LaMelo Ball wants out of Charlotte

Summary

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The Athletic NBA Daily — "LaMelo Ball Wants Out of Charlotte"

Date: November 21, 2025
Hosts: Dave Dufour, [NBA Analyst 1], Josh Robbins (Orlando/Wizards beat), with mention of Andrew Schlecht

Overview

This episode dives into breaking news and analysis around LaMelo Ball’s apparent desire to leave the Charlotte Hornets and the organization’s shifting direction. Hosts also discuss the current NBA injury situation, Tyrese Maxey’s breakout performance, and take a deep dive with Josh Robbins into the Orlando Magic’s recent development — with a side-eye to the Clippers' struggles and a look ahead to an intriguing Wizards/Raptors NBA Cup game.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. LaMelo Ball’s Uncertainty in Charlotte

[03:14–09:56]

• Breaking News:

  • Kelly Iko (Yahoo! Sports) reports LaMelo Ball may want out of Charlotte.
  • Ball recently benched, currently having career low shooting numbers, and is no longer the obvious centerpiece amidst a rising young Hornets core.

• Charlotte’s Perspective:

  • “It’s all new people in there … They didn’t make the pick. They didn’t own the team even when the pick was made. So you’re not married to it.” – Dave Dufour (05:08)
  • The Hornets are reportedly exploring options, not rushing to trade but "open to the conversation" since their young core (led by Con Canopy, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Brandon Miller) is already developing without LaMelo as the focus.

• LaMelo’s Trade Value:

  • Availability is a major concern; frequent injuries and decision-making issues.
  • “It’s a little bit like Ja [Morant], right? … He doesn’t play enough.” – Dave Dufour (06:19)
  • Analyst queries if anyone would actually want LaMelo, given similar 'distressed asset' vibes to Zion Williamson.

• CBA Impact:

  • The new collective bargaining agreement and draft stack make it less attractive to spend assets for a borderline star.
  • “Trading tons of picks for that guy … isn’t as clear-cut as it was maybe four or five years ago.” – NBA Analyst 1 (07:16)

• Player Archetype Challenge:

  • “He’s an incredible creator, but can you work within a system?” – NBA Analyst 1 (09:01)
  • Teams would need a strong system/culture to 'harness' LaMelo's talents.

• Notable Story:

  • Timberwolves once asked LaMelo what he wanted to do after basketball; he said, “President of the United States.” – relayed by Dave Dufour via John Krasinski (09:25)

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2. NBA Injuries and Depth Crisis

[10:02–13:31]

• Current Landscape:

  • Multiple stars (Kawhi, Paolo Banchero, Sabonis, Ja Morant, Embiid, Giannis, Trae Young, Wembanyama) out due to injury.
  • “Every single night we’re getting some new guy that just steps up and does something.” – Dave Dufour (11:10)
  • The NBA’s soft tissue “load” problem is spotlighted; conversation pivots to players repeatedly overworked in a compressed schedule.

• League-wide Impact:

  • “There is a clear solution, but there’s no willingness by anybody to actually change this.” – NBA Analyst 1, referencing reducing games (11:10).

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3. Tyrese Maxey’s MVP-Candidate Leap

[11:40–13:31]

• Maxey’s Heroics:
  • 54 points, 9 assists over 47 minutes in Sixers win — carrying unprecedented two-way load amid Embiid absence.
  • “He is just with the … numbers that he’s putting up, which are prodigious … he is their most important player.” – Dave Dufour (12:11)
  • Hosts compare Maxey’s relentless playstyle to Allen Iverson, noting he’s becoming a favorite for his all-out effort.

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4. Orlando Magic Trend Up; Team Chemistry & Fit

[17:32–25:29]

• Recent Success:

  • Magic won 5 of 6, including a blowout of the Clippers, despite Paolo Banchero’s injury.
  • “They’re starting to figure out how to play with this pace off of misses and when not to run.” – Josh Robbins (17:57)

• Paolo Banchero’s Fit:

  • Key question: Can Magic maintain their pace-led success when Paolo (a power-oriented player) returns?
  • “Power and pace complement each other very well on a well-rounded basketball team.” – Dave Dufour (18:53)
  • Magic currently lack a traditional point guard; their real offensive creators are 6’10” forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo, similar to Boston’s creator-by-committee style.

• Ball Movement vs. Usage:

  • Desmond Bane’s addition provides needed shooting and playmaking — but balancing touches between Bane, Franz, and Paolo is an ongoing challenge.

• Shooting, Spacing, & Depth Issues:

  • Not enough reliable three-point shooting in crunch time: “Shooting is your spacing … They only guard you if they believe.” – Josh Robbins (25:07)

• Potential Solutions:

  • Goga Bitadze’s passing and theoretical shooting; Mo Wagner’s upcoming return and his surprise status as last season’s best Magic shooter (36% 3PT).
  • “Maybe that’s a trade opportunity … [they] can improve, whether it be more ball handling, whether it be … more shooting that we’ve talked about.” – NBA Analyst 1 (27:02)

• Trade Deadline Outlook:

  • Contrary to common belief, the Magic do inquire at trade deadlines and could aim to add rotation-level upgrades before the playoffs (28:11).

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5. Quick Clippers Check-In

[29:52–32:24]

• On the Struggle Bus:
  • Losers of three straight; injuries to Kawhi and Beal (out for the year) magnify their old, thin rotation.
  • “That was a bad performance … Harden looked really good … but where else is the offense?” – Josh Robbins (30:10)
  • 21 turnovers cited as the main culprit (32:14).
  • “Being old is really starting to show on the Clippers.” – Dave Dufour (31:43)

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6. Wizards Preview // Young Player Development

[32:28–34:49]

• Mini-Preview, Raptors vs. Wizards:

  • Toronto heavily favored, but hosts note intriguing Washington players:
    • “Alex Sarr is much improved … shot diet has completely changed … Keyshawn George … [and] Trey Johnson gives them hope.” – Josh Robbins (33:16–33:37)
  • Wizards building for the future, recent high picks showing promise, but in need of continued lottery luck to find a star.

• Fun Fact:

  • Sarr’s numbers in his second season are “pretty favorable” compared to Evan Mobley, per Dave Dufour (34:35).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On LaMelo’s Value:
  • “As amazing of a talent as he is and creative, he also sometimes does some of the dumbest stuff you’ve ever seen on a basketball court.” – Dave Dufour (06:56)
• On the CBA’s Impact:
  • “Teams are a lot more hesitant to go after that star who’s not necessarily a star.” – NBA Analyst 1 (07:16)
• On Tyrese Maxey:
  • “He just puts it all out on the floor. He’s relentless … he’s an all-NBA guard now.” – NBA Analyst 1 (12:49)
• On the Orlando Magic’s Shooting Limitations:
  • “Come playoff time, you need more than two capable three-point shooters out there.” – Josh Robbins (25:29)
• On Clippers' Age & Offense:
  • “They’re a one trick pony. It’s James Harden … if there’s nothing there, nothing else.” – Dave Dufour (31:43)
• On Magic Trade Outlook:
  • “There’s no such thing as a marginal move if it makes you better.” – NBA Analyst 1 (28:49)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:14] — LaMelo Ball wants out of Charlotte: breaking the news & context.
• [04:49] — Hornets’ openness to trading LaMelo; young core rising.
• [06:19] — LaMelo’s availability & comparison to other ‘distressed’ young stars.
• [07:16] — Changing CBA and trade calculus for non-superstar 'stars'.
• [10:02] — State of NBA injuries and schedule demands.
• [11:40] — Tyrese Maxey’s big night and larger leap.
• [17:32] — Deep Magic talk after big win in Orlando.
• [19:24] — Balancing Paolo's power game with team pace.
• [25:07] — The importance of shooting for Orlando’s playoff potential.
• [27:35] — Magic’s potential at the trade deadline.
• [29:52] — Clippers postmortem after blowout loss.
• [32:28] — Wizards young core preview for NBA Cup.
• [34:49] — Sarr/Mobley stat comparison; closing thanks and sign-off.

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Summary

This episode serves hoops aficionados a fast-paced but deep tour through one of the NBA's juiciest developing stories — LaMelo Ball's potential break with Charlotte and what it means for both team and league. The situation is emblematic of shifting organizational priorities and the realities of asset management in the new CBA era. Meanwhile, the frontlines of the league are battered by injuries but producing unexpected breakout stories (namely Tyrese Maxey's leap).

Guest Josh Robbins adds layers with an inside look at how the Orlando Magic are negotiating lineup-gelling, pacing vs. power, and the ever-pressing sharpshooting deficiency, while the Clippers' grim outlook is dissected in real time.

For NBA fans wanting to keep up on trade winds, young talent, and the constantly shifting NBA landscape, this episode captures the pulse.

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Transcript

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[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for November 21st, 2025. I'm Dave Defora here with esperahenny. Coming up, Lamello Ball might want out of Charlotte. We're going to talk about that a little bit. We've got injuries all over the NBA and our man Josh Robbins, the legend, was in Orlando. We're going to talk to him. Good morning, everybody. Good morning.

[NBA Analyst 1]

S. Good morning, Dave. Or as. Or as Josh would call it. Good night.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Good.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Good night. Yes.

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Josh.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Josh Robbins, our man who covers the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards took us off the rails completely. We've got our, our segment with him after the break. So stick around for that because it's good stuff. I promise.

[NBA Analyst 1]

It's good stuff.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah, it's great. I mean, he's amazing. One of my favorite people to talk to. Hey, look, we gotta, we gotta jump around real fast.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Real.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Because we don't have a lot of time before we get to Josh. And it seems like we've got another star who might be disgruntled with his team. Lamelo Ball, according to our good friend over at Yahoo. Sports, Kelly Eco. Miss you, buddy. He's reporting that Lamelo Ball may want out of Charlotte. He was benched the other night. He's averaging career lows and field goal percentage and three point percentage. He's been a low spot for the Charlotte Hornet team that has kind of had bright spots for the first time in years. S. This is a. I don't know. It feels like a weird time for this to be happening.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah. What Kelly also reported is that, you know, the Hornets, while they're not necessarily rushing to trade Lamelo Ball, they're also in some sort of way open to this conversation. And I think part of that is the fact that, like, they're not necessarily sure Lamelo is the guy to lead them into this.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

It's all new people in there s.

[NBA Analyst 1]

It's all new people.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

They didn't make the pick. They didn't own the team even when the pick was made. So you're not married to it. It's actually, they should feel free to cut bait.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, absolutely. And on top of that, look like they have a lot of young talent outside of Lamelo now that they can build with. And this is the perfect type of group. If you think about Con Canopy, who, in my opinion, is leading the race for rookie of the year right now. The two other rookies that they've signed in, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner, who are like rotation players for them at this point. Brandon Miller, who's injured, but hopefully we'll come back and be an additive piece for them. They're still. They're kind of building without Lamelo while having Lamelo on the roster. And so that. That group, in my opinion, Dave, is sort of the perfect group to bring another lottery pick to. So you. You think of this stacked 2026 draft, you have an opportunity to add, you know, a Darren Peterson, an AJ debons, a Cam Boozer, one of those, you know, massive pieces to a group that already looks like they're building. I'm not surprised that this is happening with Lamelo. The thing I'll throw out to you is who do you think would want Lamelo ball, man? That's.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

That is the $50 million question. It's a little bit like Ja, right? It is. He doesn't play. And this is why, like, the Hornets had to build without him in mind. He doesn't play enough. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

They don't know when he's going to be available.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah. And. And also when he does play, he's a little bit of a space cadet sometimes. Like, I don't know if he's going to be the best player on a. On a good team ever. I don't know if he's going to be the second best player on a good team because his decision making, sometimes you just don't know what's going to. As. As amazing of a talent as he is in creative, he also sometimes does some of the dumbest stuff you've ever seen on a basketball.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

So I. It's a good question about his value. I think we're going to find out a lot here in the next few weeks because between him obviously we, we've heard rumblings about John Morant, Anthony Davis, like we're going to know a lot about a bunch of guys value around the league and. But all of these guys are guys who don't play.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, guys who don't play. And also I think, I think the other part to that is with this new structure of the cba, I think teams are a lot more hesitant to go after that star who's not necessarily a star. You know, the guy who isn't your number one option like trading tons of picks for that guy or using salary to go out and get that guy. It's not as clear cut of an option as it was maybe four or five years ago as it is today to go out and risk things to go out and trade for a Lamelo ball, a John Morant and Anthony Davis. You didn't mention him. But potentially a Trey Young knowing that you got to extend Trey. There's so many conversations that come with that and I think to your point, yeah. Lamelo is not an available player. In our preseason thing I talked about how there's pressure on Lamelo Ball because if you compare the seasons or the years Zion and Lamelo have had, Zion. Zion has not played. I mean Lamelo has not played that many more games than Zion has. And look at the way we talk about Zion distressed asset. No one is going to trade for him. Nobody relies on him. There's no reliability there for him to be healthy. I think a lot of the same things apply to Lamelo Ball. On top of what you mentioned.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Lamello is skinny.

[NBA Analyst 1]

He's skinny.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah, well, yeah, sure. The only difference if, yeah, if he, if he didn't have like a fit looking body, we would, we would say the same stuff about him.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. And look on top of that, like the decision making is tough. There's there whatever team trades for Lamelo. If this ends up being the case and he does get traded, he has to go to a place that like can harness those powers. Right. You are this incredible creator, but can you work within a system to do that?

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Sure.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Can you be a guy who can like really raise the level of an offense while also being this crazy three point shooter guy who can knock down one legged threes, you know, but it's funny.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

So did you see the clip of our, our John Krasinski? He was on Zach Lowe's live podcast up in, in Minneapolis.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Oh right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

The. The President of the United States, John.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Krasinski relays a story about how the. The Timberwolves, they interviewed, you know, in that draft, they interviewed a bunch of players. They, they land on Anthony Edwards. But one of the things where they, you know, they asked Lamelo Ball what he wanted to do after he was done playing basketball. He said he wanted, want, wanted to be president of the United States of America. Which more realistic now I guess it is maybe felt then.

[NBA Analyst 1]

But, you know, he is a reality television star. Technically. If you watch the Ball brothers, they. He's done that.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Nobody watched that show. Let's. Let's be for real S. Everybody is hurt in the NBA.

[NBA Analyst 1]

There were.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

There were only four games on. On Thursday night because they're loading up the schedule on Friday for the NBA Cup. But if you go through the list, Clippers, Magic. No Kawhi Leonard. No Paolo Banchero. Kings, Grizzlies. No Demonic Sabonis. He's going to miss a month. No John Morant. He's still out. Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. No Embiid. No Giannis for the Bucks. And then Atlanta, San Antonio. No Trey Young. No Victor Women. Yama. No. Stephen Castle. No Dylan Harper. Man, it. We are, you know, the conversation around injuries right now is all about soft tissue and just there's too many miles and whatnot. But I will say this. We are seeing the depth of. Of the sport in a way because of all these injuries. I mean, like every single night we're getting some new guy that just steps up and does something. I mean, we talked a lot on the show about Dennis Jenkins, Naquan Tomlin, who, you know, starting for the Cavs yesterday. I. You know what? I don't know, man. I'm not sure that there's a solution here for the NBA if they're not going to come down off the 82 game number.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, that's the thing. There is a clear solution, but they are. There's no willingness by anybody to actually change this. I thought Eric Spoelser had a really great quote when he was asked about it. He said there's no real solution to this because no one's going to reduce the amount of games that are being played. And so back to backs will continue to be played and so injuries will end up being a thing because of the amount of load that all of these players are looking at. And it's funny you bring up the Sixers Bucks game because I'm looking at Tyrese Maxey, who ended up playing 47 minutes, man. He scored 54 points nine assists. He's having a career year on all fronts and he. I think maybe across the NBA there is no player that is carrying as much of a load as Maxi is to start this season. It's incredible. It doesn't make sense what he's doing.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

If we were making an MVP shortlist, like five guys, he's on it.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Throw him in there.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah, I mean, I think he is just with the. If you look at the numbers that he's putting up, which are prodigious, they're winning games and he's far and away their most important player. I mean, he is the, the usage rate is through the roof. He's taking every big shot for them down the stretch. This over, he's creating every big shot, literally doing everything. He's got so much Steph Curry to his game. You know, he's just, at any moment you have to worry about him pulling the trigger and, and you can see he's got defenses right now just scrambling all over the place. Feel like we're watching this guy take a serious leap. I mean, he's, he's an all NBA guard now. Yeah, yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

No, and the crazy. It's funny because, like, he plays for Philly and Sixers fans will have been used to another guy who like just laid everything out on the floor, who was a guard in Allen Iverson. He was one of my favorite players growing up and Maxi has become one of my favorite players because of that. Like, he just puts it all out on the floor. He's relentless. And you're, you're a Virginia guy, so you obviously know Allen Iverson very well.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

You're making a comp to the. You make the Bubba Chuck compared to. And I don't know, man, I gotta, I gotta think about it a little bit. Like it's. Maxi is doing it easier, I will say, because 100%. Yeah. Alan Ivers had to do everything the hard way. And again, we talked about this. The guys that Maxi gets to pass to. Just a different world, man.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, I know. It's not Eric Snow and, and Aaron McGee. Yeah, I get it. I get it. It's.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah. Stick around, guys. After the break, Josh Robbins, he's going to take us on a journey foreign.

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This podcast is brought to you by T. Rowe Price. Join me as I chat with Chris Murphy, their head of ETF Specialists, to unpack what ETFs are, how they work, and how T. Rowe Price is helping investors make more informed decisions. So as a pure investment tool, as an ETF versus let's just say a mutual fund, what are the advantages and disadvantages between those two?

[Chris Murphy (Head of ETF Specialists, T. Rowe Price)]

The ETF structure itself allows for the costs to really be materially lower. And so on average, an ETF is going to be a lot less expensive from an expense ratio perspective.

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Let's talk about the philosophy that differentiates T. Rowe Price from other organizations that are in the ETF space. What's that secret sauce that you guys have?

[Chris Murphy (Head of ETF Specialists, T. Rowe Price)]

It comes back to kind of the core principles of our firm, which is curiosity around what can we do to find an edge or where can we innovate.

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Listen in to discover how T. Rowe Price's active ETFs can help you add an edge to outperform the index. Learn [e-mail] Explore ETFs.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

The Orlando Magic had a big win. They've been really figuring things out as they look like a different team than they did to start the season. And the man, the myth, the legend Josh Robbins was in Orlando to see the Orlando Magic just blow out the Clippers. Not much of a game for you last night, Josh, but how about the magic? 5 of 6 won the last couple without Paolo Looking pretty good lately.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yes, I think it's fair to say that they're starting to figure at least a few things out. They're starting to figure out how to play with this pace off of misses and when not to run. They still have a ways to go with that. The real question is can they continue to play like this when Paolo comes back? And I'm not saying it because he's not talented or that he doesn't mesh well with Franz, although I think we can get to that. Yeah, it's that he's a power player physically. That's his game. Power and power doesn't necessarily mesh with pace, with speeding up the court. Guys they have out there now playing, they are better attuned, I think, to playing with pace and I think that's part of why they're starting to make progress. Doesn't mean they can't make progress when Paolo comes back, but it is something for everyone to watch. It's going to be very important.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

I will say this though, it's on the coaching staff to come up with a way to make this work because power and pace complement each other very well on a well rounded basketball team. If you've got both, that gives you, gives you options. And so I, I think that having maybe more of an offensive identity that comes from the coaching staff would help kind of clear some of this up. The the my turn, your turn stuff that we do kind of see when Paolo's out there.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

That'S an interesting point. I'm trying to find a way to phrase this. Power doesn't matter much if you can't sprint down the court to beat the defense down the. Down the court, which is. He's not slow. No.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

At all. Yeah. But it's a decision.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

One of the, one of the things that makes him so effective and has made him excellent in the playoffs. Look at his scoring averages, look at his field goal percentages. Is that when the game slows down, he's the ideal kind of player. He can get you a shot and he can get to the line seemingly at will. But it's a different way to play than the way that they've played for the most part the last three or four games. Yeah, just different. And they don't have a traditional point guard. Yes, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, nominally point guards. Really some of the time they're spot up shooters. The real creators on this offense are a pair of 6 foot 10 guys, Franz and Paolo. Yeah, it's like Boston when Tatum was healthy. It was Tatum and Brown and White and Holiday. They were secondary ball handlers and spot up shooters. So is that going to work over the course of an 82 game season? Is it going to work in the playoffs? Questions that remain to be seen. But I think we can agree that they certainly are playing better now and they're starting to get closer to the team that they started to envision over the summer.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah, yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

I was just looking at it over their last eight games. They are the third best defense, a top 15 offense. So they are trying to figure things out on both ends of the floor. And one of the things that was interesting about their start was how when they were trying to incorporate Desmond Bain, it felt like Franz Wagner was getting the short end of the stick. But now obviously with one of those guys and Paulo being out of the equation, there's a lot more opportunity for Franz to initiate everything. How does it look to from your perspective to see an offense initiated mostly by Franz versus having it kind of like egalitarian, if you will, beforehand?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Well, that's not unusual. It was either Franz or Palo or sometimes Jalen sucked. The difference now is that Desmond Bain has the ball in his hands I think more often.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

When Paolo was healthy and particularly starting early in the year, he was. Desmond Bain was essentially a spot up shooter who they can run off the line. Defenses devoted an inordinate amount of attention to to run him off the line and it showed. He needs the ball in his hands to be at his Most effective. So that's a question the Magic are going to try to solve in the months ahead before they get to the playoffs.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

How do you keep. How do you make Desmond Bain the best player he can be and yet keep Palo in a rhythm, keep Franz in a rhythm? I don't think that there's an easy answer to that, except that when they do get out and run, one player who can really get out and run is Desmond Bain.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, it feels like. It also feels like the lineups that they're toying with, I mean, the fact that Paulo is out is giving opportunities to some of these other guys. Tristan Da Silva has been awesome being thrown into the starting lineup. He really spaces the floor in a major way for them. Just a guy who doesn't necessarily consume usage, but can knock down shots, can make plays when he's asked to. What about staggering Paolo and Franz more often so that each guy has a way to kind of own a portion of the offense at certain points in time of the game?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

They've done that. They're going to continue to do that.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And when you have Desmond Bain with one of them, that's more firepower than they had last year when they started.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And so that's one of the intriguing parts of it. But, yes, they do need to stagger, continue to stagger, and that's always been in Jamal Mosley's playbook. Yeah. And I think that's something he'll have to do, and he's got some time to try to. To find that balance.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

It's not so much the staggering that's the issue. It's.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

That's right.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

What is it like when all of your best players are on the court at the same time? What's that ceiling? Playoff ceiling is really what this team should be thinking about. They need to win a playoff series. I mean, I'm sure that they would like to see the conference finals, especially in a down year like this. And what does it look like when your five best guys are out there? Paolo clearly is one of the two best guys if, you know, if they don't look as good as they do without him. That is a. That's kind of a chemistry problem, right?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

No, I think it's. It's more the fact that Franz and Palo can be ball dominant players.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

But more than anything else. More than anything else, they don't have enough shooting.

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yes, 100%.

[NBA Analyst 1]

But that's. That's why Da Silva is so important for them. Right.

[Chris Murphy (Head of ETF Specialists, T. Rowe Price)]

He can.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Exactly. Right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

But. But okay. So you have to have Jalen on the floor because he's a force multiplier for them in so many intangible ways, starting with defense. So that's Jalen, he's on the floor. Desmond Bain on the floor. Franz Wagner on the floor. Paolo on the floor. Wendell Carter Jr. He's playing can't, can't hide. Tristan De Silva is the sixth man on the court with the other five at the same time.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

So there's just not enough shooting. As my man Steve Clifford always used to say, you're shooting is your spacing. They only guard you if they believe.

[NBA Analyst 1]

You out as much as they respect you. Right?

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah, exactly.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

That's right. That's right. So in the starting fight now, the starting five has been good. Has been good, particularly once Jalen Suggs got his started to feel a little bit more confident with his knee. But come playoff time, you need more than two capable three point shooters out there.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And that's the question that they're going to face because they're just not there yet. Maybe down the road, Paolo, Franz become those light, lights out shooters from distance. They're not there yet though. And come playoff time against like a Cavs defense that has Evan Mobley and Allen on the court at once. That's a problem. Yeah, it's a problem.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

I mean, I. Listen, personally, I think Goga just play Gogo more. Some of his shooting might be theoretical and maybe, you know, yes, I might have an agenda there, but I think, you know, more Gogo would be good for the team. Plus his passing opens up a lot, you know, which window Carter doesn't give them the same amount of passing. So looking. Go ahead, Go ahead, Josh.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Sorry. Well, may I interject and hijack the whole podcast?

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Please.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Talk about Goga.

[Aura Frames Advertiser]

Talk about.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Well, yes, I like Goga, but Mo Wagner is going to be coming back maybe around Christmas. Maybe around Christmas.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And once he comes back, last year he was their best three point shooter by percentage 36%. Which says a lot about the team. But it also says a lot about it.

[NBA Analyst 1]

That does say a lot about the team. Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And he can actually create his own shot. So when he comes back, another offensive person in the mix, assuming he gets his rhythm at some point, but take him a while. So that's another person to kind of think of. And I'm sorry to tell you, Dave, me, I. I love you and everything, but he's going to take some of Go's minutes and understandably so.

[NBA Analyst 1]

But maybe, maybe that's a Trade opportunity for them like this. This feels like a team that might. I know, Josh, we talked about this in the preseason when it comes to, like, can this team maybe add something else as they head into February? But it does feel like there are pieces and parts of this team that they can improve, whether it be more ball handling, whether it be, obviously more shooting that we've talked about. Is there a world in which they maybe address that because of the expectations that they have heading into April?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

I think they're going to look to improve the team. Okay. The biggest misconception about the Magic over the last two. Two years and it got out to the public and the public drew a conclusion, is that they never made calls come trade deadline time. They never make calls. Arguably, they didn't even really talk when they got calls. That's the perception. That's not accurate. That's not accurate. Now, were they extraordinarily conservative and not do anything? Yes. Yes. Which made the Bain trade in June such a surprise to so much of the league.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

So, yes, they were making calls. They're definitely going to do it again. Who can they possibly trade? Maybe Goga.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

I think they would very strongly prefer to hang on to Anthony Black. Yeah, for sure. But they move Ji. I don't know. But yes, but it's some sort of.

[NBA Analyst 1]

You know, for a lack of better words, like, that's that type of marginal move to improve someone in the rotation.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

That's kind of what you're looking at here.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

As you always tell me. Yes, there's no such thing as a marginal move if it makes you better.

[NBA Analyst 1]

I like it. I like it. I like it.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Okay. When is Paolo coming back? Any word on his status?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

No. Like so many teams in the league, everything's a state secret.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

But we do. Yeah. There's a reason for that. Espionage in sports, everywhere, you don't disclose a timeline because a. It puts pressure on the person trying to come back. And if there is a setback, well, then you just totally neutered your athletic training and medical staff.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And that's not fair to them. So. I get it. I'm making a joke. I'm making a joke. I'm making a joke. Okay. But I would guess, me, Josh Robbins, I would guess. I would guess that he'd be back within the next 10 days. We'll see. But I don't think they're going to let him get back out there if he's still feeling even a twinge of things, because it's the kind of thing you Got to get solved and not.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Let recurrent Josh, any thoughts on the Clippers after watching them tonight? I mean, they're. They're now 4 and 11. They've lost three in a row. They're obviously injured in their own right without Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal out for the year. But what were your thoughts watching them tonight?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yeah, that was a bad performance. That was a bad performance. And that was a team that should have been relatively well rested with a couple days between games. Yeah, Harden looked really good as always against these guys. They were always against the Magic, but where else? I'm just looking at the box score here. I know that's great podcast viewing and listening, you know. Where else, where else is the offense?

[NBA Analyst 1]

Oh, nowhere else. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

I mean, where else is it going to create Bogdanovich?

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, it was bad.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yeah. It was not effect, not his, not who he typically has been. CP3 look like he was totally out of rhythm, something that I've almost never seen from him. And then who else they have on that roster who was healthy tonight? Who could contribute in a shot creation way? No one.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And that's why the Beal injury is such a disappointment to them. In addition to the human factor, it's just.

[Andrew Schlecht (NBA on Prime Announcer)]

Rough.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And as for their defense, well, their defense wasn't as bad as it seems because the Magic got so many of their points off of transition, off of turnover. So, yeah, it's not like the defense is collapsing, but.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Oh, it's bad.

[NBA Analyst 1]

You got to take care of the ball. That's part of the other side of it.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

But it's not, it's not 129 points against the Magic bed.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

That is true. They got.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

It's not 129 points in the half court.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

That's more about their age, Josh, than their defense. I mean, being, being old is, is really starting to. To show on the Clippers quite a bit. You mentioned Chris Paul being out of rhythm. It's because he's not playing really. You know, he's in and out. They're. They're a one trick pony. It's James Harden if it's a Zubak pick and roll and if there's nothing there, if the guy misses shot, nothing else there. It's a race to the other end by the other team because they are.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Really missing Norman Powell in this moment. They miss Norm a lot.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And again, as I look at this score sheet, how many turnovers do they have? 21. 21. That's the game.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yep.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

That alone is the Game. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Any. Any thoughts, Any final thoughts before we get out of here?

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Well, I'm grateful to be here and I would like to be a more frequent guest. Of course. You know, I need to get into a rhythm, too.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

That's right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Josh.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Josh. The Raptors are playing the Wizards tomorrow for an NBA cup game.

[Andrew Schlecht (NBA on Prime Announcer)]

We.

[NBA Analyst 1]

We didn't even get a chance to talk about. I know.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

You gotta get a preview for that. Raptors, Wizards. What do we watch out for? Raptors are just gon this game. Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

I think the odds would say that the Raptors are going to win the game. I mean percentage odds. I don't mean odds from an odds maker.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, of course.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

I. If. God, it's fascinating. We were talking about this here in the arena tonight. I'm still in the arena and it is tonight. We're delaying. I. I don't mean to blow our. Kay. Fabe Kay.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

But the Wizards have some very interesting elements. Alex Saar is much improved.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

And not only with his production, but how he's playing is much. Is much different.

[NBA Analyst 1]

His shot diet has completely changed. Right.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Shot diet's different. Seeking out physicality is different. Keyshawn George, who showed. Who already showed that he was an NBA player easily last year. Well, he's upped his game.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

So they're not uninteresting. No, no. They clearly have not been good. But the emergence of those two players and play of Trey Johnson gives them hope.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

They're building some hope.

[NBA Analyst 1]

They're building some. That's for sure.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

They. They definitely got a breakout in the lottery. They got. Well, they got a lot. Well, that's a whole other story. They've done everything that they can with the tools that they have to have a future. Right. I think that's true, but you need more than that. And they had the second pick in the SAR draft, actually, that's turning out to be. Seems like it's turning out to be better than it was thought of six months ago.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

The sixth pick in the Slashback. Trey Johnson's a good shooter, but he's not the franchise changing person they need. They've got to have lottery luck.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (T. Rowe Price Segment)]

Just do.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah. By the way, if you compare SARS numbers to Evan Mobley second season, pretty favorable, actually. Pretty close. We're just gonna go number to number. Right. Like no context there. Pretty close.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Better shooter coming out of. He's coming out of college.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

He's looking good. All right, Josh Robbins, thank you so much. Appreciate you staying up late. And yes, you will be back, of course. And not just on Slammin Jam, by the way. We want you here on the Daily too.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yeah, well, I would love that, but I also want my peeps on the Slam and Jam. I want to reconnect with them. I have a very special bond. I have a very special bond.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Thank you, Josh Robbins.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yeah, thank you. Andy Kaufman and Letterman. Or Angie Dickerson and Carson. That's it.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

That's exactly what I was thinking. Exactly.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

That's where I had that kind of humor on tap. If you guys just.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Just let you cook.

[Josh Robbins (NBA Reporter)]

Yeah, let me cook.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Yeah. Thank you, Josh. Thank you, Esperahetty. I'm Dave Dufour. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with that. Banking with Capital One helps you keep.

[NBA Analyst 1]

More money in your wallet with no.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

Fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about.

[NBA Analyst 1]

In a good way.

[Dave Dufour (NBA Daily Host)]

He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Ah, really? Thanks, Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Term supply. See capitalone.com bank capital1na member fdic.

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[Chris Murphy (Head of ETF Specialists, T. Rowe Price)]

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