This season, the New Orleans Pelicans in the West and the Orlando Magic in the East have garnered sympathy from many fans. Despite a grand offseason of recruitment operations, they ultimately succumbed to injuries. At present, these two teams have divergent directions for future development. The former is actively putting All-Star players Ingram and CJ McCollum on the trading block and attempting to listen to offers for Zion, aiming to start the team's rebuilding plan this summer; as for the Magic, they have shown remarkable resilience, with players like Banchero, Wagner Jr., Wagner Sr., and Suggs delivering impressive performances before being plagued by injuries. The inspiring story of victory from adversity did not favor Magic head coach Mosley, who led a depleted squad to a crushing defeat at the hands of the Western Conference's bottom-dwelling Jazz. Considering the team's severe issues, perhaps the result of losing can be accepted, but the process was somewhat embarrassing. Even with center player Bitadze, they could not change the fact of being completely overwhelmed in the paint. In this game, Jazz center Kessler was unstoppable, single-handedly wreaking havoc on the Magic's interior. He played only 28 minutes but contributed 10 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. Among the 17 rebounds, 6 were offensive boards. He used his proactive hustle to win numerous ball possessions and second-chance scoring opportunities for his team. As a 23-year-old third-year rookie earning less than $3 million, with the constant worry of being traded, he still managed to average a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. Moreover,…

07/01/2025 47hotness 0likes Read all