The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, two of the bottoms teams in the East with nearly identical records, face off. With about a dozen or so games left in the regular season, both teams are already officially eliminated from playoff contention.
And yet, there’s beauty in the struggle. As much as the two squads have stumbled their way to the rear end of the standings, they still have a strong foundation that’s worth hoping for in the future.
What’s up with the Magic?
The Magic find themselves fresh off a Kyrie Irving onslaught as they absorbed a 150-108 blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Irving dropped 60 points as the Nets ran roughshod on their lowly opponent with seven players scoring in double-figures. The 150 points surrendered is a point-total record the franchise is hoping to never relive again.
It was another tick on the loss column as Orlando sits at the bottom of the well with an 18-52 record.
But there have been a few brights spots in Disney world. Rookies Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have given the team a shot in the arm. Wagner turned heads throughout the season with his overall play which made him look more like a veteran. Suggs, the fifth overall pick, took a little time to get acclimated but has since settled in as a productive player. Unfortunately, Suggs won’t be able to suit up against the Pistons because of an ankle injury.
Then there’s the welcome sight of Mo Bamba slowly becoming a force in the paint. Even though there are still a few things he needs to work on, his averages of 10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks are a positive sign. You also have the charismatic and gutsy Cole Anthony plus Markelle Fultz who recently returned to the lineup.
What’s up with the Pistons?
The Pistons are 18-51 on the season, losing their last four games.
Like the Magic, Detroit has a few building blocks it can work with. Jerami Grant should remain as the team’s focal point on both ends. He’s a prime scorer, putting up just a shade below 20 points while being a lengthy defender with averages of 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks. Grant made a name for himself when he was with the Denver Nuggets. If the Pistons can gain traction next season, Grant can re-establish himself as one of the league’s standouts.
Of course, you can’t talk about Detroit without mentioning the No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham. Even though the spotlight has shone brightly on Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Cunningham has proven to be a solid player and worthy of the top pick. He’s a savvy playmaker, doing a little bit of everything for his team, especially on the offensive end. His averages of 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals are all dependable numbers.
Unfortunately for tomorrow’s game, Grant will be sidelined because of a right knee inflammation while Cunningham is questionable because of a non-COVID illness. The two big names may be out for the Pistons but take a peek at rookie Isaiah Livers who had 16 points off the bench in Detroit’s last game against the Miami Heat. The Pistons gave the conference-leading Heat all they could handle before eventually losing.
