Watch: Paolo Banchero And His Teammates Leave Magic Head Coach Hanging During Timeout

If actions speak louder than words, Paolo Banchero and his Orlando Magic teammates just delivered a resounding manifesto.

This past weekend, the Magic were rolling against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their showdown inside Target Center. It was a dominant performance on the road, Banchero and Desmond Bane were pouring in the buckets, and Orlando had put itself in prime position to snatch the no. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.

It was all good, except for that moment with Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.

In a viral clip, Mosley looks at Banchero, Bane, and other Magic players on their bench during a timeout. With Orlando leading 108-88 at the 4:36 mark of the final frame, Bane is conversing with Mo Wagner about what to do on the floor as Jalen Suggs listens intently. Banchero, who appears to be in the zone, is sipping his drink as he stares into the distance.

Mosley reaches out his hand to the players right in front of him, likely to dap them up right before they resume action. Strikingly, not one of the Magic players in Mosley’s huddle does anything remotely close to acknowledging their head coach.

What does this mean? Those who’ve been closely following the team will point to the strained relationship between Mosley and Banchero in particular. Back in November, journalist Grant Afseth reported that there was a “growing disconnect” between the Magic’ main man and their chief tactician.

Just last week, Banchero took a not-so-subtle shot at Mosley when he lamented the Magic’s lack of adjustments. Shortly afterwards, Mosley appeared to fire back when he said that the Detroit Pistons (who’d defeated his team 106-92) “played a little harder.”

Is Mosley questioning Banchero’s effort, and is the franchise cornerstone criticizing his head coach’s ability to steer the team amidst tactical warfare? The Magic, of course, would have more legs to their playoff push if their coaching staff and roster were on the same page. At the very least, Banchero and a number of other Orlando players blatantly ignoring Mosley is a bad look for their postseason prospects.