2024-2025 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 1: (7) Orlando Magic at (2) Boston Celtics - 3:30pm ET

[pepe1991]

It's not even just that Boston has shooters, it is the looks they generate and how frequently they do it. It's just a lot to deal with. It's like the perfected version of the Steve Nash Suns and Harden Rockets except with more ways to beat you and more defense.

Need them to have dud shooting games to have a chance, that goes for a lot of teams not just us.

And having willing stars to buy into system where they are decoy more often than any other star duo was aside of maybe Duncan and Parker.

Tatum is out there screening for bench guards, Brown has no issue being benched half of a game.
Most stars won't do it.

[Skybox]

WCJ starting over Goga is criminal

I really don't think either one is THE answer.

[fateis007]

Mosley needs to go. Pathetic rotations, pathetic offense. Paolo is the only one keeping this guy with a job. I would not risk the primes of our star players with this Coach inability to craft anything close to resembling an NBA offense for 3-4 years straight,

You know it's bad when Caleb frickin houston was the only guy able to run a pick and roll and get us an easy basket to JI.

Yeah man not on the front office at all to add anybody, coaches like Malone, Jenkins, Mike Brown, Nurse, Budenholzer, Spo (regular season) are all just bad!

Sorry but it just doesn't pass the smell test. How many years we going to excuse this Coach from leading a bottom 3 offense and keep pointing to everything but him. This offense is just dreadful. KCP/Gary/Houston are all system players, and if the system sucks, they don't get good looks. How hard is it to try and free up KCP off a screen? Why do we never used Paolo as the roller and get other guys involved?

It's just a constant stream of ISO basketball. Could we have better players? Ofcourse. Does this offense pass the eye test? No, it sucks.

[SOUL]

I’ll give the sophomore playing his first playoff game a bit more leeway. Why was Cole 0-1 from 3 and 1-3 overall? I thought he was supposed to be a scorer who was proving us all wrong? On a night we’re desperate for scoring, where was he? Same for Wendell. He got his flowers last game, but there are crickets on criticism of him be a big fat zero in the paint.

It has nothing to do with AB's game at all. He was fine as a disruptive guard, but there were simply no other answers from our role players on offense.

I think if AB was cooking offensively then I'd be right there with you, but they were basically searching for any sort of offensive spark other than Paolo/Franz. And acting like we had great momentum in AB minutes is false.

Look how many momentum shattering threes the Celtics hit from a turnover in this game alone. I can remember like 5 this entire year we've had. We simply don't have the offensive personnel.

[3ddman23]

Yup... Detroit put Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley & tim hardaway. And acquired schorder at the deadline. And those guys went out and almost beat New York yesterday in msg... I truly don't understand what this front office is thinking waiting so long to improve this roster. One more summer is all they get from me...

I mean, to be fair, then they gave up a 21-0 run in the 4th. They lasted a quarter longer versus an inferior playoff team than the Celtics. Point stands for the regular season though.

Yea but those guys are the ones that put them in the position to potentially win that game in the first place. Magic have van vleet & Dillion Brooks and Steven Adams and they are a 50 win team....

[Bensational]

It's not even just that Boston has shooters, it is the looks they generate and how frequently they do it. It's just a lot to deal with. It's like the perfected version of the Steve Nash Suns and Harden Rockets except with more ways to beat you and more defense.

Need them to have dud shooting games to have a chance, that goes for a lot of teams not just us.

They got a bunch of good looks just from 2-man pick and pop work too, so they don’t even need to run it through big actions to get a shot they’re happy with.

[George3265]

This is gonna be the most important off season. If no trade is made with our assets for a scorer +center (Simon, Booker, ect.), Paolo's departure from the Magic will be on the horizon.

[Skybox]

I thought Wendell did very well defensively, but yeah, he needs to give us more on offense. I doubt playing Goga would have made a difference, Boston are just too good. Not that this would stop people from blaming players they dislike in the next few days...

WCJ's inconsistency was always my issue with him. He's been better this year, but he's still not enough...coming off the bench (on his present deal, not that stupid upcoming extension) as an important role player - he'd be really valuable. He's good, but he's just in over his head as this team hopes to ascend. He fought today, but I hope we're keeping our eyes out.

Goga has certainly had his moments, but...meh

[thelead]

Paolo with 36pts on 60.7 TS%. He has leveled up.

[Knightro]

I think I would have to at least call the Nuggets about Jamal Murray, huge contract and all.

[ogmagicfan]

After Paolos first year it should have been imminent to get players around him.

They have not at all.

Actually the complete opposite.

Yup... Detroit put Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley & tim hardaway. And acquired schorder at the deadline. And those guys went out and almost beat New York yesterday in msg... I truly don't understand what this front office is thinking waiting so long to improve this roster. One more summer is all they get from me...

They have never cared.

They make money. That’s it.

Then blame everything on a “small” market.

Yea I bet.

Shaq
Penny
Dwight
Paolo

The fact no ring has been won is completely on the ownership/front office

If you aren’t invested, just sell the team. Will be plenty of buyers who are interested in the Orlando area.

Just quit scamming the fans.

WOOHOO WE MADE THE PLAYOFFS

I really hope pressure gets put on the Devos family to sell the team, because like you said. Especially since Rich passed away, this franchise has only been seen as an investment. They do not care about winning anything here.

The freebees, the giveaways, everything they do is to be as cheap as possible. The ticket prices are ridiculous, etc etc

I personally wouldnt want someone like Shaq as a partial owner because of him being such a hater and rubbing NBA players the wrong way, but if the choice is between a group including Shaq or the Devos fanily, I'm choosing the new ownership group 10/10 times

Paolo was one of only 4-5 players EVER to average 20/7/4 in his rookie season, Franz emerged that season too as a legitimate threat.

Not adding anyone worth while since then, is malpractice. No other way to put it

[eyriq]

WCJ starting over Goga is criminal

Not overpaying Hartenstein and Tyus was the real issue.

Yeah, two options that would have made a nice difference.

[ogmagicfan]

I cant and wont fault Paolo if he does force his way out in the upcoming seasons

The franchise, ownership, and FO do not care and show that everyday

[Idiosyncratic]

It's not even just that Boston has shooters, it is the looks they generate and how frequently they do it. It's just a lot to deal with. It's like the perfected version of the Steve Nash Suns and Harden Rockets except with more ways to beat you and more defense.

Need them to have dud shooting games to have a chance, that goes for a lot of teams not just us.

They got a bunch of good looks just from 2-man pick and pop work too, so they don’t even need to run it through big actions to get a shot they’re happy with.

Yeah because they aren't just one-dimensional shooters except maybe Hauser. Both bigs can shoot it, Tatum/Brown can drive right by you and dunk it on your head or shoot, Pritchard, White and Jrue are all good ball-handlers that can also hit 7 spot up 3s on you. They are built incredibly well for modern basketball. It's insanely hard to guard.

[SOUL]

Sorry but it just doesn't pass the smell test. How many years we going to excuse this Coach from leading a bottom 3 offense and keep pointing to everything but him. This offense is just dreadful. KCP/Gary/Houston are all system players, and if the system sucks, they don't get good looks. How hard is it to try and free up KCP off a screen? Why do we never used Paolo as the roller and get other guys involved?

It's just a constant stream of ISO basketball. Could we have better players? Ofcourse. Does this offense pass the eye test? No, it sucks.

Do you think the Clippers run the most isos for funsies or that Harden and Kawhi are both most effective like that? That's literally what the Magic do. Franz's shot is broken and Paolo can't hit threes regularly yet, ergo, they operate in isolation because they are strong/swift 6'10 forwards that feel comfortable there.

When the rest of your team full of decent-at-best, low-volume three point shooters that DO NOT have to be guarded with any urgency, where do you think open looks come from? NBA coaches and defenses are not stupid. Even the worst teams can realize to play zone or send late doubles to disrupt us on offense in the half court because you do not have to commit with any urgency on most of our guys. That, or literally play up on the ONE shooter we may have out there (Houstan/KCP) and react to Paolo/Franz.

COMPOUND this with the fact that we have half or one capable NBA guard every game (randomly generated) and have to start Cory Joseph in 2025, well, the system you want implemented is just a pipe dream that sure, I would love to be implemented to... if we had the Celtics or Cavs role players.

I just find it funny when people are like "Why is it hard to get open shots?" when we're the worst team in hitting open shots but actually generate a good number of them. It literally doesn't matter if they are open or not, we don't do enough in either circumstance.

[ogmagicfan]

It's not even just that Boston has shooters, it is the looks they generate and how frequently they do it. It's just a lot to deal with. It's like the perfected version of the Steve Nash Suns and Harden Rockets except with more ways to beat you and more defense.

Need them to have dud shooting games to have a chance, that goes for a lot of teams not just us.

And having willing stars to buy into system where they are decoy more often than any other star duo was aside of maybe Duncan and Parker.

Tatum is out there screening for bench guards, Brown has no issue being benched half of a game.
Most stars won't do it.

This is big, and whats funny is they get **** on by fairweather NBA fans because they arent carrying non stop offensively, but you can tell that they both have been through enough in their previous runs where they fell short that theyre willing to do ANYTHING in order to win

You have to respect it

[KillMonger]

Dont tell Rob/Eyriq

Single game plus minus isn't great but portraying him as some Godsend that was happening this game a la Cole/Black in the Hawks game is just lol.

All of our guys just gotta be more consistent. We lost momentum out of the half because WCJ's brain worms came back.

Who called him a godsend? All I saw all gamethread was people calling AB **** and saying it’s 4 v 5 when he plays.

I’ll give the sophomore playing his first playoff game a bit more leeway. Why was Cole 0-1 from 3 and 1-3 overall? I thought he was supposed to be a scorer who was proving us all wrong? On a night we’re desperate for scoring, where was he? Same for Wendell. He got his flowers last game, but there are crickets on criticism of him be a big fat zero in the paint.

i agree, i can give AB some grace because you don't usually expect a second year player to have a massive impact....Cole...Dell....Gary Harris....these guys get no sympathy from me....you are vets....no excuses

[Redwood]

I cant and wont fault Paolo if he does force his way out in the upcoming seasons

The franchise, ownership, and FO do not care and show that everyday

I mean, both he and Franz are going to play elsewhere anyways. It's incredibly rare for any player to stick with the same franchise for their entire career, so it's about getting the most out of them while they're still on your roster. We don't have the depth, coaching staff, or front office for that though, so those two players will mostly go to waste while they're here and will most likely win a championship or two once they leave.

[Bensational]

I’ll give the sophomore playing his first playoff game a bit more leeway. Why was Cole 0-1 from 3 and 1-3 overall? I thought he was supposed to be a scorer who was proving us all wrong? On a night we’re desperate for scoring, where was he? Same for Wendell. He got his flowers last game, but there are crickets on criticism of him be a big fat zero in the paint.

It has nothing to do with AB's game at all. He was fine as a disruptive guard, but there were simply no other answers from our role players on offense.

I think if AB was cooking offensively then I'd be right there with you, but they were basically searching for any sort of offensive spark other than Paolo/Franz. And acting like we had great momentum in AB minutes is false.

Look how many momentum shattering threes the Celtics hit from a turnover in this game alone. I can remember like 5 this entire year we've had. We simply don't have the offensive personnel.

I think it’s false that anyone was acting like we had offensive momentum with AB. I pointed out that he was the only one to score in the 3rd other than Paolo and Franz until the final minute of that quarter. That’s not high praise for him, but it’s also showing there are two other guys on the court for 11 minutes giving complete 0 and yet AB is the one getting dragged.

[thelead]

Other teams have guys taking 3's that only Cole dares to take on this team. The problem is, Cole is inefficient and gets lit up defensively.