Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero
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Paolo Banchero didn’t mince words after Orlando’s loss. Chemistry, alignment, and urgency are now the focus.
The Orlando Magic returned home with rest, perspective, and momentum still within reach. What followed instead was one of their most troubling performances of the season.
Despite three days off after their two-game international series against Memphis in Berlin and London, the Magic were blown out 124-97 by the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night at Kia Center. Orlando fell behind 35-20 in the opening quarter and never recovered, delivering a flat, low-energy showing that raised renewed concerns about effort, cohesion, and internal alignment.
Charlotte controlled the game early and throughout. The Hornets won the rebounding battle 54-37, outscored Orlando 50-36 in the paint, and dominated second-chance points 16-2. Those margins reflected more than schematic issues. They pointed to a team that was consistently a step behind.
LaMelo Ball, back in the starting lineup after a disastrous shooting night against Cleveland earlier in the week, steadied Charlotte with 16 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. The Hornets never needed a takeover performance. Orlando never forced one.
Short-Handed Rotation, Familiar Energy Issues
Orlando entered the night without two core rotation pieces. Point guard Jalen Suggs missed his 10th straight game with an MCL sprain, and Franz Wagner was a late scratch due to left ankle soreness, the same ankle that sidelined him for over a month earlier this season.
While injuries have been a constant storyline, the Magic’s issues Thursday went beyond availability. Orlando struggled to generate physicality, lost rebounding battles at both ends, and failed to establish the defensive edge that defined last season’s identity.
That drop-off has been measurable. After finishing second in defensive rating last season, Orlando now sits 13th. The slippage has coincided with inconsistent communication and uneven buy-in, especially during stretches where effort has to compensate for missing personnel.
Banchero Sounds Alarm on Alignment
After the game, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero addressed the disconnect head-on. His tone was candid, and his message was direct.
“It’s on everybody. It’s on me. It’s on everyone on the team. Coaches,” Banchero told reporters in the postgame press conference. “We’ve got to be on the same page. It sucks that I’m saying that in January but that’s the reality. I don’t think we’ve been on the same page much of this year. I just think it’s showing up with the way we’ve played, showing up with the inconsistencies throughout the season, and it’s frustrating. Guys in the locker room, we want to win. But [as] I said, you can’t just say you want to win without doing anything to make it happen.”
Banchero finished with a game-high 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. His production wasn’t the issue. The lack of collective response was.
Offensive Progress, Defensive Identity in Question
Ironically, Orlando’s offensive growth has been real. Even amid injuries and lineup disruption, the Magic rank 18th in offensive rating, top-20 territory they haven’t reached since the 2011-12 season.
That improvement was a primary goal behind the team’s aggressive offseason move to acquire Desmond Bane. Yet the trade was designed to elevate a foundation built on defense, not replace it.
Right now, the balance is off. Orlando has improved its scoring profile but lost the edge that once anchored its consistency. The result has been a season defined by peaks and valleys rather than sustained momentum.
Despite everything, Orlando remains seventh in the Eastern Conference at 23–20, just one game behind Cleveland and Philadelphia. The margin for error, however, is shrinking.
If the Magic are going to steady their season, it won’t start with a schematic tweak or lineup shuffle. It starts with reconnecting between players, between staff and roster, and with the defensive identity that carried them a year ago.