(not Dwight Howard)
Tonight the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Orlando Magic in what should prove to be a testing ground for the Blazers’ playoff ambitions, without Greg Oden on board (not to mention the whole host of other injuries). Without a doubt, Portland has been through a whole slew of unfortunate circumstances so far this season, but at some point that has to be put to one side and the team needs to decide whether they can withstand the conditions and make a serious playoff push.
A top Eastern Conference power in the Magic is the perfect test of the legitimacy of the depleted Blazers’ ambitions. Orlando themselves enter the game without the injured Jameer Nelson, whilst Portland is lacking Oden, Nicolas Batum, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez and rookies Jeff Pendergraph and the now-training Patty Mills.
Courtesy of the Oregonian’s Joe Freeman, who has previewed the game, here are the relevant starting lineups and key numbers:
Trail Blazers (16-11) at Magic (19-7)
4 p.m., Saturday, at Amway Arena
TV on Comcast (Ch. 37); radio on KXTG (95.5)
| Orlando’s probable starters | ||||
| No. | Name | Height | Position | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Jason Williams | 6-1 | PG | 7.2. ppg, 4.8 apg |
| 15 | Vince Carter | 6-6 | SG | 19.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 apg |
| 20 | Mickael Pietrus | 6-6 | SF | 9.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg |
| 9 | Rashard Lewis | 6-10 | PF | 15.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg |
| 12 | Dwight Howard | 6-11 | C | 18.1 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg |
| Portland’s probable starters | ||||
| No. | Player | Ht. | Pos. | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Andre Miller | 6-2 | PG | 10.9 ppg, 4.5 apg |
| 7 | Brandon Roy | 6-6 | SG | 21.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.2 apg |
| 23 | Martell Webster | 6-7 | SF | 8.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg |
| 12 | LaMarcus Aldridge | 6-11 | PF | 16.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg |
| 10 | Joel Przybilla | 7-1 | C | 4.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg |
Dave at Blazer’s Edge has this preview.
Obviously your first thought when you think “Magic” is Dwight Howard and rightfully so. Name a way he’s not destroying the league this year. He’s averaging 18 points and almost 13 rebounds. He gets over 2 blocks per game, shoots over 63% from the field, and is drawing 11 foul shots per game. Even though he’s only hitting 59% of those free throws he’s causing foul trouble for everyone who comes against him…a definite headache for the Blazers at the moment. He’s completed the metamorphosis from incredibly raw talent to legitimate NBA superstar. There are no answers for him when he gets the ball where he likes it. He’s the main reason Orlando has the 4th most efficient offense in the league. He’s also the main reason the Magic rank 2nd in the league in points in the paint allowed and 1st in defensive rebounding percentage. He’s a two-way player, one of the wholly unique talents playing today.
The Ghost-faced Killa, Joel Przybilla will certainly have his work cut out against Howard, but he is one of the few centres in the league with the defensive force to potentially slow him. Foul trouble will be a key in this respect.
On the other end, the way the Magic attempt to control Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge will be of particular interest.
And… will we see a return of JBay4?
