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Magic Notes: Wagner, Depth, Black, Isaac

November 14th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic have been playing without Paolo Banchero as he deals with a torn right oblique, but Franz Wagner has been playing like an All-Star in his absence, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines.

As Bianchi points out, Wagner is one of just seven players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with the former Michigan forward joining stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox in that company.

The former No. 8 overall pick has yet to earn an All-Star nod, but he has increased his scoring average every season and is putting up 19.3 points since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. In his last five games, Wagner is averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.0 APG.

We have more on the Magic:

Life without Banchero proved to be difficult initially, as the Magic lost their first four games without their All-Star forward after his injury, including three by double figures. Since then, they’ve won four straight. Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that Wagner’s All-Star level play is helping, but they’re also getting terrific defensive contributions from the likes of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black. “I’m so proud of them, so proud of this group,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It wasn’t a pretty one, but it’s the way you have to try to get it done in this league, and these guys embraced it. [They] easily could’ve given in. But we talk about how much grit this team has, and you see how connected they are. They fought through the shooting lulls at times, the turnovers early, and they found a way.“
Although rookie Tristan Da Silva has taken over Banchero’s spot in the starting lineup, the team has been closing games with Black next to the starters, as the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede details. “Super comfortable,” Black said. “When I play with [the starters], my role is super simple and easy — just affect the game on the defensive end.“
Isaac played in both games of the Magic’s home back-to-back against Charlotte on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday. He began playing in back-to-backs last season for the first time since 2019. This season, it’s not a question whether he’s going to play in both games, Beede writes in the same piece. “It does feel like a big deal,” Isaac said. “Especially when it’s not so much of a thought anymore. That’s huge. … It’s been a slow start to the season but I’m starting to feel like myself again with just my energy level, getting back to running up and down and playing heavier minutes. I feel great.“

Contract Details: George, Martin, Wiseman, Isaac, Hield, More

July 8th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following the end of the July moratorium on Saturday, teams wasted no time in officially finalizing many of the contracts they’d agreed to up until that point.

Now that those contracts have been completed, we have the official details on many of them. Here, via several reporters – including Keith Smith of Spotrac, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and cap expert Yossi Gozlan – as well as our own sources, are some of those notable details:

Players with trade kickers:

Lakers forward LeBron James (15%), Knicks forward OG Anunoby (15%), Sixers forward Paul George (15%), Sixers forward Caleb Martin (15%), Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson (15%), and Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (5%) received trade kickers on their new free agent deals, while Celtics guard Derrick White (15%) got one on his contract extension.

As an aside, James’ exact starting salary in 2024/25 is $48,728,845, which is $1,258,873 below the maximum he could have earned.

Players who waived their right to veto a trade:

A player who re-signs with his team on a one-year contract (or two-year contract with a second-year option) is typically awarded the right to veto a trade, but has the option to waive that option.

Heat center Thomas Bryant, Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, Raptors wing Garrett Temple, and Magic teammates Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner all surrendered their right to veto a trade in 2024/25 and could be moved freely.

Unlikely incentives:

Nets center Nic Claxton ($97MM base + $3MM incentives), Pacers forward Obi Toppin ($58MM +$2MM), Suns forward Royce O’Neale ($42MM +$2MM), and Sixers forward Martin ($35,040,704 + $5,256,106) are among the players whose contracts include unlikely bonuses that would boost the total guaranteed salary if those incentives are reached.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad observes, the structure of Martin’s contract helped the 76ers maximize their cap room, since his unlikely incentives don’t count toward the cap once he signs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s “unlikely” incentives are easier to earn than a typical player’s incentives would be — I don’t expect them to be for making an All-Star team or anything like that. An incentive is considered unlikely for cap purposes if the player wouldn’t have met the criteria the year before. For example, as Nahmad suggests, a bonus related to Martin making 24 or more starts would be considered unlikely because he started 23 games last season. Martin’s bonuses – considered “unlikely” for cap purposes but perhaps “likely” to be earned in reality – could have served as a way to strengthen the Sixers’ offer without sacrificing that extra cap room.

It’s also worth noting that a player’s unlikely incentives can’t exceed 15% of his guaranteed base salary, and Martin’s $5,256,106 in incentives represent exactly 15% of his overall $35,040,704 salary.

Partial or non-guarantees and options:

James Wiseman‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is guaranteed for $500K in year one, with a team option for 2025/26. That team option would be guaranteed for $569,041 if exercised (ie. the same percentage as his first-year salary).

Luka Garza got a similarly structured two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves, except his first year is fully guaranteed prior to his second-year team option. That 2025/26 option would be guaranteed if picked up.

As previously reported, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder includes a team option for 2026/27. It’s worth $28.5MM, with $58.5MM in guaranteed money across the first two seasons.

Magic teammates Harris ($7.5MM) and Wagner ($11MM) each have second-year team options on their two-year deals.

The Rockets used their full bi-annual exception to give Holiday a two-year deal worth $9,569,400 that includes a second-year team option ($4,901,400).

Neemias Queta‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is fully guaranteed in year one with a partial guarantee of exactly 50% ($1,174,789 of $2,349,578) in year two, plus a third-year team option for 2026/27. The third-year option ($2,667,944) would be guaranteed for 50% ($1,333,972) if exercised. Since his minimum deal covers more than two years, a team wouldn’t be able to acquire Queta via the minimum salary exception if he’s traded down the road.

Jonathan Isaac‘s new long-term deal with the Magic is partially guaranteed ($8MM of $14MM) in 2026/27, with non-guaranteed salaries of $14.5MM in 2027/28 and $15MM in 2028/29. However, each of those salaries would become fully guaranteed if Isaac plays at least 52 games in the prior season. For instance, if Isaac were to appear in 54 games in 2026/27, his $14.5MM salary for ’27/28 would be fully guaranteed.

Sign-and-trade contracts:

Interestingly, Kyle Anderson‘s and Buddy Hield‘s new contracts with the Warriors have the exact same salaries for the first three seasons: $8,780,488, $9,219,512, and $9,658,536. Anderson’s three-year deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years and non-guaranteed in year three.

As for Hield, his four-year contract is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a partial guarantee of $3MM for year three. His fourth year is a $10,097,560 player option that would be partially guaranteed for $3,136,364 if exercised.

Klay Thompson’s three-year contract with the Mavericks comes in at exactly $50MM, as reported — it starts at $15,873,016 and features 5% annual raises.

Jonas Valanciunas‘ three-year contract with the Wizards is worth $30,295,000 in total, beginning at $9.9MM (which is the amount of the trade exception generated for the Pelicans). It’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed in year three.

Cody Zeller got a three-year, $11,025,000 deal in the sign-and-trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Hawks. The first year is guaranteed for $3.5MM, with two non-guaranteed seasons after that.

Finally, as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, new Nets guard Shake Milton got a three-year, $9,162,405 contract that has a guaranteed first-year salary of $2,875,000, with two non-guaranteed years after that ($3MM in 2025/26 and $3,287,406 in ’26/27). His teammate Mamadi Diakite, who was also sent to Brooklyn in the trade, had his $2,273,252 salary partially guaranteed for $1,392,150.

Milton’s $2,875,000 salary, Diakite’s $1,392,150 partial guarantee, and Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19,032,850 salary add up to $23.3MM, which is equivalent to Bridges’ salary — the exact amount of outgoing salary the Knicks needed to send to avoid being hard-capped at the first tax apron.

Magic Renegotiate, Extend Jonathan Isaac’s Contract

July 6th, 2024 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 6: The renegotiation and extension of Isaac’s contract is now official, the Magic announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Orlando bumped up Isaac’s salary to $25MM this season. That figure will be fully guaranteed, as will his $15MM salary in 2025/26. His $14.5MM salary in ’26/27 will be partially guaranteed for $8MM, while the last two years ($15MM and $14.5MM, respectively) will be non-guaranteed.

In total, it appears the forward received $66.6MM in new money and $84MM overall (including his original $17.4MM salary for the coming season). Of that $84MM, $48MM is guaranteed.

JULY 2: The Magic have agreed to renegotiate and extend Jonathan Isaac‘s contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that the deal will be for five years and $84MM.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports first reported on Monday that the Magic were exploring a renegotiation and extension for the veteran forward.

Isaac had a non-guaranteed $17.4MM salary for next season, which was due to be fully guaranteed in January, so his new deal likely includes $66MM+ in new money.

The breakdown for the deal hasn’t been made public yet, but a team is permitted to use cap room to renegotiate a contract in order to give a player a current-year raise and Orlando has a chunk of room left over following a series of free agent agreements with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, and Gary Harris.

The Magic could reduce Isaac’s salary by up to 40% in the first year of an extension, so it looks like they’ll essentially give him a bonus this season in order to lock him up to a more team-friendly (possibly descending) deal beginning in 2025/26.

The No. 6 pick of the 2017 draft, Isaac missed two seasons and most of the 2022/23 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. He appeared in 58 games last season and averaged 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks to help Orlando reach the playoffs. He also appeared in seven postseason contests, including three starts, while averaging 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.

A talented, versatile defender, Isaac will once again back up at the power forward spot and can also slide over to the center position.

It’s unclear whether or not Isaac’s new extension will include injury-related language protecting the team like his current deal did, but it at least seems unlikely that all four years will be fully guaranteed.

Fischer’s Latest: Markkanen, Isaac, DeRozan, Lakers, D-Lo, Nets

July 1st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are “welcoming” inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who wonders if Utah’s offseason could play out like Brooklyn’s has. The Nets agreed to trade Mikal Bridges after efforts to pair him with an impact player came up short. Utah has also explored the trade market for a possible second star to complement Markkanen, talking to Brooklyn about Bridges (as previously reported) and to the Hawks about both Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, sources tell Fischer.

While it’s possible the Jazz will follow the Nets’ lead, selling off their lone star after failing to land another one, they don’t appear eager to part with Markkanen. According to Fischer, the Jazz have conveyed that they remain interested in renegotiating and extending Markkanen’s contract later this offseason and that listening to every offer for the star forward is just about due diligence.

As reported earlier today, both the Warriors and Spurs have interest in Markkanen, Fischer confirms, naming the Kings and Timberwolves as a couple more teams to watch. However, Sacramento’s reluctance to put Keegan Murray on the table in trade scenarios – which NBA personnel believe would be necessary to land Markkanen – may result in the Kings shifting their trade focus to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Fischer writes. As for the Wolves, they’re operating over the second apron and barely have any future draft capital available, so it’s hard to envision a way for them to make a serious play for Markkanen.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Magic may not end up using all of their cap room on free agents or trades — according to Fischer (Twitter link), they’re working on possibly renegotiating and extending forward Jonathan Isaac‘s contract. A team with cap space can use it to give a player a raise on his current-year salary, then reduce his salary by up to 40% in the first year of an extension, so Orlando may be looking at essentially giving Isaac a bonus this season to get him a team-friendly deal beginning in 2025/26.
Although LeBron James has expressed a willingness to take a pay cut if it allows the Lakers to bring in an impact player, Fischer writes that the team seems to be running out of potential targets – and time – to make that happen. The Lakers “hold an affinity” for DeMar DeRozan, but they’d likely have to incorporate a third team to move off some salary, including perhaps D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, to have a shot at DeRozan, according to Fischer.
The Nets could be a trade destination for Russell. Sources tell Fischer that Brooklyn has been open to the idea of a reunion with Russell since February’s trade deadline.
If Klay Thompson had re-signed with the Warriors, the plan was to bring him off the bench next season behind second-year guard Brandin Podziemski, according to Fischer. Thompson appears likely to be a starter in Dallas.

Magic Notes: First-Round Loss, Wagner, Offseason, Cap Room

May 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After blowing a Game 7 lead in Cleveland on Sunday in a game that ended their season, the Magic went home disappointed, but viewed the loss with a mature, even-keeled perspective, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes.

“It doesn’t define us,” said second-year forward Paolo Banchero, who averaged a team-high 27.0 points per game in the seven-game series. “This is our first time in the playoffs. I’m just proud of how we played, and I know we’ll be back.”

“I walked in the locker room, and I said, ‘It sucks,'” head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It does — not to get the game, knowing what you were capable of doing, to be up 18, to feel you (had) a chance to close out and not get it done. It doesn’t feel good. And, then in the same breath, you have to put it all into perspective. Sometimes these painful things are blessings in disguise.”

The Magic had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons prior to 2023/24 and this year’s young team – led by Banchero and third-year forward Franz Wagner – was considered unlikely to make a deep postseason run. So the fact that Orlando took the Cavaliers to seven games and outplayed them for much of the series should be viewed as a positive development rather than a letdown that the team didn’t go further. The Magic’s players said they intend to build off the experience.

“We won’t be walking into next season’s playoffs and have people questioning our ability to have done it before,” Jonathan Isaac said. “We took a good team to a Game 7 and we’ll be able to have that chip on our shoulder leading into next season.”

“This was a great year,” Cole Anthony added, according to Matt Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “We set goals and accomplished our goals. Was it the outcome that we wanted? Obviously not, but we’ve got to look at the positives. We’ve got to take those and build on top of that for the summer and into next season.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

It was a brutal Game 7 on Sunday for Wagner, who scored just six points on 1-of-15 shooting and missed all five of his three-point attempts. He took the loss hard and said he felt like he “let my team down a little bit,” according to Robbins, but Banchero came to his teammate’s defense. “We’re not here without Franz,” Banchero said (Twitter link via Beede). “… He’s going to have a great summer. He’s going to get better. Just knowing him, I know he’s going to use this to motivate him and take it to another level. I don’t think he let anybody down. Sometimes it happens.”
Armed with a significant chunk of cap room, how can the Magic continue to improve this summer? ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), Mark Deeks of HoopsHype, and Robbins and Danny Leroux of The Athletic each explore that topic, previewing the offseason in Orlando. While adding shooting is a priority, the Magic could also use a facilitator who can create easier shots for Banchero and Wagner, Marks writes. Additionally, the team faces important decisions on the non-guaranteed salaries of Isaac ($17.4MM) and Joe Ingles ($11MM) — letting go of one or both players, perhaps in an effort to try to bring them back at a lower price, would substantially increase Orlando’s cap room.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman didn’t offer many hints about how the team intends to use its cap room this summer, suggesting that it could be used in trades or on draft night as well as in free agency, per Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The goal is to use it “wisely and with future planning in mind,” according to Weltman, who indicated there are at least three cornerstone players Orlando intends to build around. “We don’t want to lose the North Star of our team, which is our three leading scorers (Banchero, Wagner and Jalen Suggs) who are 22 and under,” said Weltman. “A lot of good things happened to our team this year. Now it’s up to us to earn our way into repeating that.”

Cavs’ Jarrett Allen, Magic’s Gary Harris Out For Game 6

May 3rd, 2024 at 5:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen will miss a second consecutive game on Friday due to his right rib contusion, having been ruled out for Game 6 in Orlando, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. According to Fedor, Allen participated in this morning’s shootaround and had hoped to play, but he’s still having trouble lifting his arm, with certain movements causing pain.

“It’s the same thing. It’s his safety, always,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of Allen’s status during his pregame media session. “When you have an injury to your core, your ability to change directions, get out of the way, move freely and play in the trenches like he does. We will always look out for Jarrett.”

Allen dominated the first two games of the series, averaging 16.0 points and 19.0 rebounds in a pair of Cavaliers wins. He put up solid numbers (18.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG) in Games 3 and 4 as well, but Cleveland was outscored by 30 points during his time on the court after outscoring Orlando by 22 during his minutes in the first two games.

The Cavs managed to pull out a victory at home on Tuesday without Allen to take a 3-2 lead in the series, as fellow big man Evan Mobley stepped up to provide 14 points, 13 rebounds, and a game-saving block. He’ll man the middle again on Friday with Allen still on the shelf.

While Isaac Okoro took Allen’s spot in the starting unit in Game 5, it’ll be Marcus Morris who gets the start in Game 6 next to Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Max Strus, according to Fedor.

On the other side of the ball, veteran swingman Gary Harris, who has started the first five games of the first round, will be unavailable due to a right hamstring strain, the team announced (Twitter link).

Harris hasn’t produced big postseason numbers, but Orlando won his minutes in four consecutive contests from Games 2 through 5. He’ll be replaced in the starting lineup by Jonathan Isaac, creating a super-sized frontcourt alongside Wendell Carter, Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner to complement point guard Jalen Suggs.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Isaac, Carter, Suggs

April 26th, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic shot a dismal 34.3% from the floor during their two losses in Cleveland to open their first-round series, then got off to an ominous start on Thursday in Game 3, missing their first eight field goal attempts.

However, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, the shots eventually started falling for Orlando, which ultimately had one of the best offensive playoff performances in team history. The Magic blew out the Cavaliers by a score of 121-83 for their first home playoff win since 2011.

“Give credit to us being home and backed by the fans,” forward Paolo Banchero said. “Starting your first two playoff games on the road in that environment was tough for everybody … Being home just calms you down.”

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, it was a big night for Banchero, one of several young Magic players who are competing in the playoffs for the first time. Last season’s Rookie of the Year racked up a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds in just 29 minutes of action as Orlando ran away with Game 3.

“He’s a winner,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Banchero. “That’s who he is. We challenged them today to go after some more rebounds, and he did it. That’s the thing about him: He’s going to find whatever way necessary to help his team win.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

After starting Jonathan Isaac alongside Banchero and Franz Wagner in the frontcourt in the first two games of the series, Mosley inserted center Wendell Carter in Isaac’s place for Game 3. “You’ve gotta try something new,” Mosley replied before the game when asked about the adjustment (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “You drop two. You’ve gotta change it up.”
The starting lineup change was an effective one. While Carter only had two points and five rebounds on the night, Orlando outscored Cleveland by 19 points in his 25 minutes of action. Banchero credited Carter for helping the Magic control the glass — after being out-rebounded 102-81 in the first two games, Orlando grabbed 51 boards to Cleveland’s 32 in Game 3. “We thought we had been playing pretty good defense but we had been giving up way too many rebounds. We really wanted to put an emphasis on neutralizing their bigs, keeping them off the boards and I think Wendell Carter was a huge part of that,” Banchero said, per Andrews.
Jalen Suggs showed no ill effects from the injury scare he sustained in Game 2. Suggs scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting and was deployed as the primary defender on Donovan Mitchell. He was a +25 in his 28 minutes on the court. “What we did tonight was special,” said Suggs, one of two Magic youngsters – along with Wagner – who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
In an entertaining and in-depth profile for ESPN, Tyler R. Tynes looks at the growth Banchero has shown since being drafted first overall in 2023 and his importance to the organization. “We call him The Franchise because he is The Franchise. We’re just the supporting cast,” Cole Anthony told ESPN. “Man, he had 23 a game for most of the year. And until Wendell got his rebounding up, he was leading our team in every statistical category except steals. That’s what you call a franchise.”

Wolves’ Naz Reid Named Sixth Man Of The Year

April 24th, 2024 at 5:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has been named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023/24 season, the league announced on Wednesday evening (via Twitter).

A former undrafted free agent, Reid averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .477/.414/.736 shooting in 81 games this season (24.2 MPG).

Reid is the first player in Timberwolves franchise history to win the Sixth Man award, per a team press release.

The 24-year-old was a major reason why Minnesota didn’t skip a beat when Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season. The Wolves went 14-6 without Towns and 56-26 overall, good for the No. 3 seed in the West.

The voting was remarkably close (Twitter link via the NBA). In fact, it was the smallest margin between first- and second-place finishers since the current voting format was implemented 21 years ago, according to the league (via Twitter).

Reid finished with 45 first-place votes, 39 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes for a total of 352 points. Runner-up Malik Monk had the exact same number of second- and third-place votes, but finished with two fewer first-place votes for 342 total points.

Kings guard Monk appeared in 72 games this season for Sacramento, all off the bench. He averaged 15.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 5.1 APG on .443/.350/.829 shooting in 26.0 MPG.

Bucks big man Bobby Portis, who finished third in Sixth Man voting last season, finished a distant third again in ’23/24, receiving 81 total points. He averaged 13.8 PPG and 7.4 RPG on .508/.407/.790 shooting without missing a game this season for Milwaukee (24.5 MPG).

Clippers wing Norman Powell (65 points) and Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (40 points) finished fourth and fifth in voting, respectively. No other player received more than three points.

Powell actually received the most third-place votes of any player, but fewer first- and second-place votes than Portis, which is why he finished behind Milwaukee’s forward/center.

Jose Alvarado, Russell Westbrook, T.J. McConnell, Jonathan Isaac, Jaime Jaquez, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bojan Bogdanovic all received at least one vote.

Central Notes: Allen, Lillard, Rivers, Giannis, Pacers

April 23rd, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jarrett Allen has been a dominant force in the Cavaliers’ first two playoff games against the Magic. He’s averaging 16 points in the first-round series, while his 38 total rebounds are just 11 fewer than the 49 Orlando’s entire starting lineup has grabbed, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes. Magic defensive star Jonathan Isaac only played 19 minutes in Game 2 due to Allen’s superiority.

The Cavaliers’ center has drawn extra motivation from his postseason clunker against the Knicks last season.

“He’s a prideful individual,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said. “And I think that the way it happened last year, you could see it’s a motivating thing. I think it goes without saying. I think he’s shown it himself to us all season. I had no doubt that this is who he would be.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Damian Lillard erupted for 35 points in Game 1 of the Bucks’ first-round series against the Pacers. The longtime All-Star guard was itching to get back into the postseason after a two-year absence with Portland, Jamal Collier of ESPN writes. “The last two years not being in the playoffs, it (stunk),” Lillard said. “Early vacations. Last year, I went to Coachella. I ain’t never been able to go to Coachella. Just having that long summer, I was over that. Being able to be in a playoff series on a championship team, championship organization, knowing that we got an opportunity for it, that was the thing I was looking forward to most.”
Lillard and coach Doc Rivers had dinner together last Wednesday, where the main topic of conversation was boxing, not basketball. There’s a strong bond between coach and player, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We’ve connected,” Lillard said. “I’ve always respected how he goes about being a coach. He says what’s unpopular. He’s not afraid to address s–t and I’m a fan of that. I like addressing the elephant in the room, the uncomfortable situations. My family, that’s how it’s always been. That’s how you move past stuff and grow. So I like that that has always been his style. He challenges the best players, in front of everybody. I think that’s how you get the most out of the team.”
Not surprisingly, Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t play in Game 2 this evening, the team tweets. The Bucks superstar had been listed as doubtful due to a calf injury suffered late in the regular season.
The Pacers got a big-time wake-up call in Game 1, scoring a season-low in points against a perennial playoff contender, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. “The first half was embarrassing,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “No excuses. We simply have got to come out better. It was ugly, and we all own it. … They looked like the experienced team. We looked inexperienced. That led to a lot of problems early. You can talk about how different (the playoffs) are, but actually experiencing it is another thing. We were very poor and have to be way better.”

Magic Notes: Chippy Play, Fultz, Game 1 Flop, Lineup, Mosley

April 22nd, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Game 1 between the Magic and Cavaliers had an edge to it and it could get even more chippier as the series goes along, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins opines. Orlando’s Markelle Fultz was assessed a Flagrant-1 foul and the Cavs’ Georges Niang received a technical foul for an altercation during the series opener.

“Either he was going to hit me first or I was going to hit him,” Fultz said. “So, I just took the initiative to body up, not trying to hurt nobody or anything like that but just deliver a hit, make it be known that we’re not soft.”

Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro received a technical foul for shoving Moritz Wagner during another incident.

“We love that stuff,” Magic guard Cole Anthony said. “Especially for us, we’re a hard-nosed team. We want the game to be physical. So, I think that for us that works in our favor.”

We have more on the Magic:

The Magic tried to quickly move on from their 97-83 loss in Game 1, in which they shot a woeful 32.6% from the field. “It’s the first game,” center Wendell Carter said. “We don’t want to overreact to anything. The first game on the road, we got to see what kind of game they want to play. I think we’re good. I thought we did really good defensively. I think offensively we struggled. Holding a team under 100 is always a good defensive outing.”
There will be no changes to the starting lineup for Game 2 tonight, Robbins tweets. Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac will take the court for the opening tip.
In a subscriber-only piece, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel details how Jamahl Mosley‘s methods propelled his team to the postseason, comparing and contrasting him to other recent first time head coaches who flopped on rebuilding teams.