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What’s the funniest possible rendition of the iconic Wade-LeBron photo? Correct, it would be Victor Wembanyama passing to Doug McDermott.
A Magical Streak
Should you believe in Orlando?
Nobody will be blown away by the Magic’s 139-120 home win against a horrible, 3-15 Wizards squad.
But what if I told you Orlando’s win over Washington made eight straight wins, marking the NBA’s longest active win streak and leaving the Magic one shy of tying the franchise record? What if I told you the Magic were one game behind the East-leading Celtics? Should you take them seriously? Is this just a fad, like pogs? We need self-Q&A, in which I grill yours truly with hard-hitting questions.
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Did anybody see this Magic surge happening? 🙋🏻♂️I kind of did! In the Hot Take Safe Zone on Basketbuds for The Athletic NBA Show Podcast right before the season started, I predicted the Magic would finish fifth in the East. Why? They were 29-28 over last season’s final 57 games and had the No. 6 best defense in that stretch.
So, you believe in the Magic? Yes. I ranked them eighth in this week’s Power Rankings!
Just because you ranked them highly now doesn’t mean you believe in them down the road. That’s not really a question, but I do believe this team will rank top 12 all season and finish top six in the East, barring injury. And I think they could even win a first-round series.
What’s fueling this big start to the season? Orlando’s defense is still top notch, which is impressive, considering its rotation’s average age (24.6 years) being raised by a little by Joe Ingles (36). After beating the Wizards, the Magic are third in defensive rating and 13th in offense. Jamahl Mosley has them playing stellar defense.
Do they have stars? Paolo Banchero is a legitimate No. 1 guy in this league. His numbers (19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists) are modest, but he’s shooting 48.1 percent overall and 43.6 percent from deep. Franz Wagner (20.1 points) is their leading scorer and has an impressive game.
What are their shortcomings? They really struggle with shooting from deep and turn the ball over often. While Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony have played well, their guard play remains shaky.
Should they make a move at the deadline? No. Unless a star guard becomes available, Orlando should just ride it out and see how the kids respond to competing for a playoff spot.
Will they avoid the Play-In Tournament? I believe so! They’ll do so in a good way: ranking top-six out East to snap their playoff drought.
How’s that over/under looking? Orlando’s over/under was 36.5 entering the season. The team is on pace for 59 wins, which probably won’t hold. The Magic will clear 40, so it’s an easy over.
The Latest From Shams
Warriors’ backcourt injury updates
The Warriors’ depth took a major hit in Tuesday’s loss at Sacramento.
Chris Paul exited the game early with what the team initially called lower left leg soreness. Paul is dealing with a nerve issue with the leg, and league sources say he’ll be treated as day-to-day going forward. He’s listed as out for Golden State’s game tonight against the Clippers.
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In addition, Gary Payton II also left Tuesday’s game due to injury. League sources say he has a torn right calf and is out indefinitely, and I’m told Payton, who missed a large part of the 2022-23 season due to a core muscle injury, is expected to be sidelined for a significant amount of time.
After a hot start, the Warriors have dropped eight of 10 games and enter today 11th in the West, a half-game behind the Clippers, whom they play three times in the next six games.
Honoring Art
Magic recreate Wade-LeBron masterpiece
Remember the biggest moment from the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade era in Miami? No, not the WWE-esque event prior to their first season together, during which LeBron predicted 100 titles. It’s not any of their actual championship runs either. Nor is it the Ray Allen shot in 2013.
It was this incredibly dope picture during an 88-78 Heat win on Dec. 6, 2010, against the Bucks, win No. 5 of an eventual 12-game win streak.
The play itself, in video form, isn’t too spectacular, compared to some of their other highlights. But the iconic image perfectly represents how the duo looked when they flew all over the court at their peaks.
Well, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs sort of recreated something similar last night. Suggs tossed up an alley-oop on the break and threw his hands out like Wade did, leaving Anthony to dunk it home.
It’s not quite like the original, but this space celebrates all imitators.
Also from last night:
- Lakers 133, Pistons 107: Detroit’s 15 straight losses set a single-season team record. The 11-8 Lakers have won seven of 10.
- Pelicans 124, 76ers 114: Zion Williamson had 33 points (11-of-12 overall, 11-of-12 on free throws) for 10-9 New Orleans, which has a 7-4 home record. Philly is .500 overall since Nov. 12.
- Nuggets 134, Rockets 124: Houston is 0-7 on the road and 8-8 for the season. Denver is 9-0 at home and has three straight wins.
New Games Dropped
Five intriguing non-IST games
Now that eight teams remain in the “Loser Leaves Las Vegas” portion of the In-Season Tournament, we must remind you the 22 teams that didn’t advance needed two games added to their respective schedules. Eleven games were added to the respective Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 slates, the dates between the tournament action in Las Vegas. Despite a few duds – even for December – there are good games in the mix. Here are my five favorite matchups added:
5. Grizzlies at Pistons, Dec. 6: That’s right. My only reason for watching is to see whether the Pistons continue losing. They could enter that game with a 17-game losing streak.
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4. Hawks at 76ers, Dec. 8: Joel Embiid is always worth the price of admission, but Tyrese Maxey versus Trae Young has the potential for ample speed and buckets.
3. Nuggets at Clippers, Dec. 6: In one corner, the calm of the reigning champion Nuggets. In the other, the anxious Clippers as they figure this out on the fly. Great theater.
2. Warriors at Thunder, Dec. 8: We had an overtime thriller between these two the last time they played. I’m expecting even better!
1. Thunder at Rockets, Dec. 6: Yes, another Thunder game. They’re incredible to watch. Can the Thunder beat Houston at home? Ime Udoka has the Rockets focusing.
Bounce Passes
Wemby is looking for positives as the losses pile up. Good luck.
Did benching Moses Moody late cause the Warriors lose to the Kings?
Like it or not, the Heat will be a problem for everyone in the playoffs.
Screen Game (All times Eastern)
- Main Screen: Clippers-Warriors (10 p.m. NBA TV). Both of these teams have dreams of contending and desperately need late November wins.
- Second Screen: Pacers-Heat (7:30 p.m. NBA TV). Two very contrasting styles. Plus, Pacers games have become must-watch.
- League Pass Game of the Night: Lakers-Thunder (8 p.m.). What kind of Herculean effort must LeBron pull to win this road game? Full schedule here.
(Top photo: Fernando Medina / Getty Images)