On this edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad, we catch up with Magic big Man, Moe Bogner, and of course, Magic Pod Squad, brought to you by the Florida Department of Transportation, reminds you that fans don't let fans drive drunk. If you've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, find a sober driver or catch a ride service. Remember, drive sober or get pulled over. Have a great night, and drive safe.
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We cover absolutely everything with the Magic Big Man, including his terrific year, his breakout season in the NBA, the unbelievable job he did filling in in the absence of Wendell Carter Junior, his role now moving forward to how much he's grown here in the NBA, we get into his suspension and what happened there in Detroit, ultimately who's at fault for that particular incident, and then his brother Franz, what he sees from his brother Franz finishing things in the fourth quarter, in the development he's made here this season, and then you're going to be pretty decided hearing what he thinks this team it's gonna accomplished this year. All that coming your way, right now on Magic Pod Squad with Modogner.
This is Fons Bognough to Orlando Magic. This is Cole Anthony, this is Jenn Suggs. This is Paulo Man Carroll to Orlando Magic. And you're listening to the Pod Squad.
And welcome every one to another edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad. Dante Marcatelli, George Galante and Magic Big Man. Mo Bogner kind enough to join us, Mo, this is great. You got four days off after being on the West Coast road trip for twelve days, and still we were able to convince you to do a show with us. I have to think you have much better things to do, but I appreciate your time.
Well, we'll just connect the two, you know. That's all good. It's all good.
Now for anybody that's watching this. You're you're in your car in the back of the car, which is good.
So you're not driving.
Should I go out into my car? Guys like you, Guys like you're in a hurry to go somewhere. Everybody's on the road, everybody's doing doing things from the road. What's happening here?
Well, that's part of being having an off day, you know. You're on the move. I'm not sure what my mom is doing here driving the car, but uh, I'm gonna back.
But sa than sorry, we can't we can't assure everybody that you're not driving. So that's so that's the big part, and that's good. And I'm not driving. Well this is uh, this is not normal in the middle of a season to have four days off like this. I know you'll have practice coming up, but what are you doing? What do you what do you get a chance to do with a little downtime here?
Yeah, that's a good point.
I mean, the the one thing that's a little problematic was the road trip. Right you come back from Denver. It's a long, long day of traveling, so it doesn't really feel.
Like an off day. Uh, and changing.
Coasts is always a big deal, even though even if you had a.
Day in between.
So for us, it's really good to kind of settle in after twelve day road trip and uh, to enjoy some time at home.
No, I you know, we're tossing around going to the beach even today, like to just rely, how good is it in the middle of January to play for a team where you could just hop in your car.
And go to the beach.
You couldn't do.
This up in Michigan or DC or probably twenty seven of the other thirty teams. You probably couldn't do this.
Yeah, No, it's a it's a it's a luxury, and I always stress that we should take advantage of it, because obviously I have in positions where that's not the case. So I want to make the best out of the situation you have in front of you, and so we're trying to embrace it as much as we can and make the I mean, it's like not even an hour car drive to go out there to fish some sand in between your toes.
So it's really fun. Dante.
We're going to send this to the Chamber of Commerce when we're done, we'll we'll send this right to the city.
Yeah, tourism, right to the tourism. That's right. So some people like going on road trips, some people don't. Twelve days is a long time. Do you did you pack what you needed it? Did you have everything you needed for those twelve days?
I wouldn't consider the best packer.
I'm a chronic overpacker.
It this time, I think I kind of.
I did a good job, but I will say after a week, that's kind of my threshold where I'm getting impatient trying to get home.
Okay, you get used to it, but after seven.
Days it kind of clicks into a mode of I finally want to sleep in my own bed again.
Yeah, you get angry, right Like, when I'm on the road for that long, I find and I'm not even playing. I'm sitting around watching you guys do your thing. But I'm the same way. I would say after seven or eight days, just like you wake up and you're just not You're just not happy because you're not home, Like you're just angry.
Well, the biggest challenge to me is that when you're on the road, everything is just basketball because you're just in a hotel room and then you're playing. You have practice, and I think the biggest challenge is to kind of embrace the time off the court and find things on the road to do that don't have to do with basketball, to keep your mind fresh and engage when it gets to perform when it gets to the point of playing basketball.
So that's the biggest challenge in.
On the road for twelve They they got to find other things, and sometimes that gets hard. In Denver or Utah. The cities here, I don't know anyone, so that's a challenge sometimes. But the all I get, the more I embrace that and damn myself to things.
Well, what did you do then? Where did you get into Because you had two days off in Utah, which is which is ironic, a day off in Denver, were able to find some guys?
Well, my biggest my biggest advantage is that I have family on the road all the time, so sometimes I have to mobilize the little one to to kind of join me on my activities. But we go walks in Utah. We kind of one of those mini height I would say, through a canyon. That was pretty cool. But then it's also you can't do too much because you're tired too right, So it's like like a little in between great area that he got a hit and spending time together makes a big difference because it gets.
Lonely on the road. I think we all know that that's true.
So you so you dragged you drag you drag fronds with you wherever you go. If you if you have things to do or how does that work?
Well?
I always ask him, and sometimes he asked me.
Actually too.
So we've created a pretty pretty healthy culture of keeping each other accountable that we're not always in our fall walls.
And we're going walk.
So we go out to eat, uh, even though we could get the hotel and stuff like that, just to get out of the hotel a little bit.
Now, George, I don't know if you know this, but we had Vince Carter doing a couple of games and he does this vin sanity scale. So we did a broadcast where we had two Mo Wagner ducks, right, but one one was on his good friend Ivo's a Zubats, right, a good friend of his that that he embarrassed greatly on National TV. And then and then another. So I know you were getting a kick out of that. Well that Vince Carter would be grating your dunks. And I don't know if you know, but he gave you an eight and he gave you a nine. So you got an eight and nine from Vince Carter, right, you'll take that.
Yeah, I mean that's incredible to be Uh. First of all, I'm like the craziest thing to me in the NBA, and I've been part of some.
Great or I had some great teammates in my career.
But like the craziest thing is that that people just walk around casually that you've seen on TV when you were growing up, and they're kind of these heroes and these these players in.
A far away world, and now all.
Of a sudden they sit on your broadcast and rate your dunks. So that's pretty surreal.
Uh. And Vince Carter is obviously one of them, I think one.
Of the players that's very well respected, very well recognized all over the world.
So obviously as a dunker, incredible.
So the fact that he's on our broadcast the cool to get to meet him and then he rates my dunks, it's pretty cool.
So I don't know if that's a nine, you know, I don't know if I could ever qualify for for nine and the dunk, but I'll take it. I won't say no.
Vince is a generous score a scorer, right, He's very gerous, generous with his numbers. But so, who else have you felt like that when you've had these encounters MO, who else have you had a similar interaction with Where you're looking, You're like, holy crap, I can't believe I'm talking to who?
Who? A bunch of guys?
I mean, obviously every other night you play guys like I mean, I was teammates with Lebron James, so it started pretty early. And to kind of see the magnitude of even when we were on the road, to see how many people were kind of yeah, fascinated by one personality. It's it's pretty amazing to watch and in DC with Briley Beale, John Wall, like those guys. I watch player series of those guys growing up, you know Derk obviously, who have a relationship with I'm understanding, like what's happening. It's it's pretty crazy. Like Vince car Is a great example. Who's another great example. Sometimes like you get to talk to people like Doris Burk that you've been listening and watching for years, two and day in this world as well, you know, and they make you start struck too, Like not even the players, sometimes it's the people around So stuff like that makes you realize you're really you really arrived in this world.
That's great insight.
You know.
I want to get your thoughts more. Let's go on the floor a little bit. You guys obviously got hit so with so many injuries, but you did a great job stepping in. I think about fifteen point seven rebounds a game starting. But George, the best part was I asked him at halftime about the lift he was given his team, and he said, that's great. I don't care about the numbers. I don't care about the numbers. You just mentioned. You have to play hard. You have to play hard, and you have to believe that you can win. And it was halftime of the Clipper game. Moh and you guys won eleven out of sixteen after that, right, So just what clicked? What clicked right around that time where you guys kind of caught fire for a little bit there.
Well, I think it's funny, right, because you work really hard, and I always talk about translating, because sometimes your work doesn't show and doesn't translate into wins right away, but you're still getting somewhere.
And I think after a Milwaukee.
Game, I remember we played really well against Milwaukee and lost, And you can work really hard, and I think we were at that point of for a long time where we worked really hard and we were right there but still kept losing. And I think there's this one missing piece. And I remember Coach Mosley had a practice right after the Milwaukee game, where he said, don't mistake being close to actually getting wins. Those are two different things, and there's a missing piece that you have to come up with. And I think it has a lot to do with belief that you that you really, yeah, that's got to come out of yourself, that you want to win, and that you need to do the right things at the right time in order to win. And that's kind of what I meant by that that you got to find that belief within yourself. Your coach is going to provide you with all the resources. You just got to do it as a team. Uh. And then the numbers really don't matter because if the team wins, everybody wins.
But I think, but I think what's interesting to me about that, mo Is I assume outwardly, and I think fans assume, I would lay that every time every NBA player takes the floor, they believe they're gonna win, and they believe they're gonna win big, right is that I don't say that's not the case, But what does not everybody? Does everybody not already have that belief or can it come and go throughout the course of the season.
Well, the challenge is the challenges especially if you're in one of these. I mean, I wouldn't say I stay away from the world. We're rebuilding teams, but I mean we're a very young team that that your goal is long term, so you're not trying to get caught up in your short term results too much. And there's an interesting, great area of where you still got to compete in order to win. But if you lose, you can't have the mindset of all health breaks. Lose and you can you got to still come in the next day and keep working and every day matters. So sometimes it's very difficult not to get caught up and oh wait, losses don't matter, if you know what I mean, right, So like that a little great area of still competing and not giving up if you still lose. That's that's I think that's very very challenging in young teams, and uh, yeah, something you have to deal with now.
Mo Do you prepare any knowing that you're going to start? Do you have any different ways that you prepare for a game as opposed to when you know you're not going to be starting in that night.
I mean, I think from a strategy standpoint, it's a little different because they're obviously playing with different players, so like there are other things that are important when I play with Markel, then I play with Cole Anthony, so those those are those are important. But then also I think just from a preparation standpoint, you play a lot earlier, so like you don't have those twenty minutes of settling into the game and the atmosphere. You've got to be ready right away. So I do think that from your mental perspective, you got to be locked in quicker and kind of gets your routine going a little earlier than if you were to come from the bench. But those are things that you figure out within two three games pretty quickly.
You know. It's interesting. We're real careful on the broadcast because we love the fire that you play with in the passion. You always have that. But it's important for fans to know and everybody like you. You know you're but you're producing. It's not you're not just coming out there and screaming and this and that. You you produce it. You're a big part of this thing, and you being a starter is a big reason the team had success. So how much do you attribute the fact that you did produce when your number was called, you stepped in, you helped your team have success.
Yeah, I mean, obviously that matters.
I'm I'm I think I think producing to me only matters when it translates into winning, right, because it's something completely different. I don't really try to get caught up in that into that too much. But I think you're right. I mean, for me as a player, I worked really hard and I have always worked really hard. So I don't want to say people just say, yeah, he's an energy guy and raw ross all the time, that's it. Like, obviously they want to be recognized for the game as well. So that does make me a little happy that that that's apparent. But at the end of the day, like, I'm not really trying to get caught up in that too much to be honest with you.
Sure, But with that being said, I got to ask you, you look like Kevin McHale the last couple of games. The post moves you've always had, You've always had, You've always had the post moves, you've always had the up and under, but it was off the charts the last two games. Well, what did you get some extra post work in? What happened there?
I mean it's it's uh, it's a good question.
I think, like I just said, it's a lot different than with the first lineup, because I think it's a lot more random and unpredictable basketball that we play with that second line up. So sometimes the play breaks down and you just got to make something happen yourself. But that just kind of happens in the flow of the game. It's not like a mentality thing. Well you forced stuff, and yeah, I guess in the altitude the footwork works better.
I don't know. We gotta get we got to hit your back in that. Yeah, we gotta wed some altitude. We've been in that.
We've been in that altitude chamber at the training center with a best I like that.
I haven't seen the altitude chamber in work, So maybe that's what's going on. No, how nice is it for you? You know, before you got to Orlando, you know you were you were in d C. And then you got traded to Boston, and then you got traded to you know, like things were a little tumultuous in your life with a couple of moves. How nice is it to maybe feel like you've been a little settled down now here with the magic.
Well, I think I'm very grateful for those experiences because it gets it gets me to a point where I appreciate the day to day life stuff really like a lot more.
The fact that I can just.
Go to a practice facility and be excited to see everybody there with a with a peace of mind.
You know.
Everybody. There's not one, there's not one or two guys that annoy it.
Eventually, sometimes someone will annoy me, but you know who that happens to know with human interaction.
Of course, I think he's getting in me.
But that's okay, that's.
Fair enough enough.
It's random, it's random.
No, But I get to appreciate that more now because I know it can be taking away pretty quickly and nothing is guaranteed in this business. So yeah, I invest in that lot, in that and that enjoy how and obviously it's a great place Orlando, and I can share with my family on a whole other level. So I consider myself very very blessed and enjoyed every day.
So speaking of your family, like, let's let's talk about friends if we can for a minute. I want how many times have you voted for him for the All Star Team? And you're supposed to be voting every day, Yes, every day for yourself and your brother.
I mean, you ate because I was voting. That's why I was.
That was no problem, no problem. But what about that?
What about the step that he's taken mo so far in his second year in the league, he's averaging more than twenty a game. He's been very consistent throughout the season. Talk about your brother and his improvements just from his rookie year to.
Now, well, he can pass a little more. Other than that, I'm very excited. I'm just kidding always.
Yeah, he's selfish, That's okay. It kind of comes with the territory. When things get easy, you know, and interesting, you can do it all.
I'm just kidding.
Obviously, as a big brother, sometimes I got to take a step back a little bit, and because it becomes overwhelming at times. You know, it's pretty impressive, and I kind of take my big brother glasses off during the game because I want to keep those relationships separate. But it's obviously very impressive, especially when you when you get another high calible player like.
Follow into the mix.
That it passed the ball a lot, and that's that creates a challenge for someone who already now is on the scouting report and to make the next step that next year with yeah, more players to get attention.
It's not easy. So yeah, obviously I know how hard he works.
I know what gread of what great kid, what great of a kid he is, even though sometimes he annoys me, But that's part of the brotherhood, and I'm very happy for him, and I'm excited to see see where he goes.
You know, you've seen the numbers in the fourth quarter. He takes over in the fourth quarter and he's on a list with some incredible names. Does he just pass, does he just pass less than the fourth quarter or is there more is he? Is he able to get it to another gear? What is it about when the game is on the line and you need a big basket that he feels comfortable in that moment.
That's a good question. What is it about the fourth quarter? I don't really know.
And he wakes up when he has a backhand and in the fourth quarter he's like, nah, I got to turn this up.
A little bit. But no, I mean, obviously I was I couldn't.
I wasn't there against I think it was against Memphis, but games like that where he seemingly struggled in the first three quarters and then he hits another gear.
Because we've all been there.
Where you struggle, and then to say that I'll figure it out now, that's something that's that's very mature for his age, and that's very impressive to observe, obviously, and I think there's a there's a common trust too in the team and the staff to give him a ball in the situation that matter, like for example against Portland. So those situations. Yeah, as a big brother, that's that's pretty cool to watch.
You mentioned not being there for Memphis. We went to great lengths to blame Caleb Houston for the whole thing on the broadcast that right, is that does that kind of is that kind of where you're at on the whole thing?
No, what I said, it's all take any responsibility for the No, I mean listen, uh, I was, uh, these things. I'm not sure I'm supposed to say that these things happened. I was extremely embarrassed after the whole thing because you never want to be.
Getting attention for that type of stuff. Obviously.
I also understand that you all what you do U and your intention doesn't matter in that point because it happened. What happened happens. But everybody who knows me knows that that wasn't my intention. I felt bad too, because I'm over it now, But at that point, it kind of seemed like it was taking attention away of what we were building.
Uh, and we were kind of on a roll, and I hated.
To be responsible for taking some of that momentum away.
But I think we kind of passed that whole.
Thing now and moving on, And obviously for me, I don't want to be in any of those situations ever. Again, it was very embarrassing, and I feel bad that I've heard.
Well, you have moved on, and I think it's amazing the team has rallied and is there a feeling now just a little less than half the season left, you can get fully healthy, right, You've got Wendell back, Maybe Jonathan Isaac's going to join you at some point. You got Markel right, as you continue to get healthy, you guys are right there in the mix. I mean, everybody's talking about a playoff push. I imagine that would be a lot of fun to be a part of down the stretch.
Well, understand, winning makes so much stuff easier, and even being able and or having the confidence and even that you if you lose one or two games that you're still in the mix for winning the next two or three games like that you're able to respond regardless of who you're playing. That I think that's a confidence that we've gained now that is very important when you when you talk about.
A team that wants to go somewhere.
So that's something that I'm very proud of with this team that we kind of found a way that even if we lose, like in Sacramento, we'll find a way your answer and.
Come back and responds.
As a group. So of course we in the bank of our head. I think that's very present to.
Know that we make But at the end of the day, we've been in the gym.
DeMar and then the day after that and the day after that, and that's what really matters, and the rest will happen.
So how though, how important you mentioned that you know, we're a young team, You've said that a couple of times, But how important would getting into just say, the playing game, How important would that be for this group's development, especially for I would say I haven't even this is just off the top of my head, I would say seventy five percent at least of the roster has never been to any part of the playoffs, right, whether it.
Be playing real quick season before you get into that, George, I think what endeared Mode to everybody was when he first got here the end of that season, when we want a big game at home, and you sat there and did the postgame interview and said, it's okay to win too, like we can know, I know we're going through a process, but it's okay to get some wins too, And I thought that was great. That's right, right, George, That's kind of what you're saying on the mentality, like this would be great.
Well, well, yeah, like this is exactly what obviously I talk about you young team. But when I speak like that, it's it's from a neutral perspective with you guys when when we're on the court and practice as a player, and I think everybody feels like I know everybody feels like that. It's f that you know, we're not rebuilding like the competitors.
We want to win. And I think that's how you got.
To approach every day and of course you want to win. Like that that that kind of feeds you. If you win, working is easier. In the next day, it becomes easier and the chemistry is better, so everything is a lot more fun. So, like you said, George, I think making a playing game or the playoffs, whatever it is, would be, or at least being the hunt for it is a is a very valuable experience for every team, especially a team that's trying to organically grow as a young group. And even though we don't really talk about it, I think it's very everybody's very aware that that's possibility and a huge opportunity.
You know, I share. I share a lot of thee When I'm doing these podcasts with Dante, I'm usually like, yeah, I f that, Dante, like.
We correct, Yeah, that's it.
Yeah, I'm trying to work on my reputation, so I'm not gonna good So yeah.
But as a competitor, that's exactly how it is. I mean, you have to have that mentality in order to be successful. That's what I mean with belief too. You know, like when you talk about young jerk teams, that almost sounds like an excuse sometimes, So young teams can.
Be good too.
That exactly right, and young players can be good too. What's your vantage point on Polo? I mean it took it was very early into his career where I think everybody thought, oh boy, this guy's going to be pretty good. What's your vantage point on Polo?
Yeah?
I think the most obviously incredible what he does on the core h extremely skilled and physically gifted, and even now, obviously I think it probably takes the most shots in our team, and he's on top of the scout report. He finds ways to find ways to go to the free throw line, finds way to produce even on less efficient nights. I think the most impressive thing about him, though, is that his demeanor about the game and his focus that he kind of brings into the locker room, which is not normal for.
A young guy like that.
Right to be mentally that locked in and care as much about the day to day process and every game and every piece of work he puts in is pretty impressive for a twenty years old. And to observe that as someone who's been released for five years is sometimes I'm like, Yo, that's insane. I gotta locked in now, because I see Condell over there focusing on the game so it's that's that's a demeana that he adds to the locker room that I think is very valuable. On top of two, what he doesn't record.
Obviously, we've not seen him smile. Does he smile? Has he? Have you ever seen him laugh?
He's a funny guy.
He's a he's a very funny guy. He doesn't really smile out on the court. That is correct because he's very focused. But he's a very funny, funny dude. And saystem system crazy stuff too. Sometimes that's good. That's good, that's good.
Hey, we would be remiss if we didn't revisit some I did a couple of Lakeland Magic games, right, and I'm down there with Xavier Simpson, right and you start looking at just the first of all, can you explain to me why that guy's not in the NBA Captain hook? I mean that is that is an impressive, talented point guard.
In due time.
Matter it's a matter of time. One of the hardest workers that I've ever met, to a point where it's sick.
I mean we were literally going to force him to stop.
And a great kid as well, that enjoyed a couple of years in college with and really enjoyed my time with him. And he's a winner man. He wants to win and he plays like a winner. So yeah, I love.
But the guys that you had, that you played with, the guys that came after you, there's a lot of talent let's come through Michigan. I mean, how do you is that the recruiting process?
Is it? What?
What what goes into getting the players that you've had and all the great talent that's come through Michigan.
That's a good question about. I mean, I will say, I will say that I don't know. I mean, I think it's I guess it's just the culture. It's always difficult to talk about these things because when I say these things, I don't want to say that. In different universities and different programs, it's not like that. So sure, just before I say anything about that. But like the Michigan thing, I think back when I was there, and I can only speak for my era obviously changed a little bit now, it was it was a great culture, and I think that kind of obviously would you on continue from what I've heard and feel from France, So there's a great culture in that locker room around that program that everybody did his work, worked really hard, and enjoyed being together and held each other accountable, and that was something obviously translates. And I think Beli was incredible at recruiting guys that maybe weren't on the radar at first but had incredible potential and maybe went physically on a level yet to compete, but kind of saw their potension in the long term future. And I kind of knew what he was doing, I guess. So it's cool to see guys like Duncle robson X. I mean, we have so many players and man, the chars, the verd so it's pretty cool to watch them and be consistent of what they do.
What drew you there though from Germany, I mean it's not like you were a kid growing up in Saginaw or Detroit. I mean, what Drew wanted to Michigan from overseas.
Well.
I always wanted to go to college, and back then that wasn't really what you were doing in Europe.
So.
Nobody had ever gone to college and then straight to the NBA from there, so it was kind of a risky step. And I really didn't have any offers except for Michigan either, so to me, it was either Michigan or stay at home. And again Biligne kind of invested in me, and yeah, I think at first he thought I'm not going to play much, which I did in my freshman year, and I knew that one and a half used to really develop on a physical level to compete here, and he kind of, yeah, he kind of predicted that, or he helped me out a great deal. But back then, it wasn't like a surefire decision to just say, yeah, you go from Berlin, you go to college, and it's all going to work out to the NBA, because you never know what happens in the university. You know, it's so far away. Maybe they'll just put you under the rim and tell you to reap back under and screen setter.
Real.
Yeah, I'm very happy that I made that decision. Obviously look like a genius now, but back then it wasn't as sure fire.
Sure sure, all right, last thing moment, then we let you get out of here. We know you're going to the beach. When I go to the beach, I I have a short attention span. I've got to be up doing things. I've got my wife can lay there for four hours and not move what do you do? What's your routine at the beach?
I would I wouldn't say. It's a little different. I think here in the Florida beaches than when you go to a beach in California or Turching Cacos. I think here is more about breaking the rhythm of the daily life and kind of feel some sand in Vitrina toes and do something else other than just hanging at the house.
And see the ocean. So I don't plan on being there longer than.
Two hours, maybe going a little walk in some sun and the turnround and go back home. But when vacation, I have a pretty good I would say I'm a pretty good.
I'm pretty well conditioned to be lying there for a while.
So there you go. I'll take your word under I'll take your word on Turks and Caicos. Never been there, but that's sounds like an amazing all right, Hey man, we really appreciate them all. This has been great. I know Magic fans always love hearing from you, and it's always fun for us to catch up. So thanks so much and keep up the great work.
Okay, appreciate you guys. Thanks for having sunscreen mode.
But on some screen.
Perfect. That'll do it for this edition of Magic Pot Squad. Thanks