The Athletic NBA Daily
Episode: Did Orlando lose its Magic?
Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Xena Keda
Guest: Josh Robbins
Episode Overview
This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily delves into the recent struggles of the Orlando Magic following a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hosts Dave DuFour and Xena Keda analyze the breakout performances of the surging Charlotte Hornets, evaluate the recent gritty run by the Cavaliers, and invite The Athletic’s Orlando reporter Josh Robbins to dissect the Magic’s ongoing woes. They explore offensive stagnation, roster construction issues, and looming trade deadline considerations.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Charlotte Hornets’ Recent Surge
- Dominant Win Over 76ers: Hornets beat Philadelphia 130-93, leading by 50 entering the fourth quarter. (03:32)
- Emergence of Big Three:
- Brandon Miller scored 30 points in the game.
- LaMelo Ball – Up-and-down season but key part of the core.
- Tyrese Canniple and Miles Bridges round out a youthful, versatile starting five with Moussa Diabate as a crucial glue piece.
- Secret Ingredient: Moussa Diabate
- “Moussa Diabate has sort of been the secret to their success.” — Dave DuFour (02:54)
- Diabate’s relentless motor, high efficiency (63% FG), and his ability to draw fouls (“number two on this team in terms of drawing fouls” — Xena, 06:18).
- Youth and Depth: Hornets rotate between scorers with each night; bench contributions matter, especially Ryan Cockbrenner’s finishing around the basket (04:01).
- Play-In Outlook: Hornets are 3.5 games from the last East play-in spot. Both hosts see it as realistic if their form continues. Future ceiling depends on adding “one big away from being a solid contender.” (03:32, 06:18)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Are They Back?
- Big Win Over Magic: Cavs defeat Orlando 114-98, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 45 points on an efficient 15-25 FG. (08:30)
- Recent Form: Won 6 of 7, 10 of 15. Jaylen Tyson emerging as a key piece; Darius Garland still out.
- Playing Style: “The wins that they've had have all been grit. … It's been a battle. When you think about the Cavs being ‘back’, at least how I think about it, I think about that team that was on par with OKC last year…” — Xena Keda (09:33)
- Problems and Positives:
- Lacking last season’s offensive bite (19th offensive rating in last five games), but physicality and resilience have improved.
- Evan Mobley with a noticeable shift to offense: “Mobley in the game against Orlando, he looked like he was looking to score. He wanted to attack.” — Dave (11:01)
- Role Players: Jaylen Tyson, Tyrese Proctor (“looked pretty good when, especially when he’s playing next to Mitchell”), and Naquan Tomlin are highlighted as rotation upgrades.
3. Orlando Magic: What’s Gone Wrong?
3.1. Recent Downturn and Injuries
- Losses Mounting: Magic have lost four straight, are 7-8 in last 15, after preseason hopes of being an East homecourt advantage team. Still no Franz Wagner.
- Injuries: “They've obviously struggled all year with injuries. Still no Franz Wagner out there.” — Dave (13:57)
- Optimism: “The only real positive that I see is they've got 37-38 games left…” — Josh Robbins (14:58)
3.2. Offensive Predictability and Weaknesses
- No Offensive Threat Next to Paolo: Franz Wagner’s absence has exposed the offense; teams key in on Paolo Banchero.
- “...Orlando's missing someone that takes attention off of Paolo Banchero, and that is, of course, Franz Wagner." — Xena (16:02)
- Three-Point Shooting Woes: 29th in NBA in 3PT%, consistently missing open looks (e.g., 10-for-32 on wide-open threes vs. Cleveland).
- “They made 31% of their wide-open threes... missed all 12 of their corner threes.” — Josh (17:40)
- Roster Construction: Lack of shooters, lack of player and ball movement, offense “predictable.”
- “It is predictable...get the ball to Paolo or Franz, get them in a switch, get them in an advantage, and then go do something.” — Josh (18:40)
- Young Players’ Growing Pains: Issues with role players in spacing and off-ball movement, such as Noah Penda not knowing when to lift out of the corner (19:03).
- Over-dribbling and Late-Clock Issues: The team often initiates offense too slowly, passes up good looks for contested late-clock shots (22:49).
3.3. Defense and Interconnected Struggles
- Early season top-5 defense has regressed amid injuries.
- “When you're missing shots, the other team is not taking the ball out of the net. That puts a strain on your defense, and everything here is interconnected.” — Josh (21:23)
3.4. Do Injuries Excuse the Issues?
- Lineup Instability: Projected starting five (Suggs, Bain, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.) has played only 117 minutes together; +18 net rating in those minutes, but injuries have kept them off the floor.
- “That’s an incredibly effective lineup. But in some ways it’s been fool’s gold because none of the big three for them have remained healthy.” — Josh (26:33)
- Physical Styles Increase Injury Risk: Suggs’ aggressive defense makes him prone to injury.
3.5. Paths to Improvement
- Fast starts by the offense quickly crumble in the second half (“there was a bright spot there... and then it just crumbled” — Xena, 25:10).
- Offensive tweaks proposed: getting Paolo the ball on the move, quicker pace in half court, and more player movement off the ball (“I’d like to see the Magic get Paolo the ball as he’s going to the basket.” — Josh, 24:43).
- Defense as the Backbone: Without elite defense, flaws in roster and offense become pronounced.
4. Trade Deadline Outlook (28:27)
- Magic are flirting with the luxury tax; a priority is to get below without sacrificing competitiveness.
- Tyus Jones: Offseason acquisition not panning out on-court; possible candidate to be moved to another team's exception.
- “He’s been great off the court... But on the court it has not worked.” — Josh (30:01)
- Goga Bitadze: Drawing interest as an affordable backup center with Orlando having frontcourt depth.
- Cap Reality: The Magic expect to be in the tax next year with Paolo’s extension, so lowering this year’s bill is prudent.
- Trade Philosophy: Any moves must not jeopardize the team’s ability to compete this year, but prepping for future flexibility is key (“goal number one... is to get under the tax without hurting their competitiveness right now.” — Josh, 31:25).
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
| Time | Speaker | Quote | |----------|-------------|-------| | 02:54 | Dave DeFour | “Moussa Diabate has sort of been the secret to [Charlotte's] success.” | | 06:18 | Xena Keda | “Moussa Diabate also creates incredible opportunities for himself just by being physical. You can't stop this guy. His motor is relentless.” | | 09:33 | Xena Keda | “The wins that they've had have all been grit... But are they operating like a clean machine that we know that they're capable of being?” | | 17:40 | Josh Robbins| “They made 31% of their wide-open threes... missed all 12 of their corner threes. So a lot of this, a good portion of this is about roster construction, right? They don't have enough knockdown shooters.” | | 18:40 | Josh Robbins| “The offense is all about getting the ball to Paolo or Franz, get them in a switch, get them in an advantage and then go do something, right?” | | 21:23 | Josh Robbins| “When you're missing shots, the other team is not taking the ball out of the net. Well, that puts a strain on your defense. And everything here is interconnected.” | | 24:43 | Josh Robbins| “Rudy Gay said on a recent broadcast... he would like to see the Magic get Paolo the ball as he's going to the basket... when he's got a head of steam and a pathway to the basket, he's incredibly [effective].” | | 26:33 | Josh Robbins| “[The starting five] has appeared in only 17 games together for a total of 117 minutes... they’ve outscored the opponent by 18 points per 100 possessions... but in some ways, it's been fool's gold.” | | 30:01 | Josh Robbins| “He's been great off the court... but on the court, it has not worked [about Tyus Jones].” | | 31:25 | Josh Robbins| “I would imagine goal number one, if they can, is to get under the tax without hurting their competitiveness right now.” |
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:34 — Intro and games rundown
- 02:00–08:20 — Charlotte Hornets praise and playoff potential
- 08:25–12:25 — Cavaliers win over Magic, state of the Cavs
- 13:57–32:14 — In-depth Orlando Magic segment with Josh Robbins:
- 14:58 — Magic’s slump and remaining schedule
- 16:02 — Missing Franz Wagner; offensive predictability
- 17:40 — Three-point shooting struggles
- 18:40 — Offensive philosophy critique
- 21:23 — Roster construction and interconnected issues
- 24:43 — Suggestions for getting Paolo the ball in motion
- 26:33 — Lineup effectiveness and injury reality
- 28:27 — Trade deadline rumors; possible moves
Conclusion
This episode highlights the rapid turnaround of the Charlotte Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ gritty style, and a critical, nuanced examination of the Orlando Magic’s stagnation and what might come next. The panel’s substantive Xs-and-Os discussion, honest assessments of roster moves, and trade deadline speculation provide a clear, unvarnished look at the challenges facing Orlando and set up what could be a pivotal stretch in their season.