Penny & Pops Podcast - Orlando Magic Basketball

The 2023 preseason concluded with the Orlando Magic going 3-1. The win-loss record doesn’t matter. It’s all about how players looked and any lingering problems with guys on the roster. Is there concern for the rookies? Is everything OK with Paolo Banchero? Should Jalen Suggs be starting over Gary Harris? Head Coach Jamahl Mosley begins an important 3rd season at the helm, and he’ll enter the 2023-...

In a current media atmosphere culture that wants to rank everything, it’s quite difficult to accomplish that in an NBA era where position-less basketball is becoming the norm. However, it is still possible to look at positions such as center. Is Wendell Carter Jr. a top 10 NBA center? Ignore the contract. Because if the contract was factored in, WCJ could be top 5. The Orlando Magic’s 24-year-old...

Media day and training camp are behind us. There are now 4 Orlando Magic preseason games to play before the 2023–2024 regular season begins. Talking about the main 15-man roster. Expectations. What we want to see? Lingering questions. Who starts at SG between Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs? How will Anthony Black and Jett Howard find minutes on the floor? Jonathan Isaac is actually healthy but are th...

Orlando Magic Media Day and training camp begin in two weeks. The team finally revealed their throwback blue stars jerseys. Great to see guys like Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson back in town for that event. Franz and Moritz Wagner are World Champions! They helped lead Germany to winning the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Why winning gold is the biggest basketball moment of their lives. It’s something Dirk...

Team USA took care of Italy in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals. Paolo Banchero got to squash some Italian beef in victory. The reigning Rookie of the Year award winner on Friday next gets to face Franz and Moritz Wagner in the semifinals as Germany remain the only undefeated team in the tournament by surviving and defeating Latvia on Wednesday. It’s what Magic fans were hoping the basketball glob...

Team USA and Paolo Banchero just suffered their first loss at the hands of Lithuania but are still moving onto the quarterfinals. The US also earned their automatic ticket into the 2024 Paris Olympics (as did Canada). We cannot get a Paolo v. Wagner brothers World Cup final, that dream died. The Wagner brothers are 5-0 heading into the quarterfinals knockout stage despite Franz missing the last fo...

A 2023 FIBA World Cup update as all 5 Orlando Magic players advanced into the second phase. Paolo Banchero (USA), Franz and Moritz Wagner (Germany), Joe Ingles (Australia), and Goga Bitadze (Georgia) each are into the second group stage. The tournament has gone from 32 down to 16 teams. Four teams in 4 groups. Each team plays games September 1st and September 3rd. Every Magic player has played wel...

Going over the Orlando Magic’s 2023-2024 NBA schedule that was recently released. The in-season tournament wrinkle. Awful fan road trip opportunities. Then getting into the 2023 FIBA World Cup preview. The tournament is taking place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia August 25-September 10. All games can be watched on ESPN+. The Magic have 5 players participating: Paolo Banchero for Team USA...

Final Summer League thoughts. The Magic brought back Admiral Schofield. Orlando made a curious draft picks trade with the Phoenix Suns. Orlando will be heading to Mexico this season because the Magic on November 9th will play the Atlanta Hawks in Mexico City. The Pascal Siakam rumor is odd. The Magic have 5 players (Paolo Banchero, Franz and Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, and Joe Ingles) participati...

Considering that Joe Ingles was the only new free agent addition to Orlando, it’s been a pretty busy July for Magic fans already. Bol Bol, Michael Carter-Williams, and Admiral Schofield are gone. Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze are back. Our front office is going through some shuffling, and Summer League is ongoing. The Magic again demonstrate promoting from within as John Hammond steps aside. Anth...

Observations from the 2023 NBA Draft Amway Center watch party. It did not go how we wanted it to for the Orlando Magic. We took Anthony Black with the 6th pick, then Jett Howard at 11. We are not happy, and a lot of Magic fans also are unhappy. Cam Whitmore and Taylor Hendricks were available at 6th. The 11th pick had other options like Whitmore, Jordan Hawkins, Dereck Lively, and more. WeltHamm a...

Miami got denied the championship and now it’s NBA Draft week. Last year, the Orlando Magic had the #1 pick, we controlled the board. Now at 6, 11, and 36, on top of figuring out which players you like or which veterans you’d rather trade for, there’s this chess board dance of figuring out what the other teams should or are doing. There are already smokescreens galore. The Magic, because of their...

After an interesting NBA Draft Lottery, we now know the Magic have picks 6, 11, and 36 for the June 22nd 2023 NBA Draft. So no Victor Wembanyama for Orlando. This is where WeltHamm really go to work because there’s a lot of scenarios that can happen. Trade picks for established players, trade up, trade back and accumulate more assets, or they can stay put and use their picks. With the new CBA prom...

The Magic on Tuesday night have a chance to strike gold again in the NBA Draft Lottery with potentially two picks. Two years ago we got a stud in Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs might end up being really good still, last year we landed the #1 pick and took Paolo Banchero, which looks like the right decision by far to date. Now it’s the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Magic could see their 6th-best...

The Magic made it into April still competing for the play-in. This time last week we were still alive in the play-in chase. That’s outstanding player growth considering Orlando is one of the youngest teams in the league. The Magic fell short of the play-in but didn’t tank until the final 3 games, displaying a bright future ahead, and finishing their 34th NBA season 34-48. That’s a 12-game improvem...

The Magic just went 3-0 on this homestand. The math for the play-in isn’t great for Orlando because Chicago, Toronto, and Atlanta keep winning just enough. It’s a 2% chance. That’s OK though, because we’re playing well and we’ll get into April still technically in the play-in hunt. Orlando has won 10 games more than last season already. Win-loss wise, we’re the best 5th-worst team in the last 35 y...

Seeing a lot of the Magic fan base down at the moment. Orlando can’t seem to string a win streak together and we haven’t made up ground in the play-in chase. We’ve lost ground after a disappointing home loss to the Bucks who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday. Jonathan Isaac had another lower body surgical procedure and is out for the rest of the season, and Isaac may never wear a...

We’re just about done with the All-Star Break. Orlando has made some roster changes. The Magic are together again practicing for Thursday’s game. Hope you all took a deep breath, because it’s time for that final 23-game sprint to try and sneak into the play-in. Trade deadline discussion. Mo Bamba to the Lakers. Goga Bitadze signed as a free agent. Terrence Ross and RJ Hampton being waived. Admiral...

The Magic lost an intense home game 102-98 to the New York Knicks. It had playoff vibes. Orlando enters the February 9th NBA Trade Deadline 22-33 and just 3 games out of a play-in spot. We discuss trade rumors, trade machine ideas, and more! Paolo Banchero won Rookie of the Month again, this time for January. Paolo and Franz Wagner were just selected first and second in the Rising Stars draft for...

The Magic lost Wednesday night to the Sixers 105-94. Splitting this two-game series in Philly. At least the Magic again denied 76ers fans free chicken. We were there at the Wells Fargo Center, enjoying awesome seats. If the Magic could buy a 3-pointer, they would’ve taken this game. Jameer Nelson was there. The Markelle Fultz heckler was not. The NBA announced that Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner...

Recorded in a 2-bedroom apartment in the city center of Philadelphia, the Magic just came back from 21 points down to beat the red-hot 76ers in Philly at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers had won 7 consecutive games, 9-1 in their last ten. The Magic ended that. We were there to witness it! We drove to Philly to be there for the week. Markelle Fultz got his revenge with a double-double. Paolo Banc...

The story in January has been simple for the now 18-29 Magic: Play defense and you win. Don’t defend and you’re getting crushed. Keep it 115 points and below and we’re in each game. Let opponents score more than 115 and we’re cooked. The return of Jonathan Isaac may help solve this problem as we’re 1-0 with JI on the floor. We’ve won 8 of our last 11 games at home. 12-12 at home for the season. Se...

Happy New Year, Magic fans. The Magic are 16-26 and only three games out of the play-in. We’ve had a good start to this Western Conference road trip. 2-1 with two more games against Utah and Denver coming. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are a phenomenal duo already, and the basketball world is noticing. We give out resolutions to the Magic roster. #LetsGoMagic Warning: Adult Language

Doing it live after attending the Magic loss against the Lakers. As great as Orlando winning 8 of their last 10 games has been, lacking coaching decisions and massive defensive lapses cannot continue to occur. The Magic are in the play-in hunt, but that won’t last if self-inflicted wounds are not stopped. Also, NBA All-Star voting is occurring. Eddie House and Rafer Alston viewpoints. Plus, more....

After reaching 9 consecutive losses, the Magic find themselves currently on a 3-game winning streak for the first time since February of 2021. So yeah, this team and fan base needed this right now. Better yet, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are so far looking like the best players in their respected draft classes. Watching a Magic game in an Amway Center suite. Plus, Orlando Magic traditions. Bot...