Penny & Pops Podcast - Magicbasketballonline.com

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

As we continue basking in the glory of the Magic finally bucking their bad lottery luck and earning the #1 pick in the upcoming June 23rd NBA Draft, we’re switching focus to what the WeltHamm front office should actually do now that we have all of this power. We’re 3-for-3 historically on #1 picks. Shaq in ‘92. We took Webber in ‘93 but wisely flipped him for Penny and 3 future first round picks. And then Dwight in 2004. They have to get this right. If WeltHamm show the ambition, then it’s very possible the Magic won’t be in the draft lottery again for years. Hopefully this is the end of tanking, because this was the season where it finally paid off in our decade-long attempt to get a #1 pick. Going over the top six draft player prospects with the draft 1 week away: Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe, and Keegan Murray. Other topics: Franz Wagner getting disrespected in All-Rookie voting, Grant Hill on JJ Redick’s podcast, and Orlando losing out on hosting FIFA 2026

It’s just a few days until the May 17th NBA Draft Lottery. The Magic finished the 2022 season with a 22-60 record. Good enough for worst in the East, and second worst in the league. Orlando rolls into the Draft Lottery in the 2nd position, however we could be picking as high as 1st or as low as 6th when that Tuesday evening concludes. We’re going to look back on some of our season predictions and how those aged, as well as discuss some of the Magic news of the past month. Jonathan Isaac. Terrence Ross. How outrageous would a Kevin Durant trade or Zach LaVine free agency signing be? #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic are 20-58 as of this recording, tied for the worst record in the NBA. It won’t be the worst win-loss record in franchise history as the 18-win inaugural season team can pop champagne, but it’s going to be down there with the 20-win season in 2013, and three other 21-win seasons. This will be the Magic’s seventh 20-something win season in the past decade. That’s rough for any NBA fan base to handle. If it wasn’t obvious earlier in the season, it’s lately been a full-on tanking effort by the organization. Thankfully, this is the final week of the regular season. Discussion about tanking and ping pong balls, Jonathan Isaac, and optimistically, how the team has some great pieces moving forward and how that puzzle can take shape in the offseason. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Terrence Ross, Mo Bamba, and Gary Harris are all still members of the Magic after the 2022 NBA trade deadline came and went. The Magic acquired Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier from the Boston Celtics. Why waiving Michael Carter-Williams and E’Twaun Moore could present a veteran problem for the franchise. Will the front office share when Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac will finally see the floor? Is 2023 or 2022 the goal to acquire a star? There are strong concerns about the coaching job of Jamahl Mosley. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic appear to have gotten through all the COVID-19 positive tests picked up by the roster and coaching staff, it doesn’t look like there will be any further hardship exemption signings. Still no sign of Isaac or Fultz returning, and the Magic’s accumulation of injuries isn’t subsiding. The Magic had won 4 out of 6 games recently (our best stretch of this season by far), before being bludgeoned at home this past weekend by Memphis and Boston. Orlando is 12-43, still the worst record in the league but we have the same amount of wins as Detroit. Houston, OKC, and now Indy and likely also Portland are on the tanking path. WeltHamm may make some deals with the trade deadline a few days away. Quite a few decisions to be made on who stays and who goes. We’re playing with the trade machine. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

We’re 2 months into this NBA campaign. Due to COVID-19 positive tests with the team and across the league, the Magic’s December 20th game in Toronto has been postponed. The first Magic game impacted this season. I’d say likely not the last the way the omicron variant is spreading like wildfire around the world. Now’s a good a time as any for a progress report pod. The Magic are 6-25 with the second-worst record in the league. Detroit is only slightly worse on percentage points at 5-24. This is the longest in franchise history it’s taken the Magic to get to 6 wins in a season. Three of the Magic’s 6 wins have come in New York City. You can imagine just from that how garbage we’ve been at Amway Center, 2-10 at home. So WeltHamm’s tanking plans are holding up. For the second straight season we lead the league in games missed due to injury as there’s still no timetable for when we’ll see Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac on the parquet floor. For every bright spot like Cole Anthony or Franz Wagner, there’s a lot

The games start counting now. The Magic finished 1-3 in their preseason campaign thanks to a Jeff Dowtin Jr. winner in the final exhibition game. Wendell Carter Jr. got a 4-year $50 million contract extension, which seems like solid value. With Chuma Okeke, Markelle Fultz, and Jonathan Isaac not on the court yet, is the tanking plan already in play? Could this 2021-2022 Orlando team finish with its worst record in franchise history? ‘Juice it or Lose it’ is back with predictions. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: Win – Jay Rock

A new Magic campaign is upon us. 2021-2022. There’s excitement in the air, but also apparent red flags that hint at rough times ahead. And it’s not just COVID-19 related. The Magic legitimately need these 4 upcoming preseason games just to give the fans an idea of what the new offense and defense might look like when the games count, let alone evaluating this young roster. Also, a Ben Simmons trade scenario. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: Win – Jay Rock

Discussing the NBA Draft party at Amway Center. The fan reaction may have been louder for when Scottie Barnes was selected 4th by the Toronto Raptors than when the Magic picked Jalen Suggs 5th. Hot Take: Pops is not happy that the team drafted Jalen Suggs over Jonathan Kuminga and Franz Wagner over Moses Moody. At least most Magic fans seem thrilled with how the draft night played out. Why Jeff Weltman selecting Jason Preston at pick 33 and shipping him off to the L.A. Clippers for cash and a 2026 second was cruel. Either way, no one will truly know for 2-3 years which picks were right and which were wrong. As expected, free agency has been quiet. It’s basically been signing Robin Lopez, and re-signing Moe Wagner so far. Vegas Summer league starts this week. Jamahl Mosley is really pushing his ‘Pace, Space, Pass’ motto. Magic men like Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, the new rookies, and Janis Timma(?) are participating. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: Feels Like Summer – Childish Gamb

If you don’t know already, Jamahl Mosley is the latest Orlando Magic Head Coach. More importantly, the NBA Draft is less than a week away and free agency is right around the corner. The Magic can take positive news from the Milwaukee Bucks being crowned champions. Looking at the Magic’s depth chart and getting an idea of how lackluster 2021 free agency likely will be. It’s still very possible the Magic can trade up to 2nd or 3rd in the draft. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: Feels Like Summer – Childish Gambino

Orlando: The NBA’s Worst Small Market Franchise? - Episode 57 - June 25, 2021 by Penny & Pops Podcast

We’ve been gone a while. Almost 3 months. In that time, WeltHamm blew it all up at the trade deadline. We traded away our 2-time All-Star who didn’t want to leave Orlando. Cole Anthony had a solid rookie campaign and I’m very glad we have R.J. Hampton. We finished the injury-plagued 72-game season 21-51. But now Steve Clifford is gone, in a mutual parting where Clifford likely wisely chose to walk away, and there’s a lot of hope riding on this June 22nd lottery where we have a 14% chance at getting the #1 pick. We talk coaching candidates, reflect on the 3 Magic trade deals at the deadline, and what pick(s) we believe the Magic will have after the lottery. Let’s go! #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: Feels Like Summer – Childish Gambino

With the help of a 9-game losing streak along the way, the Magic enter this trade deadline week with the 4th-worst record in the NBA. Operation 3-month tank is going as planned so far. Many teams around the league want their hands on certain Magic players, most of the rumored deals sound like B.S. but it sounds like Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier are out the door. WeltHamm should be making moves by Thursday afternoon, there’s no denying that, so we’re going to share what the Magic should do, rumors, and who ought to be shipped out of town. Hey, at least Vucevic is a 2-time All-Star. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: WIN – Jay Rock

Sometimes the basketball gods force your hand. That’s what’s happening this 2021-2022 season. The Magic took advantage of their weak schedule to begin the campaign. Best record in the NBA. Then Fultz goes down for the season, combined with other starters like Fournier and Aaron Gordon missing many games, combined with more injuries to other rotation players, and we’ve plummeted down the standings fast. We’re 9-16 as of this recording. This is not a playoff team because we lead the NBA in games lost due to injury. The Magic may have been handed a 3-month golden tanking opportunity. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: WIN – Jay Rock

How does having the best record in the NBA sound, Magic fans? For the first time in franchise history, your Orlando Magic man are 4-0. Why is this happening? We’ll talk players, appealing numbers, what’s not sustainable, and compare the Magic with our East competition. It’s not crazy to be optimistic and have hopes of a potential sixth seed or better. The increase in injuries and the threat of COVID-19 contribute to those factors. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: WIN – Jay Rock

The Magic concluded the preseason 2-2 and their 32nd regular season starts two days before Christmas. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac signed extensions, indicating that WeltHamm have given up on Orlando being a free agency destination for at least the next few years. Fans are back at Amway Center. And we begin this 72-game campaign with the cloud of COVID-19 over everything as well as a season opener against our rivals down south. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: WIN – Jay Rock

The draft and free agency have happened. Not a lot of action from a Magic perspective, so there are thoughts to be shared as this is year 4 of WeltHamm in charge. Magic founder Jimmy Hewitt passed away, COVID-19 is still a problem as NBA players and staffers are testing positive in training camps, preseason is ongoing, and the 2020-2021 NBA season is tipping off just before Christmas. #LetsGoMagic #MagicTogether Warning: Adult Language Songs: WIN – Jay Rock