Penny & Pops Podcast - Magicbasketballonline.com

Recorded in a 2-bedroom apartment in the city center of Philadelphia, the Magic just came back from 21 points down to beat the red-hot 76ers in Philly at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers had won 7 consecutive games, 9-1 in their last ten. The Magic ended that. We were there to witness it! We drove to Philly to be there for the week. Markelle Fultz got his revenge with a double-double. Paolo Banchero had an outstanding 29-point performance. Moritz and Franz Wagner brought additional scoring. Orlando is now 20-31 and hanging around in the play-in chase. Orlando won the turnover, second chance points, and fast break points battles. Why was Pops wearing an Eagles beanie with that amazing Magic throwback jacket? Why did Pops appear angry? Why Magic fans should thank the Markelle Fultz heckler in section 101 for angering and sparking the Orlando into that comeback win. It’s amazing how crazy folks become for free chicken and t-shirts. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The story in January has been simple for the now 18-29 Magic: Play defense and you win. Don’t defend and you’re getting crushed. Keep it 115 points and below and we’re in each game. Let opponents score more than 115 and we’re cooked. The return of Jonathan Isaac may help solve this problem as we’re 1-0 with JI on the floor. We’ve won 8 of our last 11 games at home. 12-12 at home for the season. Second time in the last 12 years we’ve won the season series against the Celtics. For the 3rd time, Orlando beats the Celtics this season, each time with Boston having the best record in the NBA. We’ve handed the Celtics 23% of their losses this season. Orlando has won the season series against the two teams who were in the most recent NBA Finals (2-0 v. Warriors; 3-1 v. Celtics). Raptors-Magic trade rumors. Do we want Patrick Beverley? Can Cole Anthony become the sixth man like Tyrese Maxey has for Philadelphia? All that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Happy New Year, Magic fans. The Magic are 16-26 and only three games out of the play-in. We’ve had a good start to this Western Conference road trip. 2-1 with two more games against Utah and Denver coming. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are a phenomenal duo already, and the basketball world is noticing. We give out resolutions to the Magic roster. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Doing it live after attending the Magic loss against the Lakers. As great as Orlando winning 8 of their last 10 games has been, lacking coaching decisions and massive defensive lapses cannot continue to occur. The Magic are in the play-in hunt, but that won’t last if self-inflicted wounds are not stopped. Also, NBA All-Star voting is occurring. Eddie House and Rafer Alston viewpoints. Plus, more. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

After reaching 9 consecutive losses, the Magic find themselves currently on a 3-game winning streak for the first time since February of 2021. So yeah, this team and fan base needed this right now. Better yet, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are so far looking like the best players in their respected draft classes. Watching a Magic game in an Amway Center suite. Plus, Orlando Magic traditions. Both the forced and good kinds. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic are 5-17. That’s bad enough for the worst record in the NBA. We’ve lost 6 consecutive games. Orlando is 2-8 in its last 10 contests. The losing isn’t anything new, but the lack of effort in some of these blowout losses is. If these types of games continue popping up where the Magic are not bringing the effort, Head Coach Jamahl Mosley is in trouble. Because Jeff Weltman and John Hammond are not taking that blame. Maybe a few trades could happen, but this is classic ‘blame the Coach’ territory we’re entering. The flaws of Mosley and his coaching staff, the flaws of the athletic and training staff, and the roster flaws that WeltHamm chose not to address are all starting to snowball into this bad stretch we’re seeing now. Maybe getting guys like Markelle Fultz back will right the ship. But this is starting to bring reminders of Jacque Vaughn’s final season where the losing is seeping into whatever culture that is trying to be implemented. Happy December. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic are 4-11. We’re a game above the worst teams in the league Detroit and Houston. It’s been a roller coaster November. We’re not even to Thanksgiving yet and the Magic have often been short bodies due to a combination of injuries and tanking. Funny how WeltHamm haven’t applied for any hardship help from the league. We’re for the 3rd consecutive season leading the NBA in man games lost due to injury and COVID. It’s insanity at this point. We also didn’t pick up RJ Hampton’s team option and that may be a huge mistake. Is letting RJ Hampton go going to be Orlando’s Trevor Ariza error of the decade? #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic are 0-5. Worst record in the league. The only winless team in the East. We’re leading the league again in man games lost due to injury. It’s maddening. Worse, Head Coach Jamahl Mosley has us playing badly with some intriguing coaching decisions. And it appears some players are either struggling or have regressed. If not for Paolo Banchero having a historically amazing first 5 games to his NBA career, things would look bleak. But Paolo is a star, and when if you have a star that young and under contract for many years, there’s always hope with what’s to come for this franchise. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic concluded the preseason 4-1. You shouldn’t care so much about the record, be happy Orlando did not go winless and showed nice stretches of play. Now the regular season is here, it starts Wednesday in Detroit. Unfortunately, the Magic waived Devin Cannady to cut the roster down to 15 NBA contracts and 2 two-way contracts. Jalen Suggs hurt his knee but is already active and available for this opener against the Pistons. Seems like a few other injured players are not far from returns as well. We’re making our season predictions. Will Paolo Banchero win Rookie of the Year? Will the Magic make the play-in? Who will be the team’s MVP? And much more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It’s here, Magic preseason begins. No more waiting around. FIBA Franz Wagner got his bronze medal for Germany at EuroBasket and that covered a lot of the NBA offseason gap. Central Floridians are currently in recovery mode following Hurricane Ian’s impacts on the state. There are still communities flooded and without power. The Magic lost 2 practice days which doesn’t help their preparation. We’re going to discuss the roster, what we’re looking out for in these exhibition games, and more. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Not only did Franz Wagner play in Germany’s Quarterfinals meeting with Greece on Tuesday, but FIBA Franz started and starred in a big upset win over Giannis Antetokounmpo. I imagine that right ankle feels fine right now. Germany is on to the Semifinals where on Friday they’ll host Spain. Does Franz actually have a chance to win EuroBasket MVP? #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Germany beat Montenegro to advance to the EuroBasket quarterfinals. FIBA Franz Wagner sprained his right ankle in the third period of that game and didn’t come back. Since then, his MRI came back clean, and he was practicing on Monday. Franz is a game-time decision for their Tuesday game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece. I think Wagner will play, and I certainly hope he does. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

FIBA Franz Wagner and Germany ended their time in Cologne 4-1 in EuroBasket Group B play. Good enough to take 2nd place in the group and proceed to the knockout stage. All Round of 16 teams now head to Berlin, which is the Wagner brothers’ home city. Germany hosts Montenegro Saturday September 10th. It’s win or go home from here on out. Franz is still having a very impressive tournament, and he’s catching international attention. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

I told you Franz Wagner was dropping a 30-point game. An efficient 32 points against Lithuania on Sunday. Never did I think Germany would be 3-0 in Group B EuroBasket play. Nor that they would’ve punched their ticket to the Round of 16 knockout stage so soon. But they’ve handed losses to France, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Lithuania so far. That’s super impressive, France and Lithuania were viewed as top-5 teams in this 24-team tournament. Franz has played a massive role in knocking those teams off. We have to change our expectations for this German team. Gordon Herbert is coaching a masterclass so far in Cologne, and they might have a chance at a medal now. It’s early days in this tourney, but FIBA Franz might actually come back to Orlando with some hardware with the international basketball community seeing a star in the making. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It’s another Franz Wagner German National Team pod update as EuroBasket is here. The 24-team European championship starts Thursday. Franz, who is coming off a 2-0 World Cup qualifying window which included an impressive performance over Luka Doncic and Slovenia over the weekend, will be entering it in good form. FIBA Franz v. FIBA Fournier! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The NBA released the schedule for the upcoming season. Instead of just going over it, we pick out away games Magic fans could attend as fun trips. Plus: The Magic roster is currently too big, an NBA executive-leaked Jordan Poole rumor, Paolo Banchero avoided injury in Seattle, and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

This episode is about the Wagner brothers. Specifically, FIBA Franz since brother Moritz hurt his ankle and won’t be playing any German national team games after all this summer. We’re approaching what will be a month-long stretch of high stakes FIBA basketball. Why should you care as a Magic fan? Because Franz could make a huge leap as a player by participating in these FIBA World Cup qualifiers and EuroBasket games, and that it may likely transfer over to his sophomore NBA season. Consider this a FIBA primer. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Just as we’re awaiting the NBA schedule release, the Magic to move into the AdventHealth Training Center, and the Wagner brothers getting into FIBA play, out of nowhere comes new Atlanta Hawks guard and All-Star Dejounte Murray starting a beef with our rookie Paolo Banchero at a Seattle pro-am of all places. Maybe the 25-year-old Murray is already worried about facing the 19-year-old, 6’10”, 250-pound #1 draft pick four times every regular season? #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Assuming a trade for Donovan Mitchell or Kevin Durant isn’t coming, the Magic were not ambitious during free agency. WeltHamm were basically like: ‘We’ve got Paolo Banchero and Caleb Houstan, we’re good’. On the one hand, no one got ridiculously overpaid. The Magic front office went the easy route. The Magic are very young, having lost another important vet. in Robin Lopez. Terrence Ross is the oldest player on the team at 31 years old. That’s a little scary. Because now it’s about 2023. Be it the trade deadline or next summer’s free agency, you’re putting your chips in then. And if you come up empty, then we’re going to rewind and come back and have another talk about this 2022 offseason. Why wouldn’t you go get Donovan Mitchell at a reasonable trade price, who will be 26 years old soon, is a consecutive 3-time All-Star who has at least 3 years left on his contract, who fills your one big need of a scoring SG? Cap flexibility means nothing if you can’t get big talent to want to come to Orlando. This 2022

The Orlando Magic selected Paolo Banchero #1 and most people seem thrilled. Paolo is a 19-year-old beast who most likely will be Orlando’s alpha go-to scorer for years to come. Paolo shined brightest on a Duke team with heavy NBA talent. When they were making their deep NCAA tourney run, his teammates and Coach K in his last season relied on Paolo when they needed buckets. Paolo is really mobile for someone 7-feet tall in shoes. He has an elite Paul Porter name and it’ll be fun hearing Paul play around with ‘Paolo Banchero’. WeltHamm traded our 35th pick to the Lakers for cash and a 2028 second rounder, but did pick at 32 another 19-year-old freshman in Michigan’s Caleb Houstan, a 6’8” guy who showed way more ability for Canada than for Juwan Howard’s Wolverines. Sound familiar? Franz Wagner-esque maybe? So we have these new additions. We potentially have our next star on a Dwight, Shaq, or Penny level. Now what? Free agency starts this week. Player option deadlines are June 29th. June 30th at 6pm is when