League Pass Game of the Day: Pistons at Magic (7 ET)

On By Littum

This Saturday will be the first matchup between Detroit and Orlando this season.

An exciting Eastern Conference game takes place Saturday in Orlando (7 ET, NBA League Pass).

Among the games taking place on Saturday, League Pass is a great way to keep up with them all. In a vacuum, Warriors-Spurs certainly stand out. Certainly, no one would question you when you watch that game. However, Golden State is on the second night of a back-to-back, and Victor Wembenyama has missed three straight games with a knee injury. Chris Paul vs. Warriors will still be exciting, but in terms of League Pass Game of the Day, Detroit visiting Orlando rises to the top. Here are five things you need to know to get ready for that fight.

1. The Magic look to stay hot: Yes, the Magic are currently without a powerhouse in Paolo Banchero, but that hasn’t slowed them down. Orlando is 10-7 on the season, but 7-3 over its last 10 games. The Magic will also look to keep their home record intact as they stand at 7-0 on the campaign.

2. The stamps have been scraped: Last year we saw a young Pistons team take its lumps, but with a revamped front office and a new head coach, things have been brighter this season. Although Detroit is coming off a tough overtime loss to the Hornets, they are 7-10 on the year with a -1.2 point differential that speaks to the franchise playing competitive ball every night.

3. The Wagner Brothers get it done for Orlando: In the five games he played, Banchero averaged 29.0 points. He is well-established as a premier bucket-getter, so with his prolonged absence, it was likely that more than one player would have to step up. Well, a family has gone up. Franz Wagner has started all 17 games for the Magic and has averaged 23.2 points per game. game along with over 5.0 rebounds and assists per fight too. His brother, Mo Wagner, comes off the bench and has averaged 18.2 minutes a night. In that role, he contributed 12.6 points per game. It’s a much needed score.

4. Cade Cunningham’s status is up in the air: It is possible that both the latest no. 1 picks from these two teams will miss this game. Cunningham played a great game against the Hornets before he fell on his hip and was unable to return. One hopes it wasn’t serious enough to keep him from playing Saturday, because Cunningham has really impressed this year. He is averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. game, which is the kind of stat line envisioned when the Pistons took him with the first overall pick.

5. Jaden Ivey has improved: Not wanting to flounder, the Pistons brought in veterans to stabilize a young, rebuilding squad, and they’ve largely succeeded. What has also been encouraging, however, is the play of Jaden Ivey. The Purdue product was still finding his footing last season. Now playing for JB Bickerstaff, Ivey is a fixture in the starting lineup, his shooting has improved and his numbers are up across the board. If Cunningham can’t play, Ivey could have an even bigger role against the Magic.