Veteran Magic guard Cory Joseph has enjoyed a major uptick in production with Orlando and has been a salve during the club’s playoff push, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As Beede notes, the 33-year-old had been a key young contributor for the title-bound Spurs over a decade ago in 2014. Now, he’s a locker room leader on a young Magic club.
“It’s amazing,” Joseph said. “I’m blessed. The organization has been amazing to me… I’m just trying to get out there and play as hard as I can to repay them for what they did for me.”
Joseph wasn’t even on a team heading into last year’s playoffs. He was sent to Indiana from Golden State at the 2024 trade deadline, but was promptly waived. This year, he seems to have found a happy home in Orlando.
With All-Defensive guard Jalen Suggs out for the season, Joseph was pressed into service as a starter for 15 of the team’s last 16 games. In those bouts, Orlando posted an 11-4 record. Joseph logged averages of 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 22.2 minutes per night.
There’s more out of Orlando:
- All-Star Magic forward Paolo Banchero reflected on the challenge of facing off against fellow former Duke Blue Devil Jayson Tatum‘s Celtics in the latest chapter of his season-long diary, as told to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “They’re in the Eastern Conference finals damn near every year,” Banchero told Spears. “We’ve had success against them in the regular season and throughout my time here, but playoffs is a different ballgame. They’re going to be ready. They are part of a championship team so they are not going to lay down. You have to match their level of intensity. You know the challenge they present. They got talent all over the floor. So, it’s going to take a special effort from us to beat them.”
- Second-year Magic wing Anthony Black has been trending in the right direction ahead of Orlando’s playoff run, writes Beede in another Orlando Sentinel story. Across Orlando’s last 12 contests of the regular season, including nine victories, Black posted averages of 12.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.4 SPG while shooting 35.9% shooting from distance. “I feel like back half of the season I’ve been shooting the ball better, playing better overall,” Black said. “That game was a must-win so it’s good to have a little bit of success in those games, but the playoffs are different.”
- In case you missed it, Magic guard Cole Anthony seems to be stabilizing following an up-and-down regular season just in time for the playoffs. He notched 26 points and dished out six dimes while helping the Magic defeat the Hawks during their play-in tournament encounter on Tuesday.
Magic Wouldn’t be a 7th seed if fully healthy most the year.
Don’t be surprised when they knock off the number one seed.
Cleveland? We’d all be surprised considering they aren’t playing them.
Duh. My bad. Thought I was commenting on the Heat
I know they are missing Suggs. Why wouldn’t you let your guards gandle the ball. Black and Anthony are both PGs. Bith have solid handles. I mean they didn’t even want them bringing the ball up. Wagner is not a guard. His handle is good. But not taking players off the dribble. And he doesn’t run an offense. Celtics stepped up the D. And Magic just folded. There is a reason why guards handle the rock. Celtics definitely didn’t come into game worried. Magic showed. If you guard the perimeter. You can make it difficult for Boston. Celtics led the L in threes. You limit that. Then you have a chance.
Boston shot 43 percent from three for the game.
White, Holiday and Pritchard were wide open all day. They went 14-22 from three between them. Pay attention to KP and Tatum, get burned elsewhere.
Orlando showed Boston have another 2 or 3 gears yet. KP, Holiday single didgets. Tatum and Brown were OK. Horford, single figures, Hauser didn’t even trouble the scorers. White and Pritchard the only guys to play near the level they’re capable of. Boston can and will play much better as a team and individuals going forward. It’s pretty hard to Stop the 3 ball when all 5 guys can shoot it. The 3 ball isn’t the only way Boston wins either.
Most of that was first half. Boston just turned it up in 2nd half. Their D too.
How good is Paulo? Orlando nailed that. Playoff Paulo been nothing short of fantastic in its infancy.