Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Moritz Wagner To Begin Serving Suspension On Wednesday

January 4th, 2023 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Moritz Wagner will begin serving his two-game suspension for his role in last week’s on-court altercation with the Pistons on Wednesday night when Orlando hosts the Thunder, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

The original plan was for Wagner to start serving his suspension on December 30, when the Magic faced Washington. However, he was unable to play in that game due to an illness, and league rules state that suspensions don’t begin until the player is physically able to play.

As a result, Wagner will miss both Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City and Thursday’s contest vs. Memphis.

Eight other Magic players received one-game suspensions for leaving the bench during that incident in Detroit. Five of those players served their one-game bans last Friday, but three others will join Wagner on the inactive list tonight vs. OKC — his brother Franz Wagner and two-way players Admiral Schofield and Kevon Harris are serving their suspensions on Wednesday.

Injury Updates: Beal, Martin, Bol, Gilgeous-Alexander, James

January 3rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal returned to action on Tuesday after missing three games due to left hamstring soreness. However, the Wizards’ franchise player aggravated the injury and didn’t finish out the game, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets.

We have more injury news:

The Hornets’ Cody Martin is listed as questionable to play against Memphis on Wednesday, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Martin played one minute in the season opener, then was sidelined by a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in November, but it appears he’s on the verge of returning.
Magic big man Bol Bol was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols on Tuesday, according to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. He will miss Wednesday’s home contest against the Thunder and possibly more games beyond that.
Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the team’s game against Boston on Tuesday due to a non-COVID illness, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets. Oklahoma City did just fine without him, setting a franchise record with 150 points.
LeBron James is listed as questionable to play against Miami on Wednesday due to left ankle soreness, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. The Lakers’ superstar scored 43 points in 40 minutes against Charlotte on Monday.

Paolo Banchero, Keegan Murray Named Rookies Of The Month

January 3rd, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Kings forward Keegan Murray have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for January, the league announced today (via Twitter).

It’s the first time either player has won the award. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin and Thunder guard Jalen Williams were the winners for October/November.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Banchero averaged 19.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in 15 December appearances (33.5 MPG) for the Magic, who enjoyed a rare winning month. Orlando’s 8-7 record in December was its best mark in a month since the team went 4-1 in Dec. 2020, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

Murray’s Kings, meanwhile, went 8-6 in December as the rookie forward started all 14 of the team’s games. This year’s No. 4 overall pick, Murray averaged 12.7 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 28.6 MPG and made an impressive 46.4% of his three-point attempts (2.8 makes per game).

Mathurin and Williams were among the nominees for this month’s award. Hawks wing AJ Griffin, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard were the other nominees in the Eastern Conference, while Jazz big man Walker Kessler, Rockets forward Jabari Smith, and Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan were nominated in the West (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Paul, Anthony, Title Contenders, Bold Predictions, WNBA

January 2nd, 2023 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns guard Chris Paul is disappointed that longtime All-Star Carmelo Anthony remains unsigned, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.

“Somebody of that caliber, with that ability, with the heart that he has, and the stuff he’s done for the game – he should be able to walk off the court when he’s ready,” Paul said.

Anthony averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 69 games with the Lakers last season.

We have more from the basketball world:

How could the Celtics, Bucks, Heat, Nuggets, Clippers and Grizzlies enhance their chances of winning the title? Cole Huff of The Athletic explores that topic, including a recommendation that Memphis should add another perimeter shooter.
The Nets will re-sign Kyrie Irving to a two-year contract and Sixers superstar Joel Embiid will demand a trade this summer. Those are some of the bold predictions made by The Ringer’s Michael Pina for 2023.
Rhonda Smith-Banchero – mother of top pick and Magic forward Paolo Banchero – played one season for the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs in 2000. Niele Ivey, mother of Pistons lottery pick Jaden Ivey, played four seasons in the WNBA. ESPN’s Jamal Collier takes a closer look at the increasing group of NBA players whose mothers also played ball professionally.

Eastern Notes: Isaac, Suggs, Herro, Oladipo, Embiid, Brunson

January 2nd, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), that forward Jonathan Isaac and guard Jalen Suggs were a “full go” in Monday’s practice. While that is certainly an encouraging update, there is still no return timetable for either player, tweets Price.

The Magic are notoriously cautious when it comes to injured players, but Isaac’s absence has been exceptionally long even by their standards. He last played on August 2, 2020, when he tore his ACL, so he has missed nearly two-and-a-half years of action.

As for Suggs, he has missed 18 consecutive games with right ankle soreness. The 21-year-old has unfortunately been plagued by injuries since he was selected fifth overall in the 2021 draft. After playing in 48 of 82 games as a rookie, he has appeared in just 14 of 37 games thus far in 2022/23.

Here are a few more notes from the Eastern Conference:

Heat guard Tyler Herro, who signed a four-year extension before the season started worth a guaranteed $120MM, is emerging as a go-to clutch scorer, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro hit his third game-winner of ’22/23 on Saturday in Utah, Chiang notes, capping off a 29-point, nine-rebound, six-assist effort.
Victor Oladipo has had a difficult stretch over the past four years, missing a significant amount of time due to a series of leg injuries. While he has played strong defense since returning from left knee tendinosis, he has mostly struggled offensively. However, the Heat guard broke out of his slump by recording 23 points, five rebounds and five assists on Saturday. Head coach Erik Spoelstra believes it could take most of the season for him to really find his rhythm, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I told him the other day, I want him to have a little bit of grace with himself going through this process,” Spoelstra said as part of a larger quote. “We love being on this journey with him and, ultimately, I think it will still take 40 or 50 games for him to get fully in rhythm. But we got a snapshot of what it could look like at the end of this.” Oladipo has now played 11 games in ’22/23, and the Heat have 45 games remaining on their regular season schedule.
Sixers star Joel Embiid is questionable for Monday’s contest against New Orleans, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. All-NBA center is dealing with lower back soreness. Embiid is having another excellent season, posting career highs in points (33.2, second in the NBA), assists (4.6), steals (1.2) and FG% (.528).
After missing the past three games with right hip soreness, point guard Jalen Brunson will return to action for Monday’s matinee against Phoenix, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). Derrick Rose, who had been out of the rotation until Brunson got hurt, will be sidelined with a contused left knee, per the Knicks (Twitter link).

Magic Dealing With Slump After Hot Streak

December 31st, 2022 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

After enjoying an 8-2 stretch earlier this month, the Magic have dropped their last three games, observes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic are short-handed because of suspensions imposed after a fight with the Pistons this week, but they also have a lot of young players who are still getting used to the rigors of a long season. “It’s a tricky balance,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “You have a group of young guys that are working every single day but balancing how much they work vs. understanding their bodies need to get the rest. You don’t want to overdo it in practice to the point that in the game that their energy levels are lower. We’ll balance it out.”

NBA Suspends Two Pistons Players, Nine Magic Players For Roles In Fracas

December 29th, 2022 at 8:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has suspended two Pistons players and nine Magic players for their roles in an altercation during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game, the league has announced (Twitter link).

Pistons guard Killian Hayes was given the harshest punishment, a three-game suspension without pay. Magic center Moritz Wagner has been suspended for two games, while Detroit guard Hamidou Diallo was also dinged for a one-game suspension. Both Hayes and Diallo will be held out of the team’s road game against the Bulls Friday.

Hayes, Wagner and Diallo were all ejected from the game Wednesday night, which Detroit won 121-101, for their roles in the on-court confrontation that began when Wagner hip-checked Hayes out of bounds into the Pistons’ bench while the two were scrambling for a loose ball. Diallo subsequently shoved Wagner in the back, but Hayes then escalated the conflict when he punched Wagner in the back of the head. Wagner appeared to lose consciousness after the hit. Several Magic players left the bench to support Wagner and all have been penalized for doing so.

The NBA is additionally suspending eight additional Orlando players after they left the bench to support Wagner during the scuffle: guards Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and Kevon Harris, swingmen Franz Wagner and Admiral Schofield, and big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba. All eight players will receive one-game bans.

The NBA’s press release indicates that the absences of the Magic players will be staggered to ensure the team has enough available bodies for its ensuing two contests. Anthony, Gary Harris, Hampton, Bamba, and Carter will miss Orlando’s next game on Friday against the Wizards. Wagner will also begin his two-game suspension on Friday. The others will miss the club’s January 4 matchup with the Thunder.

Three Players Ejected In Magic-Pistons Game; Suspensions Likely

December 28th, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic big man Moritz Wagner, Pistons guard Killian Hayes, and Pistons wing Hamidou Diallo were all ejected for an incident in Wednesday’s game, tweets Mike Curtis of The Detroit News.

As shown in the video and multiple replays courtesy of Bally Sports Orlando (Twitter video link), Wagner initiated the altercation by hip-checking Hayes into the Pistons’ bench, which obviously riled everyone nearby. Diallo then caught up and shoved Wagner in the back with a forearm, followed by Hayes punching/forearming Wagner in the back of the head, which appeared to cause Wagner to lose consciousness.

Officially, Wagner and Hayes were both given flagrant 2 fouls, while Diallo received two technical fouls.

Hayes is almost certain to face a pretty significant suspension for his part in the altercation, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter). Several Magic players left their bench area to join the fray, and while nothing really transpired beyond a few mild shoves (it looked like most were just trying to get Wagner out), leaving the bench typically draws an automatic suspension by the NBA, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Since so many of Orlando’s players left the bench, it seems probable that the suspensions will be staggered so the Magic will still have eight available players, the minimum required to play a game, Goodwill adds (via Twitter). The suspensions are likely to be handed down sometime on Thursday.

Both teams’ next games are on Friday; the Pistons play in Chicago, while the Magic are home against the Wizards.

Banchero Keying Impressive Stretch For Magic

December 28th, 2022 at 7:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic have won eight of their past 10 games, and No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero has played a big part in their recent surge, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic details. The 6’10” forward says he’s hoping for both team and individual success for the rest of ’22/23. “Hopefully we can make the playoffs or the play-in, get there and win Rookie of the Year. That’s my goal,” he said. The Magic currently trail the Raptors by two-and-a-half games for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Houstan, Young, Kuzma

December 24th, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are in the midst of their best nine-game stretch in more than a decade, but there’s no single reason why it’s happening, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando has moved into the race for the play-in tournament by winning eight of its last nine games, and head coach Jamahl Mosley believes everything he’s been trying to teach his young players over the past two seasons is taking hold.

“We’ve been saying it from the beginning: understanding we’re close (and) getting over the hump,” Mosley said. “You just have to stick with that process. The growth, understanding those close games and what those mean later on in the season. It’s just the belief system these young men are starting to grow into.”

The Magic own the NBA’s second-best rating in clutch situations and have started winning tight games that they couldn’t close out earlier in the season. Orlando is also among the league’s top seven teams in both offensive and defensive rating during the last two and a half weeks.

“As a young team, sometimes we can get caught up in ‘Oh, we won a certain amount of games. Let’s get comfortable,’” said Wendell Carter Jr., who returned to the lineup Friday after missing more than a month. “I feel like the biggest thing for us is to continue to do what got us here. Not to change the formula or too many things. Just do what got us to this point.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic have considered sending Caleb Houstan to the G League to get more playing time, tweets Aaron Goldstone of Orlando Pinstriped Post. The rookie small forward has appeared in 22 of the team’s 34 games.
Trae Young‘s father responded to a recent article by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report speculating about Young’s future in Atlanta and a tweet by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggesting the Hawks guard isn’t willing to play off the ball alongside Dejounte Murray. “Although I like Kevin’s stuff, now there’ll be articles on Trae like this just because ‘rival execs’ believe something!” Ray Young tweeted. “Trae doesn’t talk to other teams. He’s busy trying to win in Atlanta. Will this ever end?”
With their roster almost fully healthy, the Wizards understand they have to start producing to prevent a shakeup at the trade deadline, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It’s tough for you to make decisions without a healthy team, and we’ve got to make up some ground,” Kyle Kuzma said. “We’ve been injured a lot, but we’ve got a chance to rewrite some things. The trade deadline is in six weeks, and everyone in this locker room knows about that.”