NBA Champ Points to Paolo Banchero Problem For Magic’s Struggle As Team Falls to No. 9 in East

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley has been targeted all season long for his working relationship with Paolo Banchero, something fans thought was not working. He owned up to their franchise-worst loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. He was also trolled by home fans when they lost by 29 points last Wednesday.

The Magic started March strong with a seven-game winning streak to stay close to the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. However, things went awry from there. They are 2–8 in their last 10 games and have recorded several bad losses.

These include a 19-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets, who have been below them in the standings all season; a game-winner by Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Lakers at the Kia Center; a 52-point loss to the Raptors; and a 29-point home loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

They are now No. 9 in the standings and could still fall to No. 10.

The Magic were expected to improve this season based on their run last year. They made back-to-back playoff appearances and made a major offseason acquisition when they traded for Desmond Bane.

They were supposed to get better, but that hasn’t happened.

Perk says Paolo Banchero is the problem

Banchero was an All-Star in 2024 but missed the 2025 edition due to injuries. He was still expected to take a leap, but that has not happened.

Some point to Mosley’s system, but for NBA analyst and 2008 champion Kendrick Perkins, it is something Banchero needs to address. Perkins thinks the Magic players have quit on Mosley and that the star player should have the initiative to fix it.

” If we go back against that game where they played Toronto a few nights ago, how embarrassing that was,” Perkins asked in the ESPN’s NBA Today show.

“And it starts with Paulo Banchero, right? It starts from the top. How many times this season has he come out publicly, post-game interview, and has threw his coach under the damn bus?”