2025/2026 General Game Thread

[JJZFL]

10 minutes ago, fan for too long 2 said:

On a side note. VJ Edgecombe is a stud. That is all. Oh, I wish we had a guard like that. 

Yeah.  I posted about him earlier also.  
Of course, if he was on the bench, where he’d probably be on our team, he wouldn’t look so good.  

[Stinger24]

Front office mortgaged the future on Bane. When the team needed a truce point and real defensive center. 

[All Eyes On Me]

2 hours ago, Stinger24 said:

Front office mortgaged the future on Bane. When the team needed a truce point and real defensive center. 

Bane is fine and was the right move, that’ll work itself out. The defensive falloff seems pretty strictly due to changing our pace, feel like that’ll work itself out too. Our main issue is our bigs suck and we don’t have anybody on the bench that can score. I’m not surprised by either of these and expected another move or two this season, but I am surprised it’s showing itself so quickly. Moe helps with both of these things in one swoop, that’s why he’s so valuable to our team.
 

The WCJ experiment needs to be done, and we desparately need a 6th man that isn’t just a defensive specialist. I don’t know what assets we really have anymore, but I’m all in on a Malik Monk move and if there’s any way in hell we could talk to Utah about Walker Kessler I’d throw another parade. 

Im more critical of the team than most on the board because I was excited about this season and 1-3 just makes me sad, but the sky isn’t falling as fast as it feels, we just he to get our **** together before it does. 

[hootie249]

I didn't watch the game really but i listened to it. Went to get some free PF Changs due to a grand opening.

I don't know which was more disappointing, the food or another Magic loss. Anyways, clearly a lot of this is just our team learning to work together. I'm gonna call out the coaching more then players because i'm not ready to start bashing the players, this team has TALENT!

Other teams in the NBA are going through the same thing right now, ok? 

Clearly we have problems but it's to early to call anything a failure.

[OnlyFranz]

1 hour ago, hootie249 said:

I didn't watch the game really but i listened to it. Went to get some free PF Changs due to a grand opening.

I don't know which was more disappointing, the food or another Magic loss. Anyways, clearly a lot of this is just our team learning to work together. I'm gonna call out the coaching more then players because i'm not ready to start bashing the players, this team has TALENT!

Other teams in the NBA are going through the same thing right now, ok? 

Clearly we have problems but it's to early to call anything a failure.

Our big situation has been glaring for a few seasons now and we haven’t done anything to address it. WCJ simply isn’t a good rim protector, he’s clumsy on the court, and can never take advantage of a mismatch. Goga is decent at rim protection but offensively he leaves a lot to be desired. I’d call that a failure but I agree with you about the coaching or lack thereof. 

[JJZFL]

2 hours ago, hootie249 said:

I didn't watch the game really but i listened to it. Went to get some free PF Changs due to a grand opening.

I don't know which was more disappointing, the food or another Magic loss. Anyways, clearly a lot of this is just our team learning to work together. I'm gonna call out the coaching more then players because i'm not ready to start bashing the players, this team has TALENT!

Other teams in the NBA are going through the same thing right now, ok? 

Clearly we have problems but it's too early to call anything a failure.

Totally agree that it’s way premature to talk about failure. Having said that, I wonder about your comment about the team learning to work together. After all, except for Bane and Jones, most of them have been together for years.

[All Eyes On Me]

38 minutes ago, JJZFL said:

Totally agree that it’s way premature to talk about failure. Having said that, I wonder about your comment about the team learning to work together. After all, except for Bane and Jones, most of them have been together for years.

True, but everybody has to change how they play to accommodate a ball player like Bane coming on board in place of KCP. It should be short term pain for long term gain.
 

I’m really not worried about our starters, except we need to improve at the 5 spot. Our bench keeps me up at night. We have a clear 6 guys that we need to roll out every night - Franz, Paolo, Bane, Suggs, AB, Moe, every one else to me is expendable and not a championship caliber player or too young and raw to be on a championship aspiration rotation.

[MagicMan1979]

17 hours ago, fan for too long 2 said:

I believed for a little while. Not sure what I was smokin. Lol. For this team to achieve that lofty goal is to play as a team. Especially Paolo. To take the superstar step he so desperately wants, he has to trust his teammates and play focused defense. His weak side defense is Horrible. Like tonight, Bona etc. have gone past him while he is ball watching. And his guy is blocking shots getting rebounds, and points while Paolo is just a spectator. That has to stop if this team ever gets to a championship level. 

I was smokin too man! You’re not wrong in any of what you wrote.  I don’t put it all on Paolo though.

 

The thing that’s concerning to me is us not looking like a contender or really seeing how they can become one with their playing style.  I think we are still a Play Off Team this year like we have been the last two years.  But this was supposed to be the year we take that next step.  I am watching Mosley very closely this season.  It’s make or break for him in my opinion.  I feel like we have the talent.  It’s very early hopefully they can turn it around…..

[UnrealShaquille]

[Luke_FfS]

I'm 100% sure we're more than that, but in this moment I'm hurting inside. We are not only bad in offense the way we were, but we also lost our grit in the way. Were they already thinking too big without even starting the job?

[Shine88]

Damn, 5-27 is some Josh Smith ish.

Idk, Paolo doesn't look comfortable shooting the ball, especially in catch and shoot situations.

This is concerning. I mean, it doesn't even look like he worked on his game this summer.

[jmmagicfan]

4 hours ago, All Eyes On Me said:

True, but everybody has to change how they play to accommodate a ball player like Bane coming on board in place of KCP. It should be short term pain for long term gain.
 

I’m really not worried about our starters, except we need to improve at the 5 spot. Our bench keeps me up at night. We have a clear 6 guys that we need to roll out every night - Franz, Paolo, Bane, Suggs, AB, Moe, every one else to me is expendable and not a championship caliber player or too young and raw to be on a championship aspiration rotation.

While I mostly agree with you, I think it’s still important to remember that only Moe and Bane are over 25. I might include a couple of other players who could develop into the bench we need. I would like to see Penda and Richardson get a bit more backup time, and maybe flip Goga and WCJ minutes. I think Dell would be a better fit with the bench and Goga with the starters based on their respective strengths and weaknesses.