OFFICIAL GAME THREAD - Magic Vs Pistons - Mar. 17, 2022 @ 7:00 PM

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

Back to back games at home where we let a player score 60 and a player score 51. Sickening.

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

1 hour ago, All Eyes On Me said:

Back to back games at home where we let a player score 60 and a player score 51. Sickening.

To put this in perspective, only 3 Magic players in the history of the team have scored 50+ (TMac x 4, Shaq, Nick). And it hasn’t happened since 2004, and our boys go out and put in so little effort that it happens to us 2 games in a row over 3 nights.

[Luke_FfS 248]

12 hours ago, JJZFL said:

So the excuse last game was Kyrie is fantastic and just couldn’t be stopped.  Is that also true about the Pistons?   73 point first half ……

That problem never gets old. Also, when one single player is on fire, is up to coaching staff to find other solutions to stop him.
Those last two games have been another step behind after little steps in the right direction.

Seem also like both teams were trying to rest players for...

[Soul Bro 1,419]

10 hours ago, All Eyes On Me said:

To put this in perspective, only 3 Magic players in the history of the team have scored 50+ (TMac x 4, Shaq, Nick). And it hasn’t happened since 2004, and our boys go out and put in so little effort that it happens to us 2 games in a row over 3 nights.

This is where honesty from WeltHam and Mosley this off-season is vital. What’s our blueprint from a team perspective and player perspective? Who fits? Who doesn’t fit? We need to continue to evaluate and hold guys accountable to each other and our plan.

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

1 hour ago, Soul Bro said:

This is where honesty from WeltHam and Mosley this off-season is vital. What’s our blueprint from a team perspective and player perspective? Who fits? Who doesn’t fit? We need to continue to evaluate and hold guys accountable to each other and our plan.

Agreed. If accountability were a thing this year, Cole would’ve been shown the bench awhile ago. Hard to remember a player going from so good to so bad as quickly as he did this season.

[TreyMachine 395]

My friends and I may have had a hand in Bey’s 51 point performance. We were in the lower lower bowl (I could hear him and he could definitely here me). Let’s just say once we were down 17 mid-way in the 4th when the game was clearly out of hand, we started loudly goading Bey, “Hey Bey! You’re at 42 - BET YOU CANT SCORE 50!” And then started shouting to Franz, “Franz! YOU GONNA LET HIM SCORE 50 ON YOU?!?”

We audibly continued this for the rest of the game. It was very apparent all of the Pistons teammates were trying to set him up to get to 50. 

Defense just wasn’t there. A lot of minutes to guys who wouldn’t be playing on playoff teams. We had fun and we get closer to the #1 spot (I’d rather lose here and win against the Bucks or something). 

[JJZFL 619]

1 hour ago, All Eyes On Me said:

Agreed. If accountability were a thing this year, Cole would’ve been shown the bench awhile ago. Hard to remember a player going from so good to so bad as quickly as he did this season.

And that part bothers me greatly.  Of course the team is going to be very bad this year.  But especially with young guys, build a culture of team play and accountability to create a foundation for winning later on.  That’s something you can do even when the team stinks.  So why aren’t we doing it?   Once the players get into a mindset of only playing for themselves because no one cares if the team loses,  you lock yourself in to negative player development that’s very hard to fix later.  

[JJZFL 619]

46 minutes ago, TreyMachine said:

…….

Defense just wasn’t there…..

Doesn’t it worry you just a little bit that two days after being humiliated and giving up 150 in regulation at home, our team couldn’t show enough pride to play some defense against the team with the worst offense in the league?   How much of a laughingstock do we need to be before they decide to show up on defense?

[TreyMachine 395]

1 hour ago, JJZFL said:

Doesn’t it worry you just a little bit that two days after being humiliated and giving up 150 in regulation at home, our team couldn’t show enough pride to play some defense against the team with the worst offense in the league?   How much of a laughingstock do we need to be before they decide to show up on defense?

I think we get confused that defense is entirely about effort or individual capacity.

Half of being a good defensive team is knowing where other guys are going to be in the rotation and playing well as a unit. If three of the five normal starters are not starting, and different guys are thrown together with other guys, that doesn’t make for great continuity, particularly if only one or two of them have a mental lapse at any one time.

[Soul Bro 1,419]

3 hours ago, All Eyes On Me said:

Agreed. If accountability were a thing this year, Cole would’ve been shown the bench awhile ago. Hard to remember a player going from so good to so bad as quickly as he did this season.

I think Cole’s the outspoken “leader” or spirit animal of the team, which complicates bringing him off the bench. Regardless, everyone needs to be held accountable.

[jmmagicfan 302]

4 minutes ago, Soul Bro said:

I think Cole’s the outspoken “leader” or spirit animal of the team, which complicates bringing him off the bench. Regardless, everyone needs to be held accountable.

Plus it's really hard to put Cole on the bench when your other point guards (Fultz, Suggs) are working with minutes restrictions and/or not eligible for a game due to injury. 

[All Eyes On Me 1,210]

14 minutes ago, TreyMachine said:

I think we get confused that defense is entirely about effort or individual capacity.

Half of being a good defensive team is knowing where other guys are going to be in the rotation and playing well as a unit. If three of the five normal starters are not starting, and different guys are thrown together with other guys, that doesn’t make for great continuity, particularly if only one or two of them have a mental lapse at any one time.

I agree here. This (and many other reasons of course) are why we miss Wendell so bad when he’s out. He’s our smartest defensive player by far.

The alarming thing that’s been happening lately though is the blow-bys. Our guards might as well not even jog down the court to pretend to play D these last 2 games.