Chris Mannix’s Nba Mailbag: What’s Really Going On With The Heat, Magic And Pelicans

Greetings, from Orlando, location of nan Magic, which sewage a much-needed triumph successful Charlotte connected Thursday night. Those who were precocious connected Orlando coming into nan play (cough, cough) person been befuddled by nan personality situation nan Magic seemed to person successful nan first week. Maybe a triumph complete nan Hornets will beryllium what nan squad needs to get connected track. More connected that below. 

In this rumor of nan Open Floor newsletter, we’re going to rip unfastened nan mailbag for your questions. There are a lot of awesome stories from nan first week-plus of nan season. Got immoderate bully questions this week connected nan Heat, Magic, Bulls and much to dive into. Plus nan Pelicans—yikes. 

Pod Alert: Evan Turner is backmost to thief maine unpack immoderate of nan stories we talk here. Can Miami triumph pinch a frenetic offense? Has Orlando mislaid its protect mojo? Is Philadelphia for real? Listen here, here and here. 

All right, let’s excavation into that mailbag … 

Mannix, listened to nan past pod pinch Rachel [Nichols]. No talk astir Miami? Why do nan Heat not get immoderate emotion from nan nationalist media? — Roger, Fort Myers, Fla. 

Reasonable question, Roger. Short reply is I really wanted to watch Miami earlier commenting connected its astonishing 3–1 start. I saw nan numbers—the scoring, nan pace, nan distribution offensively, nan truth that nan Heat were starring nan NBA successful scoring without their champion scorer (Tyler Herro) successful nan lineup. I conscionable needed a amended knowing of really they were doing it. 

I watched nan past 2 games—Miami’s blowout triumph complete Charlotte and a nonaccomplishment successful San Antonio—and talked to a mates of scouts who person been monitoring them. First, afloat in installments to Erik Spoelstra. He has transformed nan Heat from a plodding, grind-it-out discourtesy into an up-tempo squad Mike D’Antoni would beryllium proud of. For astir of nan Spo era, Miami has classed successful nan bottommost 5 successful pace. Through 5 games this season, nan Heat are second. 

They don’t tally plays. That’s not hyperbole. Like, really—they don’t tally plays, astatine slightest not successful immoderate meaningful way. You miss, they are running. You make, they are running. They are reference and reacting connected everything. Consider: The pick-and-roll is simply a bread-and-butter play successful nan NBA. The Wizards and Lakers lead nan NBA successful percent of plays successful nan pick-and-roll, astir 20%. Miami is astatine 6.6%—the only squad successful azygous digits. 

It’s worked. The Heat entered Thursday arsenic nan only squad successful nan convention pinch 7 double-digit scorers. Norman Powell, who missed nan past 2 games pinch a groin injury, has picked up wherever he near disconnected successful Los Angeles. Jaime Jaquez Jr. has shaken disconnected a sluggish 2024–25 season. Bam Adebayo is averaging career-best scoring numbers. Simone Fontecchio is shooting astir 60% from 3 disconnected nan bench. (Side note: Italy was Spo’s scouting duty during nan past USA Basketball cycle, giving Spoelstra a long look astatine Fontecchio, who has been a flawless fit.)

Is it sustainable? Eh. The Spurs crippled is an illustration of what could hap erstwhile nan Heat play a bully team. It took San Antonio a 4th aliases truthful to set to Miami’s frenetic style. The Spurs settled in, throttling nan Heat successful nan 3rd 4th earlier holding connected astatine nan end. Games invariably slow down and erstwhile they do Miami is going to request a sharp, businesslike half-court offense. Maybe that happens erstwhile Herro returns. Stay tuned. 

Who is nan biggest disappointment? — Stefan, via Instagram

I’m going to put nan Magic connected a support for nan moment—more connected them below—and constituent to nan Pelicans. Not because I thought New Orleans was going to beryllium great—though I did openly wonderment why nan over/under for a squad 2 years removed from a 49-win play pinch a patient (or astatine slightest skinny) Zion Williamson was pegged successful nan debased 30s—but because I thought Williamson, Herbert Jones and a decent Pels rotation would beryllium successful nan operation for a playoff berth. 

Uh, possibly not. It’s early, but nan 0–4 Pelicans person been awful. Entering Thursday’s games, New Orleans classed past successful violative rating, per NBA.com. Defensively, it sat 27th. In a blowout nonaccomplishment to Denver connected Wednesday, nan Pelicans were outscored 39–11 successful nan 3rd quarter. Willie Green’s spot is warmer than a summertime Louisiana afternoon. One opposing coach, aft playing New Orleans, told maine nan Pels “are conscionable playing pickup astatine nan park,” adding “it’s for illustration they effort to propulsion you down into a s----- game.”

Pelicans guardant Zion Williamson drives to nan handbasket arsenic Grizzlies guardant Santi Aldama defends. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Who’s to blame? Trey Murphy III forgot really to shoot. Jones, too, while Williamson was bottled up by Aaron Gordon connected Wednesday and was not capable to will New Orleans to wins successful nan 2 games it has been adjacent in. Can’t occurrence nan players—and they should not see trading Williamson, either—which intends Green will apt beryllium held responsible by caller executive vice president of hoops operations Joe Dumars should this descent continue. 

Dumars, of course, has each logic to request this squad not to beryllium bad. New Orleans surrendered its 2026 first-round prime (unprotected) to move up 10 spots to draught Derik Queen, a move that was wide panned by rival executives. Queen has been O.K.—8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds—and has shown flashes of having a precocious ceiling. If he doesn’t, yeesh—that could move retired to beryllium an awfully precocious value to pay. 

What is going connected successful Orlando? Is Paolo Banchero overrated? Is Desmond Bane a bad fit? Should we hold until Jalen Suggs is astatine afloat strength? — Mario, Winter Park, Fla.

Orlando looked crisp connected Thursday, grinding retired a triumph complete nan Hornets. Desmond Bane didn’t do overmuch (nine points, 7 assists) but nan Magic sewage astatine slightest 20 points each from Banchero, Franz Wagner and Anthony Black, positive different 18 from Wendell Carter Jr. That, coupled pinch immoderate sturdy defense, should gain Orlando a batch of wins this season. 

But nan Magic person not been sturdy defensively this season. They are 21st successful protect efficiency, per NBA.com, a genuinely chaotic ranking for a squad that vanished successful nan apical 3 successful each of nan past 2 seasons. Some of that tin beryllium attributed to an summation successful gait offensively; aft crawling to a bottom-five gait nan past 2 seasons, Orlando ranks successful nan apical 10 successful this one. Some of it, frankly, tin beryllium attributed to effort. 

Magic guardant Paolo Banchero dribbles while defended by Pistons defender Cade Cunningham. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“I deliberation it’s a operation of everything,” Banchero told reporters this week. “We’ve conscionable sewage to play pinch much heart.”

I’m choosing to stay optimistic astir nan Magic. You don’t conscionable suffer a protect identity, not pinch mostly nan aforesaid roster. Suggs is still easing his measurement backmost into nan operation aft knee room and Bane is still figuring retired his role. They will fig retired nan correct pace, 1 that takes nan unit disconnected what has been an anemic half-court discourtesy that doesn’t gash them astatine nan different end. 

Are nan Bulls for real? — Eduardo, Springfield, Ill. 

I love what I’ve seen from Chicago. Josh Giddey has been fantabulous (43% from 3 to commencement nan season), Matas Buzelis has astir doubled his scoring mean and Nikola Vučević continues to beryllium 1 of nan astir reliable violative large men successful nan game. Meanwhile nan defense, leaky for astir of past season, ranks successful nan apical 5 truthful acold successful this one. 

But nan existent communicative is nan bench. The Bulls’ 2nd portion was conscionable bleh past season. They were mediate of nan battalion successful scoring (36 points per game) and nett standing (-0.3). This play they are 3rd successful nan NBA successful scoring (48 points per game) pinch a apical 10 nett standing (+2.1). Ayo Dosunmu has been terrific, Kevin Huerter is giving disconnected immoderate of those early Sacramento Huerter vibes while Patrick Williams’s ratio numbers person skyrocketed. 

Is it sustainable? We’ll see. Billy Donovan has taken a share-the-wealth attack to his rotation. Nine players are logging astatine slightest 13 minutes per crippled and nary 1 is playing much than 33. Still, they person squeezed retired coagulated wins complete Detroit and Atlanta while beating Orlando by double digits. And Coby White is still astatine slightest a week aliases truthful distant from making his play debut. In nan East, nan Bulls mightiness conscionable person capable to compete. 

What do you make of Philadelphia? — Tyler, Instagram

Who had nan Sixers starting nan play 4–0 connected their bingo card? Better yet, who had Philadelphia undefeated pinch Joel Embiid playing 21 minutes per game? 

What a start. Philly has nan astir move backcourt successful nan NBA. Tyrese Maxey has been outstanding (an NBA-best 37.5 points per game) while VJ Edgecombe is way much NBA ready than anyone could person anticipated and Quentin Grimes is among nan champion worth contracts successful nan league. When Jared McCain returns, nan Sixers could person nan champion backcourt rotation successful nan league. 

76ers defender Tyrese Maxey celebrates pinch halfway Joel Embiid against nan Wizards. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Granted, it has not been flawless. Philadelphia’s defense has been terrible, peculiarly successful 3rd quarters, forcing nan Sixers to person to equine immoderate superior rallies successful nan 4th fourth to propulsion retired wins. But that defense should amended arsenic Embiid gets his legs nether him. He won’t beryllium nan 34 mpg workhorse he was during his MVP season, but getting him into nan 28-to-30-minute scope should thief a squad that ranks successful nan bottommost half of nan convention successful force points successful nan paint. 

Overall, Philly should beryllium ecstatic. Maxey has taken a measurement forward, Embiid has not had immoderate setbacks and Paul George is expected to return successful November. Maybe this is nan twelvemonth nan 76ers fulfill a decades worthy of expectations.

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