2025-2026 Regular Season Game 41: Memphis Grizzlies (17-22) vs. Orlando Magic (22-18) - 2pm ET

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Paolo absolutely is thinking about the chatter. He just said ‘I only took 14 or 15 shots’ on national tv like he was selling his narrative and improvements. He needs to just block all of that out while still playing the right way.

The question that was asked "What lead to your offensive success in this one" and then he explained why. I don't think that had to do with the chatter around him.

I do like the question D Wade asked him though. He seems fine, and he shout out Franz, Mo, and TDS.
What Haslam said to him about his defense seems to really try and put it in perspective. Again he shout out Franz and Suggs as one of the best defenders.

D Wade and Haslam did a great job bringing up his up and down season and his defense. He answered the questions well and it seems like he caught what those guys were saying to him. I do not think he was trying to sell a narrative and improvement. He did say that they will pick up the defense as we get closer to the playoffs...I'm going to need them to do it soon...

EDIT: Forgive me, this post is all over the place but I don't feel like editing it right now. I'm tired.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Cut the dead weight and add a few more Pandas to the roster. Bye Jett Bye Isaac and see if someone will pay face value for WCJ. AB is going to be tough to keep but you gotta lock him down and dare I say he’s worth tax

I wanna see a AB Bane Suggs Franz Paolo lineup badly.

[Idiosyncratic]

Cut the dead weight and add a few more Pandas to the roster. Bye Jett Bye Isaac and see if someone will pay face value for WCJ. AB is going to be tough to keep but you gotta lock him down and dare I say he’s worth tax

I wanna see a AB Bane Suggs Franz Paolo lineup badly.

Mose will pull that out for the playoffs and shock the world when we look like prime Golden State

[Optimus_Steel]

So AB got his jersey pulled and he got hit on the side of the head by one of those 8 arms lmao Should have been FT but he would have missed it.

[JF5]

2nd time it happened this week alone.

Yeah, im just kinda done with it at this point. The Grizz had Ja and other key players out and the Magic once again still struggled.

NBA is as talented as its ever been. A team makes 9 three pointers in the first, you'll be down big. Then we saw the teams probably regress to their actual skill.

Its a problem when the team has looked like crap all but 10-13 games this year.

I understand the league has talent. But you have to look like a superior team most of the time. They haven't for 70-80 percent of the season.

[SOUL]

Yeah, im just kinda done with it at this point. The Grizz had Ja and other key players out and the Magic once again still struggled.

NBA is as talented as its ever been. A team makes 9 three pointers in the first, you'll be down big. Then we saw the teams probably regress to their actual skill.

Its a problem when the team has looked like crap all but 10-13 games this year.

I understand the league has talent. But you have to look like a superior team most of the time. They haven't for 70-80 percent of the season.

I mean, the team has had Paolo, Suggs, Franz, and Moe out for large portions of the entire year. Tyus Jones has been a dud, TDS doesn't really play defense, we're relying on two rookies, JI and Goga have been hit or miss...

And we're still in the mix for a top three seed after all of that. We love to make injury excuses for other teams but act like we're supposed to be some juggernaut even with injuries to our main guys.

No doubt the season has been frustrating from expectations, but I'd say there's maybe literally three teams that don't have major question marks currently (OKC/Denver/Detroit).

I still like our chances, health providing. We do need some small upgrades still.

I don't look at us as "true contenders" until one of Paolo or Franz takes that next step though.

[SOUL]

I want to send a compilation of 3dd posts of him leaving the thread only for us to win to David Steele as an "Is This Anything?" segment

[JF5]

NBA is as talented as its ever been. A team makes 9 three pointers in the first, you'll be down big. Then we saw the teams probably regress to their actual skill.

Its a problem when the team has looked like crap all but 10-13 games this year.

I understand the league has talent. But you have to look like a superior team most of the time. They haven't for 70-80 percent of the season.

I mean, the team has had Paolo, Suggs, Franz, and Moe out for large portions of the entire year. Tyus Jones has been a dud, TDS doesn't really play defense, we're relying on two rookies, JI and Goga have been hit or miss...

And we're still in the mix for a top three seed after all of that. We love to make injury excuses for other teams but act like we're supposed to be some juggernaut even with injuries to our main guys.

No doubt the season has been frustrating from expectations, but I'd say there's maybe literally three teams that don't have major question marks currently (OKC/Denver/Detroit).

I still like our chances, health providing. We do need some small upgrades still.

I don't look at us as "true contenders" until one of Paolo or Franz takes that next step though.

Even with missing key guys they should be beating lesser teams pretty easily/handidly. Struggling against teams that are actively tanking and/or have key players out due to injury is unacceptable.

This isn't an isolated incidents with the occasional 1-2 bad teams. This has been a problem since the beginning of the year and has really been prevalent over the last month and a half.

[Knightro]

Vest thread later tonight after my kids go to sleep.

[SOUL]

Even with missing key guys they should be beating lesser teams pretty easily/handidly. Struggling against teams that are actively tanking and/or have key players out due to injury is unacceptable.

This isn't an isolated incidents with the occasional 1-2 bad teams. This has been a problem since the beginning of the year and has really been prevalent over the last month and a half.

I mean every team is saying that lol. OKC fans don't think they should lose by 30 to Charlotte or the Jazz beating the Spurs-Detroit in back to back games, or Washington or Nets being frisky.

We've been a completely mediocre team with our top two EPM guys out in Franz and Suggs who are both two-way players. I, for one, do not share the same expectations of a team led by Paolo who's still figuring it out and Bane who has been kind of streaky, and a bunch of other streaky guys.

I want our defensive intensity to pick up even with injuries to our best defensive players, but by no means do I look at the team when injured (I'm talking about like Suggs/Franz/Moe then a random Goga/TDS/whoever out) as some team that should still be blowing teams out.

I predict we'll start settling down a bit hopefully with bodies returning. The schedule will get tougher again, but we've still weathered the storm decently. We should absolutely have like three more wins though. But in that case, we'd be second in the East right now lol

[SOUL]

Like, the Pacers lost 14 in a row and then beat Miami and Boston.

Kings have beat Lakers, Knicks and Rockets in a row.

These are two of the four worst teams.

[Ducklett]

Like, the Pacers lost 14 in a row and then beat Miami and Boston.

Kings have beat Lakers, Knicks and Rockets in a row.

These are two of the four worst teams.

Not only that but our rotations have been anything but consistent. It was Franz's first game back, and Mo's third? game back. Noah getting a bigger role, AB is our star. Its all different and no one would have thought the team looks like it does now the first week of the year.

Outside of Eyriq, no one that that AB would be this big of a difference maker on our season. And not a single person knew that Noah Penda in the second round would be getting anything but garbage time minutes. Stuff happens, lets see how it plays out.

[TheChaser]

I see a few of you guys pretty pissed and I can understand why, but this game we actually looked like the team that we know and love. Something about Franz makes Paulo better.

[TheChaser]

Like, the Pacers lost 14 in a row and then beat Miami and Boston.

Kings have beat Lakers, Knicks and Rockets in a row.

These are two of the four worst teams.

Great post to illustrate how talented the league is at the moment.

[CocoaFan]

Franz is him

Yes he is. There is just something about him and Jalen that makes this whole thing click.

Franz is a winning player. Simple as that.

[Ducklett]

Franz is him

Yes he is. There is just something about him and Jalen that makes this whole thing click.

Franz is a winning player. Simple as that.

Turns out people do things better with their best friend beside them... Isn't really more to it than that.

[basketballRob]

Tyus legit doesn't look like he even wants to play.

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[VFX]

Paolo with 26pts/13rebs/4asts/4stls on 73.2 TS%

Chef’s Kiss

First really efficient game in a while.

This is the Paolo we need. Interesting timing with Franz back huh.

[basketballRob]

Paolo with 24/10/6 over the last 9 games with 59% ts. I think he will be an all-star.

Paolo Banchero Last 9 Games | StatMuse https://share.google/inBG9QQi2dHVWDJo6

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[RookieStar]

Tyus legit doesn't look like he even wants to play.

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Based on the rumours on reddit, we are shopping him for SRPs so yeah... probably regretting signing with us...