ORL • Center-Forward • #34
Both WCJ and KCP sat out against Indiana on Friday, and it would be surprising if they played on Sunday since Orlando has already clinched the seventh seed in the East. Gary Harris and Goga Bitadze should start once again, with Jett Howard playing a significant role off the bench.
10 days ago
April 12, 2025 7:17 PM
ORL • Center-Forward • #34
2 days ago
Give Carter credit for his work on the boards and for being Kristaps Porzingis’ primary defender for most of Game 1. However, the offensive production was lackluster, a trend that also persisted during the regular season. Carter’s average of 9.1 per game was the lowest of his NBA career; this was the first season in which he failed to average double figures. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will do most of the heavy lifting offensively, but they’re going to need help in this series. Fellow starters Carter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6/4/2/3 with two three-pointers) and Cory Joseph (zero points, two assists) combining to score 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting isn’t good enough. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.
ORL • Forward • #22
2 days ago
Wagner did record a complete stat line in Sunday’s series opener, but the efficiency left something to be desired. Worse than the field goal percentage was the fact that he recorded as many turnovers as assists, finishing with five of each. Given the decided disadvantage the Magic are at offensively in this series, they’re going to need a consistently elite Wagner if they’re to have a chance of winning this series. He’ll look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday.
ORL • Forward • #5
2 days ago
Banchero was excellent in Game 1, scoring 19 points in the first half and another 17 after the halftime break. Unfortunately for the Magic, he was the only player who could consistently create opportunities offensively. A difficult matchup for most teams due to his combination of size, athleticism and skill set, this could be a big series for Banchero individually. However, the prevailing question is whether or not Orlando will be able to generate enough offense collectively to have a chance of beating the reigning champions. Game 2 is on Wednesday night.
NYK • Center-Forward • #32
about 20 hours ago
Towns was awesome in Game 1 and contributed a 23/11/5/4/2 line in 39 minutes. However, he wasn’t able to repeat that performance, mostly because the team didn’t make him a priority. He was held scoreless in the second half and took just three shots after the break. His last shot attempts came with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter. Towns didn’t do a great job on the glass either. While he needs to be better there, Towns is a dynamic scorer. They aren’t paying him $49 million this season because he makes the hustle plays. They need to get him going in Game 3 on Thursday.
MIA • Center-Forward • #13
2 days ago
Miami’s frontcourt was solid in Game 1, with Adebayo recording a complete stat line and rookie Kel’el Ware (14/6/2/1 with two three-pointers in 38 minutes) providing solid contributions in his playoff debut. However, it wasn’t enough to counter what Cleveland’s guards were able to do, which may prove to be the prevailing storyline of this series. Adebayo should be able to put up quality lines on a nightly basis, despite having to deal with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, the Heat are serious underdogs in this series due to their comparatively limited depth of productive players.
OKC • Center-Forward • #7
2 days ago
Holmgren excelled as a rim protector and stretched the floor by only missing one of his attempts from deep. The Thunder big man’s return to health after an early injury has helped OKC ascend to another level. Holmgren’s pairing with Isaiah Hartenstein in the frontcourt and OKC’s assortment of capable wing defenders seem likely to give Memphis a tough time for the remainder of the series.
