2025-2026 Regular Season Game 4: Orlando Magic (1-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (2-0) - 7pm ET

[pepe1991]

League's average pace has been highest since 1985 and points per game have been second highest in nba history ( highest in modern history).

Magic playing slower in past year(s) gave them some benefits because teams weren't that comfortable and Magic were different if not difficult team to adjust to.

Playing so fast without any rim protection is dangerous game, especially if you don't have horses for shootouts.

But it was always going to be matter of what you gonna do, options only were:
A) play fast, generate more easy looks, have happy "big 3" ( big 4? ) with their own fat stats
B) Play slow, probably be difficult team to deal with in regular season , but with strong possibility that one of your stars will be unhappy camper going from some 24-25 points to 18 points season.

I watched enough games of Bane to be bit suspicious about his defensive ability, but watching him with Magic it is obvious that he has clear limitations on perimeter especially tasked to contain players like Maxey, who just blew by him. So even maybe if Magic want to play slower, with Banchero, Carter and Bane, defense won't be what it was last year. And given Jonathan Isaac as player died in playoffs of 2024, defense won't be like 2023-24 anyway.
So playing faster from that POV makes some sense. Can't have elite defense with like 3 good defenders and no rim defense.



76ers were my late GB pick for most surprising team of a season. With even 80% of Embiid and 70% of former George, they are very serious team for East. Speed and angles that Maxey and VJE can attack you are so damn difficult to contain. Grimes is yet another underrated guard/wing hybrid that is hard to contain.

Pistons game will be very interesting, because Pistons play how we used to play. Grinding and fighting every possessions like it's game 7 of finals.

Btw given how Suns look, even if we didn't made a trade, we would probably have nice opportunity to give them their pick back.. for Booker

And my God Pelicans sucks, and it's so damn good for Hawks. Unprotected pick swap

[KillMonger]

Paolo’s quote sounds more like redirecting blame than it does an honest assessment.

The pace doesn’t even feel quicker. It just looks more disjointed and less about Paolo dribbling the ball around on the perimeter.

There were a few plays tonight where they drew in defenders for a kick out and it worked fine. Then there are plays where they dribble into the teeth of a set defense and lose the ball immediately.

In terms of defense it’s guys not switching quickly enough or losing assignments. AB was blown by consistently without help down low.

sounds pretty honest to me....and it's really the pace that's changed....literally nothing else, same offense

[SOUL]

It hasn't been pretty but people saying the offense haven't changed are lying to themselves. It is different so far, which is what Prunty came in to help with. It looks more similar when Paolo holds the ball, but there are definitely quicker actions and different actions going on. Just because it hasn't equated into a top 10 offense oesn't mean that's not happening. A lot of the actions/plays last year were just Paolo/Franz handling for 15 secs and driving and kicking into the corners. A lot of the sloppy turnovers we see are from some of these new plays being unfamiliar and new.

I also think people just don't understand how much of a game are read and react plays versus players having specific concepts and elaborate actions. How many times did we bobble an easy turnovers just for a 76er to get an open three to bury us or just pull up contested with a hand in their face and bury threes? That playcalling isn't impressive to me - the shotmaking is.

Now they also have two guards that can easily manipulate a defense which made our defense look like swiss cheese.

[Tarheel]

Dunno if this has been said already, but it seems to me that Mose's all-in defensive identity doesn't fit with a higher pace, try and outrun the other team offense.

Like, both of those things take maximum effort, you can't do both. It's no wonder we're getting blown by on defense and can't make a shot.

Saying they need to get fitter doesn't really solve it either. You're playing against the fittest basketball players in the world, no matter what your body fat percentage is you won't be able to out-effort world class athletes on both ends of the floor. It just won't happen. You'll get tired, you'll struggle, you'll commit fouls and then technicals because you're frustrated, and then ultimately you'll get injured.

I don't know what conversations are happening between Mosely and Prunty, but they can't just independently manage each end of the floor without a cohesive overall direction.

[I Rasharted]

There is so much basketball left, some of you crack me tf up.

True. Although by the "you're never as bad as you look when you're losing and never as good as you look when you're winning" law, the 25-26 Magic aren't an elite team when the dust has settled. Probably just above-average. Vegas' 52-win prediction might be a little optimistic. 50?

[zaymon]

Maxey showing us how real lead ball handler looks.
Bona, Walker, Oubre, rookie......
Is he not tired after offseason ? Faster pace doesnt bother him ? Not good enough teammates ?
We can play faster, slower, upside down, but our offense will work as good as our featured player.

[Skybox]

Dunno if this has been said already, but it seems to me that Mose's all-in defensive identity doesn't fit with a higher pace, try and outrun the other team offense.

Like, both of those things take maximum effort, you can't do both. It's no wonder we're getting blown by on defense and can't make a shot.

Saying they need to get fitter doesn't really solve it either. You're playing against the fittest basketball players in the world, no matter what your body fat percentage is you won't be able to out-effort world class athletes on both ends of the floor. It just won't happen. You'll get tired, you'll struggle, you'll commit fouls and then technicals because you're frustrated, and then ultimately you'll get injured.

I don't know what conversations are happening between Mosely and Prunty, but they can't just independently manage each end of the floor without a cohesive overall direction.

Exactly...sometimes the Yin and Yang thing doesn't work, they just marginalize each other. Prunty kills Mosely's defense and Mosely kills Prunty's offense. Not saying or hoping that's the ultimate result, but it's not a tiny thing to just merge two entirely different approaches...the hope is that at some point soon - it suddenly "clicks" and everybody gets it and they just run some team out of the building and choke them out on the other end. But not yet.

I'm disappointed but not really stunned at the start...just adding different types of pieces doesn't instantly add without subtracting elsewhere - it's a complex puzzle and you've got (at least) two stars that have succeeded (individually at least) playing differently -so, at best, there's a period where you have to convince them that adapting THEIR game is the right move- far from automatic when so much at this level has become instinct from years of play.

[Skybox]

Maxey showing us how real lead ball handler looks.
Bona, Walker, Oubre, rookie......
Is he not tired after offseason ? Faster pace doesnt bother him ? Not good enough teammates ?
We can play faster, slower, upside down, but our offense will work as good as our featured player.

I guess that's got to be Bane...tall order for our Forwards to adapt. Not worried about Franz at all, he's capable of meshing in a million ways. It's tough for a young star like Paolo (he IS, like it or not, advanced stats or not, THE guy) to be asked to not just play the way he always has. He's been a star since Kindergarten playing bigger than most and faster than anyone close to his size...it's a tall order but his present/previous skillset isn't enough to take a team to the next level.

I don't consider this a character flaw - he's a killer and wants to win. But it takes a lot of convincing from lesser-profile people (like coaching staff) who aren't on magazine covers, to get total buy-in. He's young, but he's an adult with an ego and a proven record of individual success and it's the huge self-confidence and certainty that makes him dominant...the humility needed to adapt isn't easy to access, especially with early struggles when he KNOWS he should be beating this team(s).

[bigdogdylan5]

Cool now we have our best player contradicting our coach in interviews. This is a mess. Idk I think a lot of the issues can be pointed to the pace and that we aren’t adjusted yet. All Banes three feel like they are missing short. Turnovers from players who aren’t familiar with each other enough yet and then asked to speed everything up. I think some of these issues will get better with time and adjusting but it just looks like we are losing our identity

[Skybox]

I don't read Paolo's quote as attacking the coaching...he's acknowledging that such significant changes don't happen instantly and that the transition period can be ugly.

Doesn't mean it's going to work out, but it's just an obvious reality that certain new priorities open the door to side effects in the short term. It's not fun, but last year's offense was just ugly and limiting.

I don't know how anybody thought such wholesale changes would lead the worst offense in the NBA into contender status without a period of ugly.

[Knightro]

Paolo’s quote sounds more like redirecting blame than it does an honest assessment.

The pace doesn’t even feel quicker. It just looks more disjointed and less about Paolo dribbling the ball around on the perimeter.

There were a few plays tonight where they drew in defenders for a kick out and it worked fine. Then there are plays where they dribble into the teeth of a set defense and lose the ball immediately.

In terms of defense it’s guys not switching quickly enough or losing assignments. AB was blown by consistently without help down low.

The pace was very fast the first three games. It wasn’t last night though.

[bigdogdylan5]

I don't read Paolo's quote as attacking the coaching...he's acknowledging that such significant changes don't happen instantly and that the transition period can be ugly.

Doesn't mean it's going to work out, but it's just an obvious reality that certain new priorities open the door to side effects in the short term. It's not fun, but last year's offense was just ugly and limiting.

I don't know how anybody thought such wholesale changes would lead the worst offense in the NBA into contender status without a period of ugly.

I don’t disagree change always comes with an adjustment period but everyone needs to buy in. I am just worried it’s too much too fast. We should give it some time before we really get concerned. But we can’t lose our core defensive identity along the way. Because no matter what changes we make we won’t be able to out score some of the best offenses just how our team is built.

[zaymon]

I don't read Paolo's quote as attacking the coaching...he's acknowledging that such significant changes don't happen instantly and that the transition period can be ugly.

Doesn't mean it's going to work out, but it's just an obvious reality that certain new priorities open the door to side effects in the short term. It's not fun, but last year's offense was just ugly and limiting.

I don't know how anybody thought such wholesale changes would lead the worst offense in the NBA into contender status without a period of ugly.

What area of Paolo game we want to build around ?? Funny enough last year team could have been the best iteration around Banchero. All defense and pumping Paolo inefficient stats offense. We wont recreate that with Bane instead of KCP
In short how you want to build not ugly offense while featuring Banchero?

[Bergmaniac]

Well, at least the offense was pretty good in this one, though a lot is Philly being bad defensively and not having the size to deal with our drives. But the defence was a disaster, so many defensive breakdowns and we got crushed on the defensive glass in Paolo and Wendell's minutes, just unacceptable when you play a team so shorthanded in their frontcourt.

[JoshuaPotter]

At the start of the second half as messy as it was we started to pull it together. We need that intensity for 48 minutes.

[OrlandoDream]

Weve now dropped to 15th defense. If our defense identity is gone and offensively still look like last year, we have a problem. Whos the common denominator this whole time? Jamal freaking mosley. Can we stop making excuses for this man? He is a rebuild coach who just has shown time and time again he cannot lead talented players vs similar opposition. Nick Nurse played him like a fool.

If your going to play faster you NEED a real PG to set the pace. Suggs is in limited minutes and then after 3 min the answer is Anthony Black? The nba wing who cant dribble the ball or make a pass without turning it over?!?!? Then Tyus Jones the cone in after?? Then Noah off the bench when TDS has been our best bench player?? Wth is this man doing? Its questionable rotations like these that make him look like rookie coach vs nurse, spos, etc. My fav is Desmond bane shooting < 30% from 3pt after shooting 40%+ last couple seasons. Sound familiar?!?! Its the same story again. Mosley has to GO!

Yes its early but warning signs cant be ignored. The body language, the post interviews' faces, the shots at the coaching staff. Paolo and Franz deserve to be coached by someone who actually knows how to use their strengths.

[Knightro]

This team is too talented to be so offensively challenged as they’ve been these last 3 games.

They were excellent offensively last night with a 126.0 ORTG for the game.

Just horrific defensively with a 138.2 DRTG for the game.

[eyriq]

First half Penda came in for Franz and TDS came in for Paolo. I would have anticipated the opposite but maybe it doesn't matter.

Second half TDS came in for Franz and Franz came in for Paolo.

Really interesting without meaning anything obvious. TDS, Penda, and JI are the main rotation options with TDS clearly in favor.

[Def Swami]

Dunno if this has been said already, but it seems to me that Mose's all-in defensive identity doesn't fit with a higher pace, try and outrun the other team offense.

Like, both of those things take maximum effort, you can't do both. It's no wonder we're getting blown by on defense and can't make a shot.

Saying they need to get fitter doesn't really solve it either. You're playing against the fittest basketball players in the world, no matter what your body fat percentage is you won't be able to out-effort world class athletes on both ends of the floor. It just won't happen. You'll get tired, you'll struggle, you'll commit fouls and then technicals because you're frustrated, and then ultimately you'll get injured.

I don't know what conversations are happening between Mosely and Prunty, but they can't just independently manage each end of the floor without a cohesive overall direction.

It’s hard to do both. But the best teams are capable. The Magic do not have the personnel to do so. The best teams have at least 4 shooters on the floor at all times and a solid PG. The Magic expend a lot of energy on defense. The math game of increasing the points per possession by being able to score open 3s instead of grind for tough 2s makes good teams conserve energy on offense while playing a faster pace. The turnovers compound things (more running in transition defense when you’re comprised, less offensive possessions).

I feel like teams are trying to copy the Thunder and Pacers. And the Magic could definitely get into their sets faster than they did last year. But Banchero is right when he says there’s no order to their pace. There’s no Tyrese Halliburton or Shai Gilgeous Alexander directing traffic while limiting turnovers. And this team’s inability to score efficiently just places more burden on them. They can afford to play faster but they don’t have the horses for the Derby.

[Bergmaniac]

Dunno if this has been said already, but it seems to me that Mose's all-in defensive identity doesn't fit with a higher pace, try and outrun the other team offense.

Like, both of those things take maximum effort, you can't do both. It's no wonder we're getting blown by on defense and can't make a shot.

OKC won the title and had one of the best defences in history playing this way, they were 5th in pace in the regular season and 2nd in the playoffs and played extremely hard on D. It can be done, but it's obviously very hard and you need fantastic depth.

One key for this strategy is forcing turnovers, especially live ones, this is what usually caused the Thunder's trademark runs last year. We were the best team in the league in forcing turnovers last season but we have been pretty bad at it this year.