26 comments

1. This wasn’t just a bad offensive showing, but it looks like the team is winging it without a real plan. Not anything we haven’t seen in the regular season.

   Still, game 1 and all that. I just want to see some improvement and growth.

2. Low key we’re all talking about the shooting, but Paolo had 9 turnovers..

   Can’t win a basketball game when so many things are going wrong on offense, regardless of how good your defense is.

3. We cant shoot this bad again right? Like…please. God.

4. I don’t need this offseason for wheltman to disappoint me again by not signing any offense or 3pt shooting. Another eVaLaTiOn YeAr.

   🔥🔥🔥FIRE WHELTMAN 🔥🔥🔥

5. Fultz is one of the worst off ball guards I have ever seen. Barely ever moves and is either standing in a place he cant shoot from or just awkwardly standing in the mid range like its pre 3 point line era.

6. First game for a bunch of guys under 24 going up against a team with a bunch of playoff vets was always going to be tough. You could see it out there. Guys expecting fouls that just never came. Missing wide open shots. If it continues in game 2, then go ahead and freak out, but for now ya’ll need to calm down.

   That being said, wtf was wrong with Harris, he’s one of our vets and he was horrific tonight.

7. 32/21/63 shooting 😭

8. This was very typical of every game we’ve had after long rest. Let’s see how we respond in Game 2.

9. Please Weltman, just 1 shooter who’s an actual NBA talent. Not fucking Caleb Houstan, not Gary Harris, not Jett Howard. A legit starting caliber sniper.

10. Don’t panic y’all we needed a spar they needed a win.

    Our new guys were horrible however despite that the defense stay locked in and we even picked it up in the 3rd.

    We are about to see the best and worst of the last three years with this team.

    The Wagners will figure it out, Cole dgaf and he”ll shoot, Suggs was fine imo, JI won’t bite at every drive.

    We of any team should know Game 1 doesn’t mean shit.

    On to game 2

11. Not great, but not exactly the end of the world either. Some bright spots to build on for G2:

    * Paolo definitely should’ve been looking for his own shot more today. He has no problem going against anyone on the Cavs, and his pass-first approach for most of the game kind of hurt the Magic (nine turnovers by himself). 
    * The defense today was really not bad. JI and Suggs were especially good in the 3Q. JI bit on a ton of fakes in the 1H, but pretty much snuffed all that out in the 2H. Franz was also pretty good chasing Strus out there.
    * I would like to see the Magic go big. Harris was fine on defense but a complete a disaster on offense. At this rate, he’s not really bringing any more spacing and shooting than Wendell or JI. I don’t think it’s too soon for a big adjustment, but going with Paolo, Franz, Jalen, JI, and WCJ could help both shooting and rebounding.
    * Bench was terrible today. Cole got played off the court in those switches and the Cavs pretty much took away the MoJo PNR game. However, I did like the feistiness. We expect that from Moe, but I liked seeing it from Markelle.
    * The Magic can still steal one on the road. The defense was mostly there, but need to really win the rebounding battle and make those free throws. Biggest thing for me is Paolo’s scoring. He needs to hunt for his own shot more; 24 today and I felt like he could’ve had more. Him being a scoring threat every possession will open up those cutting lanes that the Magic used so well in the regular season.

12. Is Anthony Black really just unplayable, bc G Harris and Fultz mins are basically losing the game

13. terrible game but honestly… we held on to them with terrible offense. if we have just an average night and work the kinks out, i have faith. but if we lose game 2 that’s when we can start freaking out. but our guard room needs to go next year for sure. that’s my take

14. 32% shooting….

15. I’m not going to say I’m surprised based off of how this team played the last two weeks of the season. We just aren’t ready.

16. Just gonna keep drilling this home because somehow it isnt obvious…

    Blaming random role players might make you feel good today. The truth is that our 2 best players are 3-4 years from their prime. Paolo is this good but still miles from being his best self. And btw if you want to keep harping on shooting.. Paolo and Franz are a big part of it.

    We dont need to do much in the offseason. We just have to wait. Paolo has to become a “best player on a contender” level player, and the biggest decision this franchise will make is “is Franz a #2 or a #3 on a contender.” Time will tell.

17. [removed]

18. It’s been obvious all year, we know playoffs get more intense defensively, yet some posters are still just living in la-la land in terms of thinking a rookie or Caleb f’ing Houstan is going to save us.

    For all intents and purposes, we have no point guard.

    No volume shooting (a guy with 6+ attempts on good percentages).

    Our best two offensive options feel most comfortable in iso.

    Kinda sums up our reality at the moment.

19. Two quarters of professional basketball under 20 points lol

20. Gary Harris isn’t being the vet that we need

21. Freethrows

22. I would go big for game two and, as someone already stated, move Franz to the 2 position and get WCJ back into the starting lineup. This would also help defensively against that big duo of Mobley and Allen. Gary has been having shit games like this for a long while now. Time to move him to the bench… We really have to make these damn shots tho…. If we shot DECENT today we could also have gotten a real chance to win it, that’s it. Do the same as today, but make those shots and game 2 will be ours…

23. The magic need a guard who can score and play make on the perimeter. Taking the ball out of paolos hands on those isos on the perimeter will help give him easier off ball opportunities and not put as much pressure on him to not turn it over. Feeding him post touches pick and rolls etc will put him in a way better situation to score more efficiently

24. Honestly it doesn’t shock me they shot this poorly. It’s extremely hard to expend as much energy as we did on the defensive end and still shoot consistently

25. Cavs in 4 🧹

26. I know Mosley is young and learning too, but he definitely overcooked here. Stop getting cute with the defensive assignments. Suggs on Mitchell and Isaac on Mobley. Gang rebound on Allen. And stop switching so much. We haven’t done that all year. Why start now?