Preview: Magic at Cavaliers, December 28th

Orlando Magic (19-12) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-22)

Relevant Statistics:

Offensive Efficiency: Magic 104.8 (12th) vs. Cavaliers 97.7 (29th)

Defensive Efficiency: Magic 99.0 (4th) vs. Cavaliers 107.6 (26th)

Pace: Magic 93.1 (21st) vs. Cavaliers 95.3 (16th)

Notes:

The Cavs took the ball to the basket a lot against Minnesota, but that might not be a great idea in this game. No team defends the rim better than Orlando, and Dwight Howard is going to send the ball back every time the Cavs throw up a weak layup. The Cavs’ best chance is probably to swing that ball around the perimeter and force the Magic’s new pieces to make rotations.

This could be a trap game for the Magic, who are coming off two huge wins but still haven’t gotten used to playing with each other. So we’ve got that going for us.

The Magic are going to get a ton of open three-point looks tonight. Richardson, Jameer, Hedo, FINGA GUNZ and the rest of their shooters are feeling good, it could get ugly. Also, the Cavs still can’t guard Dwight Howard straight-up, and he might take out his frustration with his 6-point game on the Cavs.

Alright, that’s all for right now. This one could end badly. Check in with me on the live dime, and check back here later for the recap.