TreyMachine

Our team isn't playing bad. Portland is just answering every punch we send with a great counterpunch. Going to come down to the final 2-3 minutes...

The fact that we just scored 60+ points on the #1 Defense in the NBA speaks volumes to how our team is doing offensively tonight. The problem is we just can't get a stop on their offense. But this isn't near the blowout (perhaps yet) that I thought it was going to be when the game first started.

This just feels like one of those nights we're going to get spanked pretty badly by the hottest team in the NBA. Maybe I will eat my words, but these first six minutes haven't been pretty…

I love the fact that we have a guy who can create his own shot and do it well in crunch time. We haven't had that since maybe Jameer Nelson. But Banchero is essential a 6'10" guard. Tonight is the type of game that makes everyone who watches excited for the Magic's future.

PAOLO BANCHERO IS ON FIRE.

This was a must win and we didn't play like it. That's just it. Until we want it more than others, we won't make it.

Indiana's offense is just playing very well. The team is knocking down open three point shots and we just aren't hitting our jump shots. One of those nights that it doesn't look like we're going to turn it around. Unfortunate, because we really need this game if we're going to jump over Indiana in the standings.

I think Jalen is passionate / loves the game, and we have to remember he's only 21. The guy is a competitor but was praised for his maturity and leadership skills. All 3 of those things means the game will slow down and he'll play within himself at some point. It's a matter of "when" and not "if" for guys like that.

I would rather have a player like Jalen Suggs than someone who just scores a lot like Ben Gordon, Jamal Crawford, etc. You need "X factor" or "glue" guys to win games, and Suggs brings everything you want to a team other than a consistent jumper. You win by having these guys on the team. They don't get tons of praise but they do the little things to make winning happen. Super excited for him to be the Starting SG on this team for a long time.

We are 3 games out of the play-in and 4 games out from the 8th seed. 22 games left in the season. I feel good here, y'all.

Who needs Wemby when we have Wendell?!

If Jaden Ivey learns to just gain a little more court awareness and hit a consistent jumpshot in this league (which he's well on his way to doing), he's going to be a problem. One of the most explosive players in terms of first step the league has today. We really can't stop him from getting to the rim.

When you don't pass the ball, your teammates get frustrated especially if they're forced bad shots. This leads to mental lapses and frustrations which can cause defensive breakdowns - hence a chucker having a bad game can lead to an especially bad plus/minus when compared to teammates. I've watched enough of Cole to know he's talented but needs to have the humility to know he doesn't need to prove himself as an alpha and rather just let the game come to him and take what the defense gives him. He's a great teammate and locker room guy, but on the court, he's just too hot and cold for me.

I'm looking at most of our team and our starters are all at least +5, our 2nd unit is generally around -3, and then there's Cole who is -15 and has the most shots of anyone on the team. This is all I needed to know to understand the night.

I could see us competing without Luka and it's one of those "They are one of the top teams in the conference and add one of the top 5 players in the league" like when Durant jumped to Golden State (but on a less level of course). With that being said, we're such a small market - can we sell someone with Luka's clout on our market?

Don't get me wrong, I think he certainly will be a generational talent, I'm just always concerned by guys who are that tall and how their body is just stretched so much over natural body structures. Some were worried about Chet but not Wemby? I'm still worried about Wemby's long-term health post 25 from a pure physics standpoint - no one has ever been that tall and that athletic together. Durant, Giannis, and LeBron have been the exceptions. If we get the #1 pick I'm obviously drafting him, but I'm assuming he will miss 80+ games in his first 4-5 seasons. I thought it about Zion and I think it about Wemby. (Note I've also been wrong big time in my predictions - I saw "in the Heights" on Broadway with Lin Manuel Miranda years ago and remember leaning over to my friend, "This guy is a talented musical writer with his rap-singing, but I expect him to ride this train until it dies as - unless he writes another hit musical like this that stars him - he won't do anything in the musical world again." 3 years later he wrote and starred in a little musical called "Hamilton."... I'm hoping my basketball predictions are better than my music talent predictions!)

Super excited to watch Scoot Henderson. Wondering how G League Ignite team will play against the NBA Rookie / 2nd year guys. I'm assuming the G League players will be playing hard to prove themselves on a nationally televised stage.

Also, I'm looking at these players and Jalen Suggs should be here.

Anyone watching the rising stars game? Franz Wagner is not looking like a great player, but it might be where he just doesn't care about this game and doesn't feel the need to show off. Paolo looking good. Bones Hyland is looking incredible.

Unrelated Football Hot Take: This Super Bowl was one of the best in recent memory until that fourth quarter holding call. Absolutely crazy you can't challenge a flag like that.

While I really don't want to see Durant win another title, I do want to see CP3 win something and I'm OK with rooting for the Suns with Terrence joining. I think he join the right team. Good for him

This is the Jalen Suggs I think we all believe he can become. It's been the last few games too. He has the starting shooting guard spot on lock next year if he finishes out the season like this.

I'm giving it until they lose 3 in a row or Kyrie says something as a slight against Luka or the Mavs fanbase's love for him with that said, I think Mark Cuban is one of the best owners in the country and Texas is a place where if you don't want to get vaccinated, you dont have to be and no one judges you. This is a very ideal location and landing spot for Kyrie.

I will always say that theoretically, trading for Serge Ibaka made some sense if he truly could be the interior defender who could stretch the floor. It was a great complement to Nick Vucevic's game at the time. The problem was that I'm truly not convinced that Serge Ibaka was the age he said he was. We all thought we were getting Serge Ibaka in his prime but once we got him, he felt just a lot slower and was becoming much less effective at the prime age of 27. I will continue to say that my theory is that Serge Ibaka is about four years older than what he says he actually is. And because of that, this trade was a complete disaster, on top of the fact that both players traded ended up becoming All-Stars.

I didn't realize we're only 3 games out of the bubble and 7 games out of the 6th seed (I don't forsee us jumping up that high). At this point, it's "bubble or bust."