The Magic have lost three in a row after winning eight of nine and going on a six-game winning streak. The Magic have faced a lot of issues over the last few months, but there are two things that stand out for the team going forward. The team has been severely hampered by the absence of nine players in the Detroit Pistons game, and Coach Jamahl Mosley and the team leaders must help the team recover. The Magic (at least) sacrificed two games to stay on the bench. In future games, the Magic may find themselves with 30 losses before 20 wins if they don’t watch out.
The Magic must put this behind them and concentrate on the remainder of the season if they want to play competitive basketball down the stretch. Only time will tell if being scrappy or surviving the storm is enough to win. Either one will do, and only time will tell if they can pull through. Paolo Banchero is obviously going through a tough period, and the Magic must ensure that he is not overburdened during this period. Banchero’s issues Friday—7-for-24 shooting, another three personal fouls, and five turnovers—were representative of his problems over the past week. In Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he couldn’t get anything going, scoring just four points while collecting five fouls in just 22 minutes of playing time. Against the Detroit Pistons, he had five more fouls and shot 33 percent from the field.
There is no need to panic about Banchero’s slump, but the league has been notified and will attempt to prevent him from scoring more than anyone on his team. Every other Magic player will have to make up for the lost production when they all return to the lineup. Especially heading into next year’s games.
Due to being suspended for stepping off the bench, the other three players (among the eight suspended) will be unavailable for the Orlando Magic’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
The Magic will benefit from the return of Wendell Carter and Mo Bamba, two players who can help strengthen the team’s interior defense. Having Cole Anthony back will also help organize the offense.
It’s vital for the Magic to show a significant improvement in their focus on detail, particularly on offence, as nine players are available for Wednesday’s game. That will provide the team with an important boost of energy.
