The Toronto Raptors didn’t just beat the Orlando Magic. They sucked the life out of the team. The Raptors went on a historic 31-0 run. Orlando could never find the answers after leading early. The blame for the loss could be pinned on the entire organization itself. However, head coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t see it that way. The Magic coach felt he should have stepped up when the team needed it most.

“I’ve got to do a better job of preparing them for what they were going to see tonight… I’ve got to have them prepared for the physicality of the game. Prepared for how much they were going to grab, hold, and get us off of our spots. That’s on me,” Mosley said after the game.

The Magic didn’t have answers. Every possession was like battling against a pack of hyenas, in this case, the Raptors. Orlando committed 27 turnovers en route to their worst loss in franchise history. Those mistakes led to 37 points for the Raptors. Furthermore, they didn’t have any counters to impose the same punishment on the Raptors.

Usually, the Orlando Magic is the team that plays with immense physicality. But they were overwhelmed tonight. Aside from a complete offensive breakdown, the Raptors got any shot they wanted. They scored 82 of their 139 points in the paint. Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett combined for 47 points. The Magic starters outscored the tandem by just eight points. That’s sufficient evidence to show Orlando didn’t know what to expect.

The Raptors have thrived off their defense, led by Barnes’ instincts all season long. It’s the primary reason the team sits as the fifth seed in the East, improving to a 42-32 record. As for Orlando, they’ve taken a step back this season. And it’s evident that the locker room isn’t a pleasant place to be in right now.

NBA fans suspect Jamahl Mosley’s days could be numbered

A single 50-point hammering wouldn’t lead to doubts about Mosley’s tenure as the Magic coach. But Orlando has now lost six of their last seven games. And there are growing reports of tensions in the locker room. “A coach that knows he’s fired,” a fan said about Mosley’s post-game confession.

It’s not just the underwhelming results. After a loss to the Detroit Pistons, Paolo Banchero spoke against Mosley not making any halftime adjustments. The head coach’s response about wanting better effort created an air of tension around the franchise. Some fans pointed to the team’s demeanor being affected due to internal conflict.

“Watching the players sulk instead of fight also shows the lack of leadership on this team. No accountability at all for lack of effort. Must be nice cashing that paycheck for just showing up,” a fan mentioned. Similarly, Magic’s Desmond Bane reportedly refused to speak about the team’s preparation for the Toronto Raptors. Something just isn’t quite right.

And Orlando Magic fans see Jamahl Mosley as the culprit. “Wow, only now, in the face of the worst loss in franchise history, does he realise it’s his job to prep the team,” another fan wrote. Although it was a coaching failure, the Magic didn’t see any inspired effort from their players. Notably, Banchero struggled with just 9 points and five turnovers. Only Bane had over 15. But Charles Barkley recently spoke about coaches having to take the fall.

He argues that players making more money now hold greater influence within the franchise. Likewise, if players aren’t reactive to a coach’s ideologies, the leadership will see it as a coach’s shortcoming. That leads to a popular notion. “This is the most obvious firing to come this off-season,” a fan pointed out.

Since embellishing their roster with Desmond Bane, the Orlando Magic were supposed to take the next step forward. Instead, they are crumbling within themselves. There wasn’t a sense of urgency to preserve the team’s image against the Raptors. Mosley has been dealt a tough hand with some crucial players out injured.

But the worst of all is that he seems to have lost the locker room. Without the players trusting the head coach, it’s almost impossible to breed a winning culture. “He needs to get as far as possible from this group as fast as possible,” a fan suggested.

We’ve seen several abrupt head coach firings in recent years. The Nuggets let go of Mike Malone right before the playoffs last season. The Kings lost De’Aaron Fox primarily because they let go of Mike Brown. Jamahl Mosley is right in the middle of a similar mess. The players don’t seem fully bought in, and Mosley doesn’t have his full personnel to recover from the situation.

It’s going to take one heck of a season finish for Mosley to have a certain future in Orlando. As of right now, that prospect appears bleak.