Penny & Pops Podcast - Orlando Magic Basketball

Paolo Banchero just dropped the first Orlando Magic 50-point game since Tracy McGrady did it in 2004. Two decades. P5 added 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 made triples to a historic stat line that saw the Magic beat the Indiana Pacers to improve to 3-1 on the young 2024-2025 season. It was an honor to see this game in person.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

Warning: Adult Language

We made it through preseason 1-2. The real deal starts Wednesday in Miami. Which means, this is our 2024-2025 Orlando Magic season predictions episode. We also finally got the news about Jalen Suggs’ contract extension. Happy New Year, Magic fans.

Orlando will have more than 1.5 All-Stars? Orlando will have more than 1.5 All-Defense guys? Paolo makes an All-NBA Team? Magic will win more than 47.5 games? Orlando will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs? Orlando will win its first playoff series since 2010?

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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We got through Hurricane Milton. Some more unscathed than others. Wendell Carter Jr. got his contract extension. Still waiting to see if Jalen Suggs gets his. And considering the Magic have had one preseason game canceled, and this final prep game against the Sixers coming up on Friday won’t have Joel Embiid or Paul George, it really feels like we haven’t had a true exhibition season. That’s where that ‘iron sharpen iron’ phrase gets thrown around. Because we’re hoping these internal Magic practices will be enough to have us ready opening night in Miami. Vince Carter got inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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We’ve got Hurricane Milton approaching to heavily impact central Florida. For Orlando, this might be worse than Charley in 2004. This coming shortly after Helene wrecked the west coast of Florida, the Big Bend, Georgia and the western Carolinas. Orlando Magic Media Day was last Monday, got through a week of training camp healthy, and this afternoon the Magic were in New Orleans for the first of their 4 preseason games.

Wendell Carter Jr. sprained his ankle. Jalen Suggs struggled at point guard. Anthony Black, Cole Anthony and the rest of the bench were very uplifting. Paolo Banchero is still looking like our star.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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Been away for over a month and a half. In that time: Germany lost the Olympic semifinal and bronze medal games, the NBA schedule dropped, there’s a new ‘Make It Magic’ team slogan, our new and bad city jersey was leaked, and we’ve signed some guys to Exhibit 10 training camp deals.

The offseason is over. Media day is Monday September 30th, training camp is Tuesday October 1st. With expectations come some concerns entering this 2024-2025 Orlando Magic campaign.

What does Franz Wagner’s 3-pointer look like with 6 weeks off? Can he continue to be better even if his 3 is still not falling? Can Moritz Wagner still be a consistent double digit scorer without Joe Ingles? Is Jalen Suggs going to get his contract extension? How will he play without it?

Can he play PG? Will KCP’s shooting carry over to Orlando? Who are the 9th and 10th guys on the team? Will there be that moment in preseason, where we watch this team and go: ‘We’re going to be better than expected’? Who gets the two remaining 2-way spots?

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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Germany got off to a rough start in their 2024 Paris Olympics quarterfinal matchup with Greece. They don’t win that game without Moritz Wagner’s bench energy and Franz Wagner’s great second half. Germany are on their way to Thursday’s semifinals to face FIBA Evan Fournier, Victor Wembanyama and a rejuvenated France team.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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We’re into the month of August. Magic training camp is September 30th, so we’re not too far away from that. Hopefully you’re watching and enjoying these Paris Olympics to help make the time pass. A lot of electric events already. We are of course on Wagner Watch. Germany went 3-0 in Group B play, taking down Japan, Brazil, and the hyped up hosts France. Franz Wagner is the second highest scorer behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo in this tournament so far. Germany are into the knockout stage now with a Tuesday quarterfinal meeting with Greece. A EuroBasket 2022 rematch.

Tyus Jones, Anfernee Simons trade rumors, Chuma Okeke finds a new team, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, how Franz and Mo Wagner have performed so far.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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Wagner Watch 2024. Franz and Mo are again with the German men’s basketball national team. This time at the Paris Olympics. They’re our only current 2 Magic players participating in this two-week tourney. Two years ago Germany won bronze at EuroBasket in Germany. Last year they upset the U.S. on their way to winning gold in the Philippines at the World Cup. Now, they’re looking for more hardware at these summer Olympic games in France.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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A lot has happened over the past month. The Magic drafted Tristan da Silva who looked great at Vegas Summer League. Orlando signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Nuggets. We re-signed a lot of our own guys, but we sadly let Joe Ingles and Markelle Fultz go. Franz Wagner rightfully got a max rookie contract extension. With that said, Jeff Weltman has been very conservative this summer. We didn’t address two of our 3 needs (we’ve got more shooting, but we don’t have a point guard, and we don’t have a rim running shot blocking center or a better rebounder).

There is valid concern that there’s a possibility the Magic take a step back. Other teams in the East got better, while it’s not certain that Orlando did as well. It’s likely, but it’s not certain that the Magic are better. Once Boston kept everyone to try and repeat as champs, it became evident that Jeff Weltman was probably going to slow-play this coming 2024-2025 season and depend on internal growth again. But we have flaws, and after winning 47 games, opponents are going to be even more focused against the Magic moving forward.

The patriarch of the Magic, Pat Williams passed. Words do not do justice what he meant to Orlando.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

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It’s Draft week. June 26th and 27th. Then on June 30th free agency begins. As expected, there’s a lot of chatter but no certainty about what’s going to happen from an Orlando Magic perspective. Could Goga Bitadze be returning? Could the Magic actually use both of their draft picks?

Klay Thompson, Paul George, Malik Monk, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez get discussed.

All of that and more!

#LetsGoMagic

Warning: Adult Language