Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. discuss how Orlando’s inconsistent performance has hindered its season and what it needs to do to become competitive heading towards the play-in tournament. Check out the full conversation on “The Dunker Spot and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Where are you at with the Orlando Magic right now?
Like, is this a team that can turn it around?
Are they just kind of middling and we just need to get to some changes in the off-season?
Like, what end of the spectrum do you find yourself on with this group?
I mean, I think Orlando has always been a dark horse type candidate if they could put themselves in the right position.
And, and, and for me, part of that is just getting into the playoff mix, and they’re right there.
Them and Philly, they could knock on the door.
I think for me with Orlando, the issue is the defense can’t be what it is.
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And I think they’re like fifteenth in defensive rating, in the calendar year of twenty-twenty six according to nba.com.
That’s not part of the formula.
It’s not horrible, but they have to kinda be an elite defense.
If you’re not gonna be that same elite defense, your offense can’t be twenty-second.
And so they have not necessarily- Mm-hmm found what they need to be themselves.
I think it’s in them.
They have size, they have length, they have defensive mindset.
They’ve, attempted things offensively, but are they playing with the same belief?
Are they playing with the same moxy offensively?
Do they How many guys are playing with confidence right now?
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How many guys are going right now?
And so yes, I could probably theorize they’re not g- they would not be a fun team to play in the playoffs, but they’ve gotta start playing some quality basketball to put themselves in position to be there and, and, and be able to use Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner if they can get healthy and, Desmond Bane get downhill, ’cause we’ve seen positive things from the Magic.
Unfortunately, we have not seen anything that looks like consistency, and you don’t know which- Mm-hmm part is really the solve, right?
I think for me it’s always been, okay, when they defend, everything looks a lot better.
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Especially ’cause you- Mm-hmm have this year from Anthony Black.
Jalen Suggs has decided, to become stone cold.
Like, there are things that are positive for Orlando.
The issue is, like, y- you don’t know what it’s gonna be every night, and that, that’s probably something that has to change.
You know, they’ve gotta figure out a way to, to turn this thing around, and they gotta do it quick.
Yeah.
Like, the thing that I settled on with the Orlando Magic as I was getting notes together and, like, doing my general walk around the apartment, talk to myself, clear my thoughts kinda thing, is like, when I’m watching Magic games, like, I wish I had a stronger sense of what they were attempting to do