32 comments

1. Team showed their youth once again. I don’t want to sound salty but The Magic beat themselves here.
   Although I don’t agree at all with Ingles playing those extended 4th quarter minutes. He is too trash defensively idc how he was running the offense. The closest we got was when Suggs came back in the game regardless of that terrible shot clock violation. It shouldn’t have taken 3 offensive rebounds Wiggins smoking dudes for a sub. 

2. Will the Magic EVER get over that hump of not being able to win big time games?
   Its embedded in this franchise!!!

3. If Paolo is gonna try to cook up in isolation all game he needs to try and emulate Embiid ( minus playoff performances) I mean he’s already good at getting to the line, he needs to play in the mid to low post and work for buckets from there, trying to get contact for fouls or taking short easy mid ranges, not long ones. He can even do that against a zone. Needs to go back to the fro too. stop thinking he’s ai with the ball . Dribbles way too much

4. Damn, that was a really rough game. Some observations nonetheless:

   * Paolo and Franz were really bad tonight. Paolo’s defensive effort especially against some Wiggins possessions in the fourth was not good and his unforced turnovers really cost the Magic (especially that late shot clock violation). Franz on the other hand seems to be in his head with his faulty jumper, took a ton of heavily contested paint shots and passed up several good looks to drive into a crowd. Tough night for our stars.
   * Cole was awesome! I’m really glad that Cole has started to take more catch and shoot threes as of late. I hope this becomes a mainstay in his game. I think becoming a more credible off-ball threat can really elevate his game to the next level.
   * Jalen shot poorly and was a -22 but I thought he played as good a defence on Steph as anyone. He’s so kinetic on his feet and defensively really reminds me of Tony Allen. He had a couple bad fouls, but at least his effort never wavers.
   * I really liked that Mosely pulled the whole starting unit in the third. That was a great teaching moment and I hope it lights a fire under everyone for the last stretch of the season.
   * Wendell’s plummet continues to be concerning. He’s still a really good switch defender (defended Klay very well on some switches tonight), but the Magic really need him to play big (rebound, set hard screens, box out, finish). It could be a big problem in the playoffs. JI played 24 minutes tonight, if he can go for 25 or so, then he might as well just start at the 5.
   * Tough, tough loss overall. Really difficult to watch, but what I’ve noticed is the Magic tend to struggle against veteran teams. These teams aren’t necessarily better than the Magic, they’re just more experienced and execute better when it comes to winning time. Chalk this up as part of the process.

5. Need to make some moves for a trade or signing this offseason

6. The inexperience is obvious. Silly late game turnovers. Chucking the ball to play hero. We had it, but fumbled. Hopefully the playoffs, they will start to learn. Starters played abysmal too

7. I mean, the Warriors were playing for playoffs at all. We are just playing for position and it showed.

8. DeSantis needs to imprison warriors fans buying tickets to Magic home games 

9. Nights like tonight are an important reminder that this team is still plenty young and growing. It’s frustrating now but this season still isn’t the goal. Hopefully Mose and the rest of the staff are taking notes and getting these guys to work on what they’re weakest at, ‘cause each and every one of these guys has some glaring holes in their game right now.

10. No excuses for our team. It was our game to lose, and we made sure to lose it.

    But in regards to Curry’s little gesture to the Orlando crowd at the end there: You’re one of the oldest, most revered players still playing today, making millions off endorsements for using your likeness as a professional athlete, and you pull that embarrassing, unsportsmanlike nonsense. This, in the same game where your teammate got ejected because he can’t control his behavior either. What do you think these things say about the culture over there at Golden State?

    It looks to me like a few entitled children, Steph and Draymond, running around, coasting on their “legacy” of having once been a great team and behaving as if they still are.

    *Oh no, Steph got us again! He’s so amazing.* Motherfucker, you’ll be lucky to make the play-in, and that’s IF Draymond can keep his stupid ass from getting suspended for the rest of the season.

11. Having 11 points in the 1st quarter is when the game was lost, especially not having a FGM in the last 8 minutes of the 1st… Absolute trash

12. The speed on which people turn on this team is fucking willlllddddddd

13. Hit. Your. Fucking. Free. Throws.

14. after tonights game magic are 16-24 against teams with .500 record or better and are prob gonna lose this fri to the clips this team is def not making any noise in the playoffs

15. If only we had a decent first quarter

16. Hope that in the future Mose will abandon his preset rotations earlier than he typically would like to. After 5 minutes in the first quarter we should have seen the lineup be changed. Put in 2 of our bench players early to get a different look to hopefully stop the terrible start. The teams offense is too bad to go down into a big hole, need to stop the bleeding before it gets too much

17. Annoying.

18. If Harris is still out next game, we better not see Fultz starting again

19. Philly loses by 1 haha

    Fuck ‘em

20. The Clippers just saved us. Cavs, Pacers, and 76ers, all lost.

    We need to start stacking wins.

21. Wendell moves in slow motion.

22. We need a real point guard and to hit some freaking free throws

23. I love Banchero but he has gone for contested three early in the shot clock in crucial possessions in both this and the Kings game, that’s just not his game and it’s a stark contrast of how he normally always tries to make the right play.

    Also not a fan of the Fultz start but not because I don’t like him, the fit and options he provides in the second unit is where he strives and the lack of spacing meant we couldn’t run the Franz Paolo pick and roll which I had been loving lately.

24. That was a brutal game to go to in person good lord

25. Missed free throws, killed on boards, horrible play from starting 5. More and more I’m starting to believe we need to move on from Wendell and Fultz and look to upgrade those positions. Franz has to fix his shot this summer. Gonna be a tough one against Clips on Friday. On a personal bright side, this game cashed the heck out of my Hard Rock plays…lol.

26. We refuse to initiate offense within the 3pt line ….no matter what defensive coverage…No offball screens or movement 

27. Philly lost too. Standings stay the same

28. Pacers bludgeoned by the Bulls

29. I was a Fultz believer but I have accepted that we have to let him go

30. Where are my Jalen Suggs fans at ???

31. Not sure why people are fixated on what other teams are doing, the way this team is playing they have no chance at the top four at this point, and will be lucky not to slip into the play-in. I’m sorry but starting 1-2 on a homestand is absolutely pitiful.

    It’s more obvious than ever that this team goes as Suggs goes and considering he’s one of the most erratic players on the team, that’s a tad worrisome.

32. These are the types of offensive lapses that make me sick. Starting lineup gotta get their shit together.

    Idk why Mose didn’t let Goga get some run but WCJ has not proven himself reliable on either end this year. Idk if he’s still hurt or what but it’s negatively impacting the group.

    Compounding that with Markelle’s inability to shoot beyond 16-17feet, Franz shooting slump, And teams inability to shoot FREEEEEEEEE THROWS.

    And I’m cutting my tv off, my blood pressure ain’t spiking for this shit today. Hope they decide to show up against a motivated Clippers.