what bargain we can pluck from a team chasing big game and, perhaps, sacrificing a young talent for pick(s) or better-fitting players to package to PHX…a team already loaded with guards

Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, reports Shams Charania.

Let's play a little with this list

Wolves
Durant for Randle, McDaniels and Pistons 2025 pick.

Miami Heat
Durant for Ware, Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, picks (assuming Robinson picks player's option )

Knicks
Durant for OG, Mitchell Robinson, picks

Spurs
Durant for Keon Johnson, Vassell, Castle (? why? ) or Sochan + picks

Rockets
Durant for Jabari, Brooks, Shappard, getting Suns pick back


Key for Suns is to convince Beal to get a f*** out. Wizards were already interested, because why not

I strongly suspect Durant will fetch a lot less in a trade than people expect.

Only one year left on his deal and he’s already talking about ring chasing at the end of his career.

Suns were allegedly offered Kuminga and Butler in 3 teams trade but Durant didn't want to return to Warriors .

Thing is, if you are Wolves for example, with Gobert, Conley, Edwards, their title window is narrow.

Knicks championship window is even narrower. Mikal, Robinson are UFA after next year, they have like 8 men under contract for next season without salary cap.

[Optimus_Steel]

The Magic should not be living and dying at the 3 shooting 30+ of them a game. If they don't have the shooters, STOP shooting them and go for high percentage 2's then also attack the damn basket. Just idiotic coaching to allow this to happen for this long. If it ain't working, don't do it.

If you stop taking them, defense will clog paint even more. We already saw some of ugliest, deepest 2-3 zones vs us.

It depends on the type of 3s. Are they coming off penetration and kick outs and/or good ball movement or are they coming because you can’t do those things so you have to settle for contested 3s?

[Knightro]

Can the Magic take 4 of the next 5 games to finish .500?

WAS - Yes
ATL - Maybe
BOS - Unlikely (2nd night of b2b)
IND - Unlikely (3rd game in 4 nights)
ATL - Maybe

If the Magic lose to the Hawks at home with four days of rest leading into it and with the Hawks playing their third game in four nights...