Tonight, the 3-5 New Jersey Nets take on the Orlando Magic for the second time in the first nine games. While the Nets have struggled against the Florida powers – dropping two to Miami and the first matchup against Orlando – the Nets have the benefit of a gelling roster and home-court advantage tonight. Still, for obvious reasons, this is going to be a tough one – between Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and ex-Net Vince Carter, the team will have its hands full.
A few keys to this game:
- Three-point shooting. Orlando, for the past few seasons, has been one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league – breaking the single-season record for threes made in a season in 2010. The Nets, however, have a plethora of players who can shoot it from deep, and oftentimes it’s one of the big things that keeps them in games. If Anthony Morrow is hot or Troy Murphy (coming off the bench) can provide a surprise spark, we could be in for an interesting game.
- The resurgence of Devin Harris. In Wednesday’s win over Cleveland, Devin was playing like the Devin we saw in the Vince Carter days – slashing, distributing, and most importantly, getting to the line. If he can help get guys like Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis in foul trouble and play competent defense on Jameer Nelson, it could be a great sign not only for this game but for the future as well.
- The obligatory “Brook Lopez must do better.” Dwight Howard is probably the hardest guy in the league to bounce back against for an offensive big man, but hey, he can’t be this bad for this long, right? Something’s gotta give.
For more Orlando Magic coverage, check out Eddy Rivera’s TrueHoop Orlando Magic affiliate Magic Basketball.
