“ I trusted Joe to make that shot. I thought it was going to fit. It looked good, but it came out. » Paolo Banchero does not regret having served his veteran Joe Ingles, to sign the winning shot at the buzzer on the Grizzlies floor. A good shot that ended up rolling around the rim, but didn't go in.
The Magic lost by a small point, but Jamahl Mosley prefers to recall that the game was not decided on this last possession. But on all the details which punctuated the game.
However, this defeat, against a team that is extremely weakened and struggling on its floor, is a bad operation from an accounting standpoint: the Magic's fourth defeat in their last five games. At the end of December, the Floridians still had an excellent record of 19 wins and 12 losses.
The Magic today only have one more victory above 50%: 23 victories for 22 defeats and are in 8th place in the East. How to get back on track?
We need to come together as much as possible, improve communication, increase intensity and become a united group again. This is the point in the season where a lot of guys, myself included, start to feel like they're struggling “, do not hide Paolo Banchero at the end of this meeting.
In January, the power forward maintained his performance displayed in December with an average of 25 points, but his percentage fell again: less than 42% success, and only 33% behind the arc.
The symbol of a team whose attack is suffering (25th attack with 110.3 points over 100 possessions) and which is conceding more points than at the start of the season.
“ We have to fight, push, come together as a group and be there for each other, support each other. We did it today, that's why we came back (on score), but we waited too long. It hurts, but it'll be okay. We need to stick together and raise the level of intensity », Asks Paolo Banchero whose team hosts the Suns next night, before going away (Mavs, Spurs, Wolves, Pistons and Heat).
| Paolo Banchero | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | ENT | 72 | 34 | 42.7 | 29.8 | 73.8 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2023-24 | ENT | 45 | 35 | 44.9 | 34.8 | 70.1 | 1.2 | 5.8 | 7.0 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 22.6 |
| Total | 117 | 34 | 43.6 | 31.8 | 72.4 | 1.2 | 5.8 | 6.9 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 21.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
