ORL • Center-Forward • #34
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.
about 7 hours ago
April 20, 2025 10:40 PM
ORL • Forward • #22
about 7 hours 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
about 8 hours 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.
ORL • Forward • #22
5 days ago
Wagner struggled with his shot on Tuesday but contributed in other ways as Orlando earned the seventh seed in the East. The 13 rebounds were the most he’s grabbed in a game this season, and the Magic wing only hit double figures in that category twice before Tuesday. Add in the assists and steals; all wasn’t lost for DFS players who slotted Wagner into their lineups. That said, Wagner will need to be much better if the Magic are to have any chance of knocking off the Celtics in the first round.
MIA • Center-Forward • #13
about 4 hours 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
about 10 hours 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.
MIN • Center-Forward • #11
1 day ago
Reid took a Jarred Vanderbilt elbow to the mouth during the second half of Saturday’s series opener, and that was all that slowed him down. The Timberwolves’ backup big scored 17 in the first half and finished the game one steal shy of a complete stat line. Since scoring 20 points in a March 24 loss to the Pacers, Reid surpassed 15 points once in his final eight appearances of the regular season. The Lakers employed a “boxes and elbows” defensive strategy to prevent Anthony Edwards from entering the lane, which allowed players like Reid to receive cleaner looks. His play (and that of Jaden McDaniels) could force the Lakers to alter their approach for Tuesday’s Game 2.
