Penny & Pops Podcast - Magicbasketballonline.com

Sure they’re the #1 seed. They have an MVP caliber point guard in Cade Cunningham, a defensive beast in Ausar Thompson, and likely another All-NBA guy in Jalen Duren. But we have a Bane. Desmond Bane to be exact. And we took care of our home court advantage and won Game 3. It was almost a brutal loss, but Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero came up clutch in the fourth. Orlando leads the series 2-1 and has another home game at Kia Center on Monday. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Despite the Magic shooting terribly, it was 46-46 at halftime in Game 2. And then the Detroit third quarter avalanche happened and it was game over. The good news it was less about what Detroit did and more what Orlando didn’t do. Effort was there, but sloppiness and missed shots didn’t help. It’s still 1-1 going back to Orlando. It was never going to be easy knocking off the #1 seed Pistons. Now the true hard work begins. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

There is no more of an appropriate way to conclude such a bizarre week for the Magic than this: Orlando beats the Pistons to claim Game 1 of this first round series. That’s about as balanced as you can get from your starting five when Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., and Desmond Bane each post a minimum stat line of 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the same contest. And on the road in Detroit no less. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic won, we handed Charlotte a historic play-in blowout loss at Kia Center Friday night. We’re now in the playoffs. The season continues. We won’t be handing over a lottery draft pick this summer. That’s massive. We’re the 8th seed. It’s a short turnaround now. Game 1 Sunday night on NBC against the #1 seed Pistons up in Detroit. Might as well make a series of it. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic get physically beat up in Philly and no other Magic player could offensively support a fantastic Desmond Bane. Franz Wagner hurt his left leg again. Orlando loses, 76ers claim the 7th seed in the playoffs. We now host the Hornets Friday night in a do-or-die game at Kia Center. Winner claims the 8th seed and goes to Detroit for a playoff series. Loser goes on vacation for the offseason. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

This is your Magic-Sixers Seven-Eight play-in game preview. Wednesday night 7:30 pm Eastern in Philly at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Game will be shown on Amazon Prime. Orlando lost the season series 1-2. I also want to look over some of our players’ stats from the 82-game campaign. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The most disappointing regular season in Orlando Magic franchise history is over, and man did we go out with a bang: a loss in Boston to the Celtics’ third-stringers. We conclude the regular season campaign 45-37 and fall to the 8th seed in the East. Next up: A Wednesday night play-in road game in Philadelphia. Desmond Bane plays and starts all 82 games of the regular season for the first time in franchise history since Dwight Howard did it In the 2009-2010 campaign. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

I said it in September and I still mean it now: There is no East team that the Magic should fear. The only team in the East that will beat us is ourselves. And we’ve done a lot of that due to: Injuries, point guard and center inconsistencies, dead contracts, an inactive front office, and bad coaching. Plenty of damage has been self-inflicted and we’ve paid for it by falling well short of the 57-win mark. Orlando is 44-36. We’ve won 4 straight. 6 our last 8 games. We’ve got two road games left this regular season. No matter what happens from here, we need a new front office and coaching staff in the offseason. But our overall roster has enough talent and healthy bodies that the players can go on a run if they desire it. Just got to come together and prove it. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

No, no one has been fired yet. The Magic are 39-35. We’re looking at the 8th, 9th, or 10th play-in seed with 8 games remaining in this nightmare campaign. Orlando just racked up some awful historical records in their latest 52-point loss in Toronto from a franchise and NBA level. We deserve to be laughed at by the entire league. This if the worst season in Magic history when factoring in expectations. 2004, 2011, don’t hold a candle to this 2026 season. The franchise decision makers need to go into salvage mode, because we need major changes across the board to turn our long-term future around. It goes beyond just this season now, the urgency from up top has to rise. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

To follow up their 7-game win streak, the Magic just endured a brutal 0-4 week. At 38-32, Orlando is as close to the East’s 10th seed as the 5th seed. And there’s still no Franz Wagner or Anthony Black in sight. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

We’re witnessing another good reminder about how much can change during a lengthy 82-game season: Despite all of the injuries, Orlando is currently 38-28, on a 7-game win streak (their longest since November 2023), and owners of the East’s fifth seed in the very crowded standings race. There is no schedule relief in sight as the Magic are accomplishing all of this without the likes of Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. And we’re 2 games back 4th seeded Cleveland. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

As tumultuous of a season that it’s been, don’t look now but the Magic are 35-28 and have won ten of their last fourteen games. Orlando is the 6th seed again, still navigating injuries and waiting on a Franz Wagner update, but the squad are displaying a pulse. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The 31-26 Magic showed some fight finally without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, going 3-1 on their West trip. Orlando did it the hard way, but the stage is set for a crucial 4-game homestand. Franz Wagner being out indefinitely is obviously a huge concern. Jevon Carter is bringing energy. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

I’m seeing some apathetic energy from Magic players. Seeing apathy from Magic fans as a result. And I can’t blame folks for feeling that way. Jamahl Mosley and Jeff Weltman still have their jobs. We’re 28-25 with no signs of the rest of the season improving. Jase Richardson had a painful All-Star weekend dunk contest performance that is fully representative of this 2025-2026 Magic season. Also, FanDuel Sports Network is dead and Magic games will be on a different broadcast plan next season. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It’s not often the 27-24 Magic win two consecutive games and yet the viewpoint of the team is as abysmal as if they’d lost those. We beat a depleted Nets squad, and a Jazz team heavily tanking in the fourth quarter. The same Orlando problems exist and all we did at the trade deadline was attach two 2nd round picks to Tyus Jones and jettison him to Charlotte so we could get under the luxury tax. This franchise has major flaws. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Do something, Jeff Weltman. I’ve got my stick out and I’m poking. I laid out the Magic’s trade landscape last episode. Now it’s up to the Orlando front office to get off their hands. This team is not the title contender they should be currently. Beyond needing to move on from Jamahl Mosley, Jeff also has to make 1, 2, maybe 3 moves by this February 5th trade deadline to shed salary and still improve this team. This ownership group shouldn’t be paying a luxury tax for this mediocre product because there are team building roster penalties for being repeatedly in the luxury tax. Get under that tax, Jeff. That we have to question if these moves will even happen speaks volumes for the lack of confidence in proper decision-making actually occurring. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Getting a bit of 2016 Déjà vu where our season fell apart after losing to Toronto in London. There is no parachute for this current 23-21 Magic team. Jamahl Mosley is on the ropes. Jeff Weltman may be gone in a few months. We have no first round draft pick this summer. Whatever players are on the Magic after the February 5th trade deadline are going to have to drag us out of this mess. I’m focusing this episode on the center and guard market, but I have not trust in the front office to take action. It’s going to take multiple drastic changes to turn the season around: Roster moves, actual coaching, and the players being willing to come together and give a damn. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

For as great as the Magic’s victory and experience in Berlin, Germany was, familiar problems showed up in the United Kingdom and led to a blowout loss in London. Orlando comes back stateside 23-19 with this being the second half of our season and the NBA just two and a half weeks until the trade deadline. How long will the inconsistencies be tolerated? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic beat New Orleans on Sunday and are off to Europe to play their Berlin and London games. But Orlando is just 22-18 and still has not won consecutive games since December 1st. It is a challenge playing well without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Paolo Banchero is receiving heavy criticism like never before. We got Moritz Wagner back after over a year absent, but the team has issues with its roster and from a coaching and focus perspective. It’s January, but are there already signs Jeff Weltman and Jamahl Mosley won’t be here next season? In not extending Weltman’s contract beyond this season, and with fan frustration that Mosley can’t coach a contender and Paolo’s overall regression so far this season, are the DeVos family already planning on a new President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

We’re in 2026. Happy New Year. The Magic are 20-16 after beating the Pacers on Sunday afternoon. We’re 6th in the East, should be top 3. But Jalen Suggs got hurt again, the Wagner brothers have not returned yet, and we’ve had focus issues. Particularly in 4th quarters of late. Defense and rebounding have been slipping. We’re in the dregs of the schedule, can Orlando put a large amount of victories together in this stretch? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language