2023-2024 General Game Thread

[MagicFanDan 124]

Wins a win, but that 3rd group made this win less enjoyable. 

[ball junkie 277]

So the Pacers were 7-4 …a pretty good team …that was total domination …super impressive …no other way to slice it 

[Forumreader 10]

22 minutes ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

Lineup looking like Dumb and Dumber

That’s why we don’t see them when it really matters

[TrueMagicFan07 675]

When the Magic's 3rd bench players were letting the Pacers' bench claw back in garbage time in the 4th quarter, was Paolo and Cole pouting because the coach wouldn't let them go back into the game?

Paolo stood next to the coach on the sideline talking to the coach with a towel partially covering his mouth. Mosely did not look at Paolo--his body language was "go sit down Paolo" and kept focused on the action on the court.

To me, Cole appeared pouting on the bench. Scofield had his arm around his shoulder as to try to calm him down. 

Maybe it's just me.

[Shine88 87]

Paolo did a Melo.

[MagicFanDan 124]

14 minutes ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

When the Magic's 3rd bench players were letting the Pacers' bench claw back in garbage time in the 4th quarter, was Paolo and Cole pouting because the coach wouldn't let them go back into the game?

Paolo stood next to the coach on the sideline talking to the coach with a towel partially covering his mouth. Mosely did not look at Paolo--his body language was "go sit down Paolo" and kept focused on the action on the court.

To me, Cole appeared pouting on the bench. Scofield had his arm around his shoulder as to try to calm him down. 

Maybe it's just me.

I didn’t get that vibe. When Paolo was talking to Mos, he then went over to the rookies and gave them advice. 
 

I think it was just a way of P being a leader. 

Cole might have been pouting, but that’s because he played poorly. 

[J Roc Baby 24]

My takeaway from this game is I want the locker room to make this Banchero's team. Him and Franz. Not that I don't believe in guys like Fultz, Isaac, Anthony etc. It's just that I think the torch has been lit by them and the talent we have can support their quest for a title. It's not Shaq and Penny but the beauty is that it's something entirely different but beautiful all together 

 

The Magic have years to go but the journey in the wilderness is hopefully coming to an end now. I'm hoping their next move will be a big one.

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

I almost wrote a post yesterday morning about how I thought the Pacers might be a fake good team because they hadn't played a top defense at all yet except the Boston game where they got annihilated and then their offensive numbers were inflated by whooping the Spurs. I deleted it before posting because I didn't want to tempt fate. 

Kind of turned out that way I thought. Suggs locked up Haliburton and then nobody else on that team really scares me as a creator. 

They also had no answer for the size of Franz and Paolo at the forward spots. 

Not going to lie I was holding my breath when we brought our the end of the bench guys with 8 mins left and they were just throwing it out of bound and off their own knees etc but we held on and got some rest for the main guys. 

Goga revenge game too, he was great. Honestly I dunno what we do when Wendell returns, feels brutal to go back to Goga DNPs after the way he's played. 

Also, after that cameo you won't hear me say "where's Jett?" For a while. Game looks way too fast for him. Let him get a year under his belt and then we'll start to drip feed him some mins. 

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

Next 3 games are a pretty tough home stand with Toronto, Denver then Boston. 

After that we get Charlotte and the Wizards twice to round out a 6 game home stretch. 

On paper I think you'd be hoping for going 4-2, minimum 3-3, in that stretch. Defending champions on the second night of a back to back is tough, Boston are the best team in the East despite how we played them last year that's a tough game. Then it'd be very Magic to blow at least 1 of those Charlotte or Wizards games but I'd like to think we can take care of business against them at home.

Toronto next up though, another one of those teams in that 6-10 East range. Kind of a similar build to us in terms of length and athleticism and defense. They've got the bodies to match up with Paolo and Franz too. Feels like a coin flip. Maybe that's me being cautious though, we'll find out. 

 

[MagicMan1979 107]

11 hours ago, TrueMagicFan07 said:

When the Magic's 3rd bench players were letting the Pacers' bench claw back in garbage time in the 4th quarter, was Paolo and Cole pouting because the coach wouldn't let them go back into the game?

Paolo stood next to the coach on the sideline talking to the coach with a towel partially covering his mouth. Mosely did not look at Paolo--his body language was "go sit down Paolo" and kept focused on the action on the court.

To me, Cole appeared pouting on the bench. Scofield had his arm around his shoulder as to try to calm him down. 

Maybe it's just me.

That was not what was happening at all.  Paolo was talking to the young guys giving them encouragement. He is always putting his arm around guys.  I thought it was awesome Moseley and him were that close. Whatever Paolo said he agreed with him and nodded  his head in agreement.  

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

Haliburton in the 2 games before this combined was 32 assists and 0 turnovers. Haliburton against the Magic 3 assists, 4 turnovers. Magic defense is legit. Jalen Suggs should be all defense if he keeps this up. 

[MagicMan1979 107]

11 hours ago, MagicFanDan said:

I didn’t get that vibe. When Paolo was talking to Mos, he then went over to the rookies and gave them advice. 
 

I think it was just a way of P being a leader. 

Cole might have been pouting, but that’s because he played poorly. 

I know it showed his leadership. He seems really liked by his teammates. I don’t get TMF’s take on Paolo. He is far from selfish player. He had an awesome game by the way. 24 pts in 27 minutes. He even went 6-7 from the free throw line. 
 

I don’t know what Coles issue was on the bench.