Did Orlando lose its Magic?

Summary

---

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.

---

Transcript

[Amazon Prime Advertiser]

Prime one day deliveries fast. How fast we talking? We're talking tissues and hot tea fast. Feel better meds fast. Relief at your door fast so you can so you can actually breathe out of both nostrils fast like I just ordered and it's achoo already here Fast fast one day delivery to feel better sooner.

[Babbel Advertiser]

It's on Prime Parle tu francais hablas espanol par Liano. If you've used Babbel, you would Babbel's conversation based technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com acast spelled B A B B E L.com acast rules and restrictions may apply.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Veri by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Terms Announcer]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required.

[Dave DeFore]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon prime for January 27, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Xena Keda. Coming up, the Charlotte Hornets are going crazy. They've been scoring so many points. We're gonna talk about that a little bit. The Cavs went nuts against the Magic and then we're going to talk to Josh Robbins about the Orlando Magic's latest loss and what they might do at the deadline. Good morning everybody. What's up, Xena? How's it going?

[Xena Keda]

Going well, Dave. What up?

[Dave DeFore]

We had a long day of hoops yesterday. The the winter weather in the south scared a bunch of teams in the league into starting the games early. The Atlanta Hawks played a game before I finished breakfast out here in California. So if you guys were watching hoops all day like us, you might have seen the Charlotte Hornets go nuts. They had a 50 point lead going into the fourth quarter against our Sixers that we've been pretty high on. No, Joel Embiid Only six points from Tyrese Maxey, but 130 to 1 or excuse me, 130 to 93. The Hornets win big over the Sixers. And I actually think it's just time again to talk about the Hornets. They've been really good lately. You know, Brandon Miller put up 30 in this game, but it's been a different guy almost every single night for them. We, we talked a lot this season about Con Lamelo Ball has kind of had an up and down year, but it does feel like he is a part of, of what they're doing. They've landed on their best five man lineup and that's their new starting lineup. And frankly, Zena Musa Diabate has sort of been the secret to their success. He, he moved in the starting lineup and things have changed for them. I'm going to look at the last 15 games. They're first in offense, fifth in defense, first in net rating. And their best five man lineup has been Miles Bridges, Diabate, Brandon Miller, Lamelo Ball, Conipel and that's been their starting lineup here recently. They look great.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah, I'm loving the fact that when you look at Charlotte right now, you talk about their big three, there's a little bit of like variance sometimes, right? Is it Lamelo with Miles Bridges and Con Caniple. Is it Con Caniple with Brandon? I mean, Brandon Miller's got to be in there obviously, right? Like there is a little bit of variance and that's great. That's what you want to see in a starting five, especially in a young core. And this is why everyone's so excited about Charlotte because it's like they're just like one big away from being a solid contender.

[Dave DeFore]

Diabate is the big. I mean maybe he's the guy, you know, Ryan Cockbrenner coming off the bench who essentially doesn't miss around the basket.

[Xena Keda]

They, they have a squad. They do, they do. And they're young and they're hungry and they're having fun. And Musa Diabate, I'm happy you like brought him up. Like he's. I've seen a lot of folks say this, but I can see it. I want to. I wish I was with S and you because most improved, like he could.

[Dave DeFore]

Be another guy to add to the list.

[Xena Keda]

I mean this is kind of too many.

[Dave DeFore]

Been one of those seasons though where we've had, I feel like. And add Musa Diabate to the list of guys who are kind of breaking out and I think that this is, you know, we've talked a little bit about this now over the last year and a half where the the skill curve in the NBA is flattening quite a bit where you do find that some guy might be the eighth or ninth guy on the bench and gets a chance and oh wait, this, this guy actually drives our engine. I mean I think we've seen this multiple, multiple teams. I mean think about Peyton Watson and the turnaround that he's made this year and getting a chance. I mean usually it is opportunity, right? Like it's. You don't get to the NBA unless you can play. But Musa Diabate, yeah, he's been great for them lately. And again the, the, the big three for them is LaMelo Kahn and Brandon Miller. That's three offensive guys that can get their shot off. I mean can create their own look, but also can stick the open shot. I mean that's, that's what we talk about from a team building perspective. We've been hitting the spurs, we've been talking about the Thunder and I don't know if these guys are that good. Ty Cannipple could be. We don't know yet.

[T-Mobile Terms Announcer]

Right.

[Dave DeFore]

But with Lamelo, the promise was always there. I mean this is the, the most put together, I think team we've seen around Lamelo and Brandon Miller for, for that matter, I guess we really shouldn't be surprised by this. Xena, look, how far does this go? Let's just look right now you look at the standings, okay. This is a team that currently as we record is three and a half games behind the Hawks for that final play in spot. The Hawks have been kind of sad lately. What are the odds that come April, we're talking about the Hornets in the play in. That would be pretty fun.

[Xena Keda]

I don't think that that's a crazy odd if they focus on just playing hard and continuing to win like they are. I mean I don't think that would be a for. It's not a foregone conclusion for them to possibly end up in the play. And the way that they're playing you, you talk about the big three, you talk about the players that are around them. Whether it's Colt Brenner, whether it's Musa diabetes like the bate. The biggest thing that you can see out of all of them is just consistency and efficiency. Like Moussa shout out to the celebration. By the way, love the moose, but Moussa shoots 63% from the floor, does not attempt threes. Like that's not his thing. He's not a three point shooter by any means. He is specifically going to the basket, getting fouled. He's the number two on this team in terms of drawing fouls. That's huge when you're thinking about all those other guys that can get their shots and get to the line. Moussa Diabate also creates incredible opportunities for himself just by being physical. You can't stop this guy. His motor is relentless, and I think that that's huge. You've got consistency in the way that he plays in that regard, as well as the efficiency. But then also, I'm looking at this from a perspective of maybe not this year. I don't know if I could see, you know, Charlotte winning a playoff series this year, but they are one trade away. Like it's been since 2002 since the Charlotte Hornets have won a playoff series. 20, 27, baby.

[Dave DeFore]

I don't know if they're going to win a playoff series next year, but look, this team, I. I think that this team, when you look at the east and how soft it is, if they continue to grow, they're probably fighting for an actual playoff spot next year. I. They're not going to come and be a succeed and. And beat a good team.

[Xena Keda]

Okay, listen.

[Dave DeFore]

They're not there yet.

[Xena Keda]

Listen, the east, with what we know about the East, I don't know, dude. They are.

[Dave DeFore]

So maybe, maybe, hey, maybe they trade for Giannis, in which case, yes, they're going to win a playoff series next year. I would say that.

[Xena Keda]

Okay. Okay. They got to make a big trade. That's for sure. They've got to make a big trade and get something.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, we'll see about that. All right, Zen, I gotta ask, because we got to ask.

[Xena Keda]

For what it's worth, I'm also from North Carolina, so maybe I have a little bit too much ammo.

[Dave DeFore]

There's a little bit of homerism happening there. Yeah, we're rooting for the. Rooting for Charlotte to have a good team. All right, we got to ask this every time a team goes on a nice little run. The Cavs have won 6 of 7, 10 of their last 15. They get a big win over the Magic. 114. 98. Donovan Mitchell has 45 points. Ridiculous scoring display by Donovan Mitchell. 15 of 25 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3, 10 of 12 from the line. Unstoppable. Like the Magic had no answers. 20 points from Evan Mobley to. To round that out for the. For the Cavs. Are they back? I mean, listen, we. We've been down on them this year. We talked about how this. This season needed to be experimental, but they found Jaylen Tyson. I. I just think that this is a team that feels a little bit more complete than it did a month ago, and that's even without Darius Garland out there. They just seem to have a little bit more of their identity back. After the game, Kenny Atkinson talked about how this was more of a gritty win, and they. They feel like they've been picking those up. So are the Cavs back? Cena?

[Xena Keda]

I can't say they're back just yet, and it's really because of what you just laid out. The wins that they've had, they're four and one in their last five, seven and three, and their last 10. And the wins that they've had have all been grit. Have to pull them out playing every single second of Donovan Mitchell that they can. It's. It's been a battle. When you think about the Cavs being quote, unquote back, at least how I think about it, I think about that team that was on par with OKC last year. Top offense in the league, right? And also top defense, top 10 defense in these last five and last 10 when they've had these great, you know, showings in terms of being able to win games. In the last five, they've had the 19th best offensive rating, 12th best defensive rating. This isn't the Cavs being back. This is the Cavs being resilient. This is the Cavs being probably fed up with losing games and just doing whatever it takes to win. But are they operating like a clean machine that we know that they're capable of being? Especially. This is the core that we had last year outside of Darius Garland. But I would say that you found, you know, some nice pickups in Jalen Tyson, even Proctor alongside Donovan Mitchell. Right? I think you found some pickups, but it's not quite the same. It's just a. It's a tougher Cavs, but not the same.

[Dave DeFore]

I will say Tyrese Proctor has looked pretty good when, especially when he's playing next to Mitchell. Like, like you mentioned Jalen Tyson.

[Xena Keda]

We.

[Dave DeFore]

We threw his name in there, like with every. With all the other 50 guys for most improved. Naquan Tomlin is a guy that I feel like you and I, we probably text his name to each other twice a week, you know, whenever he's out there playing, because he just does stuff, right? And the. The other thing is this, like, Mobley has a 20 point game, but Mobley in the game against Orlando, he looked like he was looking to score. He wanted to attack. He was going to the three ball.

[Xena Keda]

He was shooting exactly in the trail position, pulling up, shooting that three confidently. It's huge.

[Dave DeFore]

And to me, that is the biggest difference in the game last night and what we've seen out of them here recently. Again, this is one of their better offensive performances against the Magic, which, you know, that's not like this is not a paper soft defense that they scored 114 against. So I think more of that is what Cleveland needs. I mean, we'll see if they've got it. I mean, this is not going to be an easy run for them once we get to the playoffs, especially if Darrow Scarlin's not there. But finding a couple of guys along the way, I mean, we've been given the Nuggets credit for it and saying that it's going to make them better come playoff time. And I think for Cleveland, you know, having more guys that can fill out your rotation, trying to avoid some of the guys that have been killing them this year, I think that that's going to be big for them. Guys. Stick around after the break. Fan favorite Josh Robbins is here to talk about Orlando and whether or not they've got some trades brewing for the deadline.

[Amazon Prime Advertiser]

Prime 1 day deliveries fast how fast we talking? We're talking tissues and hot tea fast. Feel better meds fast. Relief is your door fast so you can so you can actually breathe out of both nostri fast like I just ordered it and it's already here. Fast fast one day delivery to feel better sooner it's on prime.

[Instacart Advertiser]

It'S the New year and Instacart is here for whatever your new routine looks like. Maybe it's committing to the after work workout or trying plant based recipes or just having fresh ingredients in the fridge. Because with Instacart you get time back. You can filter shopping by dietary preferences and never run out of what you need. So whatever your new year plan is, Instacart is here to make it just a little more possible. Download the Instacart app today. Actual dietary information may vary. Always check product packaging.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Terms Announcer]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits plan features in Texas and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required.

[Dave DeFore]

The Orlando Magic Dropped their fourth straight. It was a big Eastern Conference matchup against the Cavs. Xena, look, we didn't think that the Magic were going to be barely above.500 at this point. I think a lot of people thought this was going to be like a home court advantage to him in the playoffs. They've obviously struggled all year with injuries. Still no Franz Vagner out there. They did just get Jaylen Suggs back. And we got Josh Robbins back to talk about the Orlando Magic after a loss. What's up, Josh?

[Josh Robbins]

Hello, everybody. Happy. Happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

[Dave DeFore]

Yes, it's the NBA Daily's favorite guest, Josh Robbins. Well, Murray, although close second, I will say.

[Xena Keda]

But.

[Dave DeFore]

Oh, wait, we're gonna have to do another poll at the end of the year and figure this out. I need to. I need to know who's number one. Josh, look, the. The Magic have lost four straight. They're seven and eight in their last 15 games. They are undefeated in Germany. Do they need to just relocate? I mean, is that, that the solution to their recent problems?

[Josh Robbins]

That is a statement that doesn't really deserve an answer. But. But no, this is a team in trouble right now. There's no question about it. And it's going to, most likely, Most likely it's going to get worse in the near term. They. They face to. They're in Miami, they face Toronto at home, and then they go back on the road for games in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. And so most likely this is going to get worse, potentially much worse before it gets better. And the team has stalled right now. There are reasons for that. We're going to get into that. Happy to, Happy to discuss that. But they're not, they're not in a good place right now. The only real positive that I see is that they've got 38 games left, approximately. 37 games left, approximately. That's enough time to turn it around and we'll get to that. So, yeah, they're not, they're not in good shape right now.

[Xena Keda]

And I want to know, like, we could take the loss last night against Cleveland and I think it illuminated a few of those buckets that we could kind of go into. Number one, Orlando's missing someone that takes attention off of Paolo Banchero, and that is, of course, Franz Bogner. You're seeing teams be able to look at Orlando's offense and it gets a little bit predictable when you know that you don't have much coming out of, in terms of offensive production out of Orlando outside of Paolo Bain. And then once in a while you'll see the pops of A Da Silva and Anthony Black. But it's not as consistent as you need it to be. So there's the aspect of Franz missing, but there's also the aspect of even if you have bronze missing aggressiveness on offense. Dave, you were the one that called this out. First of Paolo not taking advantage of folks sagging off of him. It wasn't just Paolo. This was the entire team not taking advantage of sagging off defense. And they were taking advantage of the wide open threes and looking up what's going on with the Magic in their three point shot. I mean the 29th in the NBA right now in three point percentage. Last night they went 10 for 32. Excuse me. Last time they played Cleveland, they. They went 10 for 32 on wide open threes. I have to look up what the stat was last night, but this is, this is a trend that they're not offensively aggressive. Those are the two I'm looking at. But then also the defense is the third bucket I'm looking at too. They started this year as a top five defensive team and now looked interesting.

[Josh Robbins]

Last night against Cleveland, I was, I was not looking at the screen because I was looking up the same stats that he referenced. Zana. So over the weekend you're 100% right. They made 31% of their wide open threes. They had 32 of them, right? 32 of them. They made only one out of seven of their open threes and they 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, but it go. And they've been injured. They've been injured in a way that we're going to discuss here. But it goes beyond that. I think this is an offense that while limited by what I just discussed, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It is predictable. Zana. Dave, you know the X's and O's as well as anybody. To me when I watch and I've watched them a lot over the last several years, it's get. It's even seems more pronounced now that the offense is all about getting the ball to Palo or Franz. Get them in a switch, get them in an advantage and then go do something, right?

[Dave DeFore]

And one pass maybe to a shooter and, and to be fair, Xena and I have talked about this a lot with this team. Often guys, it seems like they don't know where to be and you know I, look, I hate to call out a young guy, but, but frankly, Noah Penda at times playing the 4, didn't know to move out of the corner or to lift out of the corner. I mean these are like basic things that, that to me like should be drilled into to these role player types that you have out there. The other thing is guys picking up their dribble. I, I, I don't know a lot of teams in the NBA where you see a guy pick up the dribble when he could get two feet in the paint. Paolo is, is bad about this. They're constantly having to kick out to the wing and sort of reset again. It's a, there's a general lack of organization and I expected to see them kind of fall back in line when Jalen Suggs came back. He has been the drink stir for this team for the last few years and typically they seem more organized when he's out there. But last night it just didn't feel like he had the power to get him there. In spite of what I thought was, I mean, he looks great physically. He had that great dunk in the, in the first quarter. He had that excellent block at the end of the first quarter. So to me there's just that clunky fit which goes back to what you say, the roster construction. I mean, does Franz coming back fix any of this?

[Josh Robbins]

Well, with Franz back, they're much better. But the offense still plays in the same way that it does.

[Xena Keda]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

And at any one time, almost no matter who you have on the court, they don't have enough shooting. You have to have, and we've said it a million times, I'll say it again, you have to have knockdown shooters to compete at a high level in the league.

[Dave DeFore]

Yep.

[Josh Robbins]

You just do. But you use the word Dave Clunky. That's a great way to describe the offense. And not just this year, last year too. And having said all that, having said all that, they do generate open shots, particularly from three, and they're just not hitting them at a rate that they need to do that they need to hit them on to be competitive. And 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.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

They move off of last season, kcp, who for all his problems on offense remained a good defender. They moved off of Gary Harris, who both he and KCP would have helped last night on Donovan Mitchell. Sure he would have helped. You know, those two losses Defensively hurt. Offensively, Desmond Bane has helped, but you need additional people who can sink A3 because these other teams are building a wall to the rim. That Palo can't literally go through someone he can't, as talented as he is, he can't. He'll get called for a charge. And so it's very tough for him to get shots at the rim. In the half court with the way the offense is structured, they have little to no ball movement much of the time. They have very little player movement most of the time in their half court offense. And that is, I think, what the three of us are discussing here. And yet they could still be successful if their defense is elite, which it hasn't been without Suggs and Franz, the two best defenders. Everything's interconnected, but the way the offense looks and has continued to look, that element of it doesn't make much sense.

[Dave DeFore]

And part of the thing with their offense, right where you're talking about not canning the threes, there are too many times and for everybody listening, if you don't catch a lot of Magic games, you can see it immediately. Usually when you drive and kick, there either needs to be a shot or another pass where Orlando loves to drive and kick and then just drive right where the defense is instead of either taking the shot. Like there are times in which they pass up good looks and they wind up with these late shot clock looks that are worse and, and you know, you can. I think that tracking data is a little bit tricky because a real wide open shot and an NBA wide open shot are not actually the same. And I do think that their, their shots are not as high quality as they would be if they would just shoot off that initial kick or maybe even swing it one more time. And again, it's lack of organization.

[Josh Robbins]

Yes. And I think they wait too long to get moving. Yeah. And make their initial lack of activity. Again, we're only talking about the half court. They wait too long to get going. They're waiting for that matchup, that mismatch. Okay. And by the time they get going, well, they've exhausted a lot. A large part of the shot clock and pace means many things. To some it means number of possessions per game, but I'm really talking about speed with which you run your offense. How quickly do you get into your offense and then get into your first action? Because once you get into your first action, that gives you a chance to get into a second, a third, a third, a second pass, a third pass, so on, so forth. And there isn't Enough of that. And Rudy Gay said on a recent broadcast on. I guess it's prime. I lose track of it now. Yeah, I know that. And it was a great, great point that he would like to see the Magic get Paolo the ball as he's going to the basket.

[Dave DeFore]

You're right. As a trail guy in movement.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

With momentum and because he's got good hands. And when he's got a head of steam and a pathway to the basket, he's incredibly. He gets to the line and he gets in line.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And yet so often he or Franz get the ball on the perimeter, there's a screen set a little too late and then go. Yeah, that's.

[Xena Keda]

So here's. This is the thing though. Like I particularly am looking at thinking about last night's game in comparison to Saturday's game, but thinking about last night's game. Orlando started well, like their offense actually started really smooth. It was clicking, it was quick passes. And then particularly when you're talking about Dave, you're absolutely right. When you. They get that extra pass and they immediately drive. But you were seeing them get to spaces, spots that were open, they were finding gaps, they were in lanes. Anthony Black with the pull ups, Wendell Carter Jr. Getting to all the way to the basket. You saw Paolo getting his mid range off like they were finding the gaps. And then it just crumbled. It disappeared particularly in that third quarter. And that's when. And they start turning the ball over and that's when Cleveland was able to start to capitalize. Believe Cleveland went on that 15 and four run and it go and they couldn't stop Donovan Mitchell. There was a bright spot there. There was something there where you're seeing, okay, there is easy offense for the Magic to find. Is this something that you could see the Magic, you know, build off of if they have all the right personnel. Are we seeing elements of a good offense? Even with the roster construction that we've talked about being a little bit off there. There seems to be elements of good there, especially at the top of that. Of that top of the game last night.

[Josh Robbins]

Yeah. Yes, yes. And once Franz gets back and once Jalen Suggs gets off his minutes restriction, he's still on a minutes restriction which is impeding his rhythm during the game and, and making it tough for him to be at his best. Offensively and defensively they are a much better team. So one of the reasons why I was looking down as the two of you might have talked as I was writing down some stats, so the projected starting five of Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bain, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. Has appeared in only 17 games, 11 games together for a total of 117 minutes. And during that time, they've outscored the opponent by 18 points per 100 possessions. So that's, wow, 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. One of the great aspects of Jalen Suggs is just how physical he is.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And yet that physicality does make him prone to injuries because he's taking incredible collisions. Franz. Well, his injury this year has been a fluke. He was fouled going to the hoop and wasn't his fault. A Knicks player hit him, landed on him, if I remember correctly, high ankle sprain, and then he arguably rushed back to play in that game in Berlin. Too quickly he's aggravated that injury. Who knows how long he'll be out? So, Xena, I 100% agree with you, but one of the problems is, is that it's difficult for them to count on their big five guys to remain healthy.

[Xena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Before we get you out of here, is Orlando gonna make any moves at the deadline? I've been hearing a lot of teams are interested in my guy Goga. I think he could help some teams since he's not getting a lot of run down there anymore. What do you, what do you think about the Orlando Magic as we approach the trade deadline?

[Josh Robbins]

So I'm hearing this is going to be misinterpreted. I'll just tell you, I'm hearing a lot of rumors. The majority of rumors that a reporter hears during trade deadline are inaccurate. Right. And if they're written about, at least at our place and at several other places, then they've been vetted. Okay, so, but, so I'll tell you what I think is most likely going to happen. They're slated to pay the tax for the first time since Dwight's final season, I believe. So they can afford to pay the tax, but you don't want to be in the tax.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

Because they're definitely going to be in the tax next year when Palo's extension kicks in. And you don't, you don't want to mess with that repeater tax. So I think they're going to attempt to make a move, I think, to get under that tax line. And one of the one such move that they potentially could make is to try to trade Tyus Jones, perhaps into another team's exception. Tyus Jones was one of the they made two major off season moves. Tyus Jones was supposed to actually help their half court.

[Babbel Advertiser]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

Give them shooting. He's been great off the court. He's a, he's a wonderful person to have around a true professional. But on the court it has not worked.

[Dave DeFore]

It's never a good thing when you start talking about a player off the court and being a nice guy. Before you talk about the contributions on the court, I mean.

[Josh Robbins]

Yes. But the alternative is someone at least.

[Dave DeFore]

He'S not a jerk.

[Josh Robbins]

Is a. Is a cancer in any workplace and also producing.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

That's any workplace.

[Dave DeFore]

Yes.

[Josh Robbins]

So I think that would be a natural move that they could attempt to make and pro and should attempt to make because he is not even when the game slows down in the postseason, I don't see any evidence that that would work because on defense he also has not fit in.

[Dave DeFore]

Right. Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

So that's one. And now Goga in past years did draw interest 100% and he's on a reasonable contract. So I, I'm. I would guess that there is some interest in him. And now that Mo Wagner is back, they've got three centers plus Jonathan Isaac. So that is an area from of strength positionally that they can deal from. But I would just. So I'm meandering here and.

[Dave DeFore]

Sure.

[Josh Robbins]

But I would imagine goal number one if they can is to get under the tax without hurting their competitiveness right now. And I think the Tyus Jones move would. Would qualify.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I know fans love it when their team ducks the tax. That's what we all root for. That's why we get up in the morning. Josh Robbins. Go and read him at the Athletic. Thanks for hanging out with us. Appreciate you buddy. Brazena Keda and Josh Robbins. I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits credits. They leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now t Mobile is in U S Cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Terms Announcer]

Savings versus comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required.

[Xena Keda]

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Xena Keda]

And the best part, they accept.

[Dave DeFore]

Discover.

[Xena Keda]

Accept discovery in a little place like this. I don't think so. Jennifer. Oh yeah.

[Instacart Advertiser]

Huh.

[Xena Keda]

Discover is accepted where I like to shop. Come on, baby, get with the times.

[Dave DeFore]

Right.

[Xena Keda]

So we shouldn't get the parachute pants. These are making a comeback, I think.

[Dave DeFore]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide, based on the February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Tommy John Advertiser]

Guys, it's no use putting it off. The best time for an underwear refresh is now. Tommy John Underwear is designed for a perfect fit that stays put all day. There's zero chafe, thanks to four times more stretch than competing brands and their innovative horizontal quickdraw. Fly is a game changer. With over 30 million pairs sold, there are thousands of men out there more comfortable than you. Don't settle for less. Go to tommyjohn.com today for 25% off your first order with code comfort. That's tommyjohn.com comfort Tommy John comfort perfected.