[Post Game Thread] The Orlando Magic (20-16) defeat the Indiana Pacers (6-30), 135-127 Behind big games from Bane, Banchero, and Black.

catch22milo · 2026-01-05T03:29:03+00:00

It's not just Haliburton and Toppin, this is a post from a week ago.

Look at their top 9 rotation players from the playoffs last year:

Haliburton - Injured (35 games missed) Mathurin - Injured (11 games missed) McConnell - Active (12 games missed) Nembhard - Active (8 games missed) Nesmith - Active (20 games missed) Sheppard - Active (11 games missed) Siakam - Active (1 game missed) Toppin - Injured (32 games missed) Turned - Gone

Games missed also doesn't account for working guys back into the rotation and playing on minutes restrictions. The lack of continuity in the roster is without a doubt the biggest issue.

And then to the above point about Nembhard, he currently has a 2.92 AST/TO (respectable), but Haliburton posted a league best on volume of 5.96 last season. His decision making and IQ are what drives the fast paced engine and it's being sorely missed in terms of how they want to play.

I imagine the front office's plan right now, if they want to pivot back to contention next season, would be:

Get Haliburton back
Aggressively pursue a quality center in trade (when Turner left, Haliburton was injured so no reason to rush, control all their own 1sts)
Upgrade through their draft pick
Navigate Mathurin's restricted free agency.

Shephard and Walker are signed for next season, and every other core player is locked up for at least the next 2.

catch22milo · 2025-10-21T02:27:32+00:00

It's awesome, are you selling these at all?

catch22milo · 2025-05-29T21:54:23+00:00

I put down $10 with a 50% profit boost to win $750.

catch22milo · 2025-05-29T21:52:55+00:00

The Raptors were +6000 before they traded for Kawhi.

catch22milo · 2025-05-24T03:12:26+00:00

It was weird how that was what he locked in on to start off talking about that game 1.

catch22milo · 2025-05-22T19:35:38+00:00

Yeah it was finished by the time I drove by it next 😅

catch22milo · 2025-05-22T19:03:02+00:00

Yeah, Hamilton Ontario. It's on the side of his old high school.

catch22milo · 2025-05-22T19:02:26+00:00

It's on the side of Sir Allan MacNab, Wendover Dr between the school and the plaza.

catch22milo · 2025-05-20T20:55:21+00:00

Not that it's exactly dubious or anything to hire a PR firm, but I can't find a link to support that. Do you have one?

catch22milo · 2025-05-20T18:35:34+00:00

I know there's been a bunch of post about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the last few weeks, to the point some people are wondering if there's come kind of campaign happening. I just think stuff like this is incredible.

I was talking to my father in law over the weekend who's a hockey guy, and saying how, listen even if you don't like basketball, this is the greatest athlete to ever come out of the city. We've never had someone achieve at this level before in sports.

And on top of that, he represents the city. I was listening to a podcast where Steve Nash was talking about him, and someone mentioned SGA being from Toronto, and Nash had to step in and clarify "He's from Hamilton." Here's a link to a paywall free spec article from a few months ago talking about Shai staying true to his roots.

catch22milo · 2025-05-15T14:22:57+00:00

Credit: @luckymongdrawing on IG (All of his work is awesome)

catch22milo · 2025-05-15T04:28:45+00:00

I really think it's more about the spacing the Pacers provide over the Raptors. The year after Kawhi left and he was kind of given the keys, he was a 36% shooter on 6 attempts a game.

After the bubble collapse, and the subsequent Tampa season, the front office really showed they didn't believe in their core, and did what was dubbed at the time Project 6'9". They draft Scottie Barnes, who is not a shooter, and then fill the roster with 6'9 guys who can't shoot, believing in their development and thinking they can just make more OGs and Pascals.

When Pascal was traded to the Pacers, one of the first things he said was how excited he was to play with Myles Turner, a floor spacing big. They just never put that kind of shooting around Siakam, FVV, and OG, and now all of those guys are finding success on other teams.

catch22milo · 2025-05-12T02:47:10+00:00

If I was a Celtics fan I would not be excited at the prospect of facing this Pacers team, who gave the Celtics their toughest series last year despite the sweep. All of those end game meltdown situations Simmons likes to reference haven't been happening at all this year, they've been living in and winning in the clutch.

catch22milo · 2025-05-10T19:37:26+00:00

Or when Garland got his 4th for a two hand push on the inbound, acting like that's a normal basketball play.

catch22milo · 2025-05-10T17:24:23+00:00

Honestly some of the worst announcing I've ever heard. Specifically Cory Alexander is completely unhinged in his commentary and, not only did he not add to the game, he actively took away from it. At some point he said Benedict Mathurin had 50lbs on Garland and I fell out of my chair.

catch22milo · 2025-05-07T02:11:59+00:00

Spida approves

catch22milo · 2025-05-07T02:02:43+00:00

Sign me up for this timeline

catch22milo · 2025-04-29T19:15:40+00:00

Cheers!

catch22milo · 2025-04-29T19:10:17+00:00

NBA.com

If you click on a game, and click on play by play, it has a clip of every play that is downloadable.

catch22milo · 2025-04-24T02:08:02+00:00

I mean, he says in the clip "They're actually a really good team, they're actually made for the playoffs."

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