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NEWS: Coach Jamahl Mosley’s Heartfelt Admission of Poor Performance
In a loss to the Charlotte Hornets, coach Jamahl Mosley accepted full responsibility for the Orlando Magic’s subpar start. However, the disaster on Friday was long overdue, with dismal first quarters piling up.
Jamahl Mosley, the Orlando Magic’s coach, took a seat at the news conference table after his team lost to the Charlotte Hornets 124-115 and placed the blame on himself. He said that his team wasn’t ready to play right away.
They lacked the defensive fervor and ferocity that have come to characterize them. That is his fault and something he needs to fix. “Everything. vigor. But that’s on me,” Mosley remarked following the defeat on Friday.
“I need to do a better job of preparing them for the team they will be facing, as they defeated a formidable basketball team the previous week and have experience playing close games. I need to perform better.
After such a depressing and disappointing loss at this juncture in the season, there was a lot to blame and a lot to explain.
Other way to interpret a 38-23 first quarter against a Hornets squad that is currently 19 wins? a squad that the Magic had easily beaten in their three prior meetings.
What other explanation is there for the Magic’s performance, which was so unlike them overall and which mirrored their lackluster win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday?
What other explanation is there for allowing Brandon Miller to get hot early on, as he scored 19 of his 32 points in the first quarter, going perfect 10 for 10 from the field and 5 for 5 from three in the first half to put the Magic behind by as much as 18 points and pose a challenging uphill climb for the remainder of the game?
If the Hornets are shooting 59.7 percent from the field and going 15 for 30 from three, then what other explanation is there for why they are scoring the most points against the Orlando Magic since their defeat by the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the All-Star Break?
Teams do indeed have bad days. Certainly, rivals have successful shooting days. That might be related in some way. The Magic managed to go back within four, but they were out of gas.
They missed several opportunities to take the lead, gave up big baskets, and allowed the Hornets to take the lead again. The Hornets started strong and never gave up on their shooting. The entire journey turned into an incline that the Magic was never able to conquer.
It hurts in the first quarter. Pun intended. And this Magic team has been hurt by it for a long time. The Magic need to address the root of their problems.
And that is where it all begins. Just as it disastrously proved to be on Friday night. Following the defeat on Friday, Paolo Banchero remarked, “That’s something we all have to look at.”
“At this point, I really can’t offer you a reason. Without examining it, I believe that it’s mostly an intensity issue.”
At this point in the season, these are not questions that anyone wants to ask. However, it is a question that must be posed.
Since the All-Star Break, the Magic’s starting lineup has been among the best in the NBA. With an outstanding 103.5 defensive rating and an offensive rating of 113.4, the team has an overall net rating of +9.8 points per 100 possessions.
The Magic have a strong mix of inside players who can put pressure on the basket and outside shooters thanks to Gary Harris and their core group of four guys. There’s no reason to abandon it because it has proven effective.
However, and this is always a but with a statement like as that, the Magic have been operating from a disadvantage.
They have been using their depth to gain ground in games. They seem to be adjusting to the game and finding a method to attack to blast games open, as they have been overwhelming teams in the third quarter.
In the first quarter of games, that same starting five had a -5.4 net rating with a 103.9 offensive rating and a 109.3 defensive rating. In the third quarter, their point differential is +14.9 per 100 possessions.
If Friday’s first quarter seemed uncannily similar, it’s because it has for some time. Seven of the Magic’s last eight games have ended in a loss in the first quarter.
None were worse than the 15-point deficit that existed at the end of the first quarter on Friday. However, it seemed more like the squad was finally exacting revenge for their tardiness in leaving the field.
The Magic’s defense failed to keep the game close, and their bench failed to come to their aid. “Wrong beginning. Too many errors in judgment. Points of transition. Insufficiently physical. Simply put, that wasn’t our style of basketball for the entire 48 minutes, Markelle Fultz said following Friday’s defeat.
“We attempted to make up for our early injuries. That is not acceptable in our league. You must respect your opponent and play the entire 48 minutes, regardless of who you are against.”
The Magic have enough talent left to bounce back from their disappointing first quarter. This season, they have repeatedly demonstrated that. The Magic are optimistic that despite experiencing multiple setbacks this season, they will bounce back.
However, early losses are a formidable obstacle. In the Playoffs, they grow even more. Indeed, that’s where the Magic have their sights set. The squad has to be more accurate in their execution and shot selection as a result of that early deficit.
Paolo Banchero ends up needing to push his offensive more as a result; he finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, but it took him 26 shots and 10 makes (11 of 12 from the line) to get there.
It enlarges the feeling of every miss (the Magic were a strong 22 for 26 from the field) and every turnover (10 of them for 17 points). In short, a deficit just gives the impression that there is less room for error.
Making up ground becomes even more difficult as a result. Orlando led by six early in the third quarter, but they lost by a 10-1 run to trail by 15. The club trailed a 10-0 run after cutting the lead to four early in the fourth quarter.
It is much more difficult to win when you play from behind. Furthermore, this isn’t even a playoff team. “Knowing what teams are doing at this point in the season, we approach and come out with the approach of the game,” Mosley remarked following Friday’s defeat.
“Whether they are above .500, sub-.500, playoff team, we’ve got to continue to come out with a level of focus and intentionality to what it is we’re doing.”
The Magic cannot get away with the same things during the postseason that they could during the regular season. The Magic simply must do better in the opening quarter. For the team, it has been an ongoing issue.
