NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Well, the Orlando Magic bandwagon sure did fill up fast, didn’t it? With a 14-6 record and winners of 9 of their last ten. The hits keep coming with head coach Jamahl Mosley being named Eastern Conference coach of the month. From day one he has been trying to hammer home defense and it feels like the squad is listening to him, the results speak for themselves. Hanging up top with the big dogs of the east and along the way, a whole lot of new fans joining the wave and some making a comeback for the first time since the Shaq and Penny days.
Defense and MORE Defense:
Anyone who takes a peak at the stats sees the Magic all over the place. A top-3 defensive rating, while forcing the 2nd most turnovers per game. Watching a game you see dudes who like to and seemingly WANT to lock up the man in front of them. Every single coach talks about D, and when I think of a young team learning and wanting to guard people is very low on the list of things they do well. But here we are with its average age of 24 Orlando is doing just that. Players like Jalen Suggs who is everywhere on the defensive end roaming passing lanes, and grabbing steals. The stars set the tone for teams and seeing Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero making that side of the floor important trinkles down the roster. Funny how the summer tournaments most people cry about, saying the injury risk is too high always seem to boost a player or two heading into the falling season. Coach Mosley has to smile when hearing quotes like this one from Franz Wagner “We have guys that want to guard, and take a lot of pride in that. We have guys that make it to the league because of their ability to guard, and I also think it’s honestly the coaches game plan. I think we have an identity on that side of the floor, and that’s how we want to play.”
Franz and Paolo Leveling Up:
With both being considered the “stars” of the team that can go one of two ways. Either you ball out and prove you are worth the hype, or you crash and burn and become a victim of memes and trash talk on social media. These two play well off of each other and appear to truly like each other both big bonuses. With Paolo Banchero 19.5 ppg, 44% from deep, almost 6 rebounds 5 dimes. Franz checks in through 20 games 20.7 ppg, 5 boards, and 4 assits. What I love is that Banchero is still an improving 3-point shooter and getting better will open up a lot for him in terms of how he attacks teams. Wagner has also been in the gym working on his shot and is a serious All-Star threat to make it to the team this year. You won’t find many better young duos in the NBA and if your list doesn’t include these two the list is trash.
Doing Your Job:
Guys like Joe Ingels, Jalen Suggs, and company are making the most of the playing time they get and having a positive impact. Ingles is a perfect fit for this team and with its lack of shooting, he does just that. Even with the glue guy known as Markelle Fultz out since October, the bench is not a place where leads go to die. The boost it has provided in games has been a big part of this solid start to the year.
What Now Orlando Magic?:
The 9-game win streak is over and looking at the upcoming Orlando Magic schedule we will see if is this a fun blimp in the NBA or something real. 12 of the next 15 games are against teams with winning records and some heavy hitters like Boston, Phoenix, and Denver. And as more eyes take note of what is bubbling in the Amway Center will the pressure affect the players? If I have learned one thing about this team they take things in stride with a one-game-at-a-time mindset. Coach Mosley has also found his voice and is getting his message to the team with a defense-first and share-the-ball vibe flowing from top to bottom. A long way to go this season but you have to be enjoying the Orlando Magic journey so far.
