Penny & Pops Podcast - Orlando Magic Basketball

To follow up their 7-game win streak, the Magic just endured a brutal 0-4 week. At 38-32, Orlando is as close to the East’s 10th seed as the 5th seed. And there’s still no Franz Wagner or Anthony Black in sight. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

We’re witnessing another good reminder about how much can change during a lengthy 82-game season: Despite all of the injuries, Orlando is currently 38-28, on a 7-game win streak (their longest since November 2023), and owners of the East’s fifth seed in the very crowded standings race. There is no schedule relief in sight as the Magic are accomplishing all of this without the likes of Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. And we’re 2 games back 4th seeded Cleveland. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

As tumultuous of a season that it’s been, don’t look now but the Magic are 35-28 and have won ten of their last fourteen games. Orlando is the 6th seed again, still navigating injuries and waiting on a Franz Wagner update, but the squad are displaying a pulse. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The 31-26 Magic showed some fight finally without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, going 3-1 on their West trip. Orlando did it the hard way, but the stage is set for a crucial 4-game homestand. Franz Wagner being out indefinitely is obviously a huge concern. Jevon Carter is bringing energy. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

I’m seeing some apathetic energy from Magic players. Seeing apathy from Magic fans as a result. And I can’t blame folks for feeling that way. Jamahl Mosley and Jeff Weltman still have their jobs. We’re 28-25 with no signs of the rest of the season improving. Jase Richardson had a painful All-Star weekend dunk contest performance that is fully representative of this 2025-2026 Magic season. Also, FanDuel Sports Network is dead and Magic games will be on a different broadcast plan next season. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It’s not often the 27-24 Magic win two consecutive games and yet the viewpoint of the team is as abysmal as if they’d lost those. We beat a depleted Nets squad, and a Jazz team heavily tanking in the fourth quarter. The same Orlando problems exist and all we did at the trade deadline was attach two 2nd round picks to Tyus Jones and jettison him to Charlotte so we could get under the luxury tax. This franchise has major flaws. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Do something, Jeff Weltman. I’ve got my stick out and I’m poking. I laid out the Magic’s trade landscape last episode. Now it’s up to the Orlando front office to get off their hands. This team is not the title contender they should be currently. Beyond needing to move on from Jamahl Mosley, Jeff also has to make 1, 2, maybe 3 moves by this February 5th trade deadline to shed salary and still improve this team. This ownership group shouldn’t be paying a luxury tax for this mediocre product because there are team building roster penalties for being repeatedly in the luxury tax. Get under that tax, Jeff. That we have to question if these moves will even happen speaks volumes for the lack of confidence in proper decision-making actually occurring. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Getting a bit of 2016 Déjà vu where our season fell apart after losing to Toronto in London. There is no parachute for this current 23-21 Magic team. Jamahl Mosley is on the ropes. Jeff Weltman may be gone in a few months. We have no first round draft pick this summer. Whatever players are on the Magic after the February 5th trade deadline are going to have to drag us out of this mess. I’m focusing this episode on the center and guard market, but I have not trust in the front office to take action. It’s going to take multiple drastic changes to turn the season around: Roster moves, actual coaching, and the players being willing to come together and give a damn. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

For as great as the Magic’s victory and experience in Berlin, Germany was, familiar problems showed up in the United Kingdom and led to a blowout loss in London. Orlando comes back stateside 23-19 with this being the second half of our season and the NBA just two and a half weeks until the trade deadline. How long will the inconsistencies be tolerated? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic beat New Orleans on Sunday and are off to Europe to play their Berlin and London games. But Orlando is just 22-18 and still has not won consecutive games since December 1st. It is a challenge playing well without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Paolo Banchero is receiving heavy criticism like never before. We got Moritz Wagner back after over a year absent, but the team has issues with its roster and from a coaching and focus perspective. It’s January, but are there already signs Jeff Weltman and Jamahl Mosley won’t be here next season? In not extending Weltman’s contract beyond this season, and with fan frustration that Mosley can’t coach a contender and Paolo’s overall regression so far this season, are the DeVos family already planning on a new President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

We’re in 2026. Happy New Year. The Magic are 20-16 after beating the Pacers on Sunday afternoon. We’re 6th in the East, should be top 3. But Jalen Suggs got hurt again, the Wagner brothers have not returned yet, and we’ve had focus issues. Particularly in 4th quarters of late. Defense and rebounding have been slipping. We’re in the dregs of the schedule, can Orlando put a large amount of victories together in this stretch? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It wasn’t pretty, but the now 17-13 Magic survived their 2-2 West trip. The team gets to fly back to Orlando for Christmas. It’s time to get bodies back and start racking up wins. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

In what was an entertaining NBA Cup semifinal matchup with the Knicks in Las Vegas, injuries ended up being the larger topic as the Magic bow out of the Cup, losing 132-120. Orlando gets four days off to heal, practice, and prepare for their 4-game West road trip that begins in Denver on Thursday. But before that, December 15th is here. That means teams can start transacting players who signed contracts this offseason. Jeff Weltman has obvious opportunities now to improve his 15-11 squad. Will he send out guys like Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, and Tyus Jones, or will he sit on his hands again? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

It looked grim early Tuesday night when you go down 15-0 to open the game, but the Magic recovered and beat the Miami Heat again to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday. Desmond Bane loves 37-point performances. Orlando is off to Las Vegas for another meeting with the Knicks, two teams who have never here before. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The 14-10 Magic received fantastic news about Franz Wagner’s leg injury. He only has a high left ankle sprain. Predicted timetable is Franz will be out 2-to-4 weeks, but that’s way better than had he suffered serious knee damage. Orlando’s focus quickly shifts to a Tuesday 6 pm NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup with Miami at Kia Center on Prime Video. Winner gets to Las Vegas for Saturday’s semifinals. Can Paolo Banchero get back into elite form and lead the way to victory? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

After missing ten games with his strained groin injury, Paolo Banchero returned at an ideal time: When Orlando was starting to waiver in its play. P5 is back, he helped us beat the Heat for the second time this season. Orlando is now 14-9 and 4th place in the East with two more big conference games coming up at the Knicks inside Madison Square Garden and then back home for an NBA Cup quarterfinal against Miami. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic claimed two huge Thanksgiving week NBA Cup road wins. Two signature performances from Anthony Black and Desmond Bane. Orlando is 12-8 on the season, we won East Group B with a 4-0 record. The path to Las Vegas goes through Kia Center as we’ll be hosting Miami for a December 9th quarterfinal. Until then, just keep finding ways to win while Paolo Banchero is still out. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Magic are 10-8 as we had a great Orlando homestand. And then we ran into a tough second night of a back-to-back in Boston where Jalen Suggs again sits out. You still don’t have Paolo or Moritz. You lose the services of both your centers Wendell and Goga right before tip. You have little paint resistance that the Celtics take advantage of all Sunday night. You’re down big much of the game, only for Jamahl Mosley to not bring back Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Tristan da Silva, or Anthony Black when you could’ve completed the comeback midway through the fourth quarter. While you’re encouraged by the performances of Jett, Jase, and Noah, we should’ve won this game in Boston. But our coaching staff punted it. Overall, we’re in a decent spot than where we were a few weeks ago, but you don’t concede winnable games. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

The Orlando Magic are 7-7 after a heartbreaking loss in Houston without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. We ran out of gas and couldn’t hit enough free throws and 3s down the stretch of regulation and overtime. We’re 2-0 in Cup play at least. Worrying about groin injuries has replaced worrying about oblique tears. Even though we’re overall playing better, we badly need a truly healthy Paolo back. All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Orlando loses another home game and falls to Boston 111-107 on Sunday. We’re now 4-6 ten games into the season. We should have 2 losses, instead we’re at six. We’re 11th in the East standings. We’ve got problems. We have a broken home game experience at Kia Center. There is no home court advantage without Paul Porter. Our crowd put up very little fight…again. Because with have a PA Announcer that does not engage the fans. The Magic also are 1-0 in NBA Cup play after Penny and I sat in 110A on Friday night and watched our team beat the Celtics 123-110. Only Detroit is undefeated with us in East Group B. Point differential matters, we’re +13, Pistons are +18 after they beat Brooklyn. Friday night was the start of 7 of 9 games at home. And you give back Friday’s win by handing Boston this Sunday game. There are long ugly stretches in our offensive and defensive game. Yes, you can see our guys navigating and trying to figure it out. We had an effort problem tonight in the fourth. We weren’t even playing the Celtics these two games, we’re playing chess with ourselves. Can we master our style of play or will Jamahl Mosley become a casualty first? All of that and more! #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language