NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
With a current record of 19-15 and a 3 game losing streak the Orlando Magic sit as the 6th seed in the east and last nights game versus the Kings was a heart breaker. It wasn’t too log ago we had a 9-game winning streak and a second seed in the east. Since then it has been a mixed bag of results. Of course there are no moral victories in sports but the rest of the league has taken notice of this squad and players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry are singing the praises of the team. Safe to say that Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are one of the top duos in the league and continue to improve, I would make a case BOTH should be NBA All-Stars this year. While all these things are cool and fun but it is all about getting wins and getting into the playoffs which is the next level of this rebuild. A couple of things of note from the last few weeks of games.
Jalen Suggs Is BACK:
Coming out of Gonzaga after a great March Madness run the Magic grabbed Suggs with the 5th pick in the 2021 draft. Being drafted that high a lot is expected and with the Magic being so young he was seen as a key piece in the rebuild. Battling injuries through his first 2 years the word “bust” was being floated around by some. When he did get playing time the results were a mixed bag of turnovers and bad shooting while also learning how to lead an NBA team. I give credit to the team and head coach Jamahl Mosley for sticking with him as he worked his way through things to get to this point. Now he is becoming one of the better defenders in the league and also playing within himself and a key piece to the puzzle. Having depth at the guard position is good and also if the Magic decide to be players at the NBA trade deadline he is making himself someone other teams would want to add. At the same token his play this season could make him untouchable only time will tell. But seeing him at this level is a one of the many great storylines so far this season.
Trade Deadline Plan:
Let’s look at the stats. The Magic are ranked 20th in scoring, 5th in defensive rating, 5th in turnover percentage. The defense which was so good at the start of the season has gone away a bit and affected the wins/losses. So now with the trade deadline coming up the question is what do they do? With key players missing due to injury do you wait for their return or roll the dice on a trade? Wendell Carter is still working his way into things and it has been a lifetime since we saw Markelle Fultz on the floor. Now GM Jeff Weltman has to figure out the next step with Orlando being under the salary cap and having assets he can make moves and improve the roster. It would be great to get a reliable three point shooter, someone to help with rebounding, and of course a playmaking point guard.
Pass The Tests:
Moving forward it would be nice to see some of the tests being thrown at the Magic passed. With so many close games that have come down to a missed shot here or a bad turnover at the worst possible moment. It is time to learn from those moments and get some wins in the clutch all part of the rebuild and process. If you watch enough basketball you know that younger teams tend to turn the ball over a lot another reason a veteran point guard would be a nice addition for this team. Especially one with playoff experience that knows what to do in the key moments. The league has become super 3-point shooting happy and unfortunatly defending the 3-point line is an issue and has been exploited by good shooting teams night after night. At some point you have to stop taking chances on defense stay locked onto your man and force tough shots which will result in some missed shots. Again these are the bad habits that will prevent you from making the playoffs and if you do make it, the trip will be a short one as teams have more time to really lock in on your weaknesses.
The next few weeks will be interesting to watch from what happens on the court and front office.
