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- Season Series: Magic 111, Pistons 100 in Orlando on Nov. 23; Tonight in Detroit; Jan. 25 in Orlando
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Detroit | |
|---|---|---|
97.3 | Pace | 99.3 |
109.0 | Off. Rtg. | 111.6 |
106.3 | Def. Rtg. | 114.5 |
51.5 | eFG% | 54.2 |
30.4 | O.Reb.% | 29.9 |
15.9 | TO% | 15.7 |
27.4 | FTR | 23.0 |
3. Turnover New Years Resolution
Before the Orlando Magic left for their two-game road trip, coach Jamahl Mosley was asked if his team had any New Year resolutions he wanted to share. With his beaming smile, he said: To reduce turnovers.
That has been the Magic's biggest weakness throughout the season and remains the biggest thing that could derail the Magic in any game. Even against teams that are considered at the bottom of the standings.
Orlando ranks 22nd in the league with a 15.9 percent turnover rate. Since Franz Wagner's injury, the Magic are 28th with a 17.0 percent turnover rate.
Look no further than Sunday's win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Magic had 11 turnovers in the first half but just two in the second half—and none in the fourth quarter as they made their comeback. How well Orlando plays likely depends on how well they can protect the ball. The Magic need to maximize their offensive possessions as much as possible.
2. All-Star Cade
The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic began their rebuilds at roughly the same time. The Pistons even got their No. 1 pick and star player in place before the Magic.
The two rebuilds have gone in different directions for a number of reasons—poor management and a lack of organizational overall vision, poor coaching hires and injuries. The Pistons have not been able to get themselves straight.
Their revival this year—and it is a relative revival—has made the Pistons are far more competitive team. They are in the Play-In race in the Eastern Conference as the calendar turns to January 2025. And a lot of that is because Cade Cunningham is healthy and playing like an All-Star.
Cunningham is averaging 24.0 points per game and 9.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from three. The Pistons are not just about Cade Cunningham—they have gotten some strong play from Jaden Ivey too. But he is their engine and most dangerous player.
The Pistons finally have some direction. And Cunningham's health has helped in that regard.
1. Hunt for a rotation
The Orlando Magic are piecing together their roster and their lineups seemingly every game. And that is what happens when a team is so devastatingly injured. The Magic are trying to figure out who plays what role every game.
Sunday saw the Magic go to a lineup of Trevelin Queen, Gary Harris, Jett Howard, Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter. It did not work with Queen turning it over three times. Trevelin Queen and Jett Howard sat in the second half so Cole Anthony and Caleb Houstan could play. That worked out in the second half.
Coach Jamahl Mosley is in a tough spot. He has to change and adjust his rotation plans in real time because reliability is the issue the deeper you go into the bench. Throwing in Anthony can sometimes feel like a risk because he is so turnover-prone. There are a lot of players that need a quick hook and quick adjustments.
By the same token, the Magic do not have many options to go to. Orlando needs its reliable starter-level players like Goga Bitadze, Wendell Carter, Jalen Suggs, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to be more reliable and consistent to settle things down.
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Paolo Banchero - OUT (Return to Competition Conditioning)
- Franz Wagner - OUT (Torn Right Oblique)
- Jalen Suggs - PROBABLE (Right Wrist Sprain)
- Anthony Black - QUESTIONABLE (Low Back Contusion)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Torn Left ACL)
- Mac McClung - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Detroit Pistons Injury Report
- Cade Cunningham - PROBABLE (Left Knee Tendinopathy)
- Simone Fontecchio - OUT (Personal Reasons)
- Bobi Klintman - OUT (G-League On Assignment)
- Cole Swider - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Alondes Williams - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Daniss Jenkins - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Lineups
Orlando | Detroit | |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Suggs | PG | Cade Cunningham |
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | Jaden Ivey |
Tristan da Silva | SF | Tim Hardaway Jr. |
Wendell Carter | PF | Tobias Harris |
Goga Bitadze | C | Jalen Duren |
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons: Prediction
Our Record: 22-12/14-20 ATS
The Orlando Magic have had time at home to figure themselves out since Franz Wagner's injury. The Magic just finished a seven-game homestand and have played eight of the nine games since Wagner's injury at the Kia Center.
Orlando went 4-5 in those games. Three of those games required rallies from 15-points or more. The home crowd was a noticeable push for the Magic to get over the top in those games. The Magic still have to prove themselves on the road. And they are on shaky footing in many ways, especially on offense.
The Magic will have to show their resolve on the road. They will be able to fight. The question is: What happens if they fall too far behind?
The Detroit Pistons are not the Pistons of the last few years. They won three of four games on a West Coast trip, losing only to the Denver Nuggets in the finale. They have won five of the last eight games.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has them playing some solid offense even with the youthful mistakes the Pistons still tend to make. There are far more adults in the room.
The Magic's defense will give them problems. Orlando will have to lean on that defense even more. The question is whether the Magic have enough health and offense to stick with the Pistons in this one. It will not be an easy game for an Orlando team that has struggled to score even at home.