| 2008/2009 NBA Preseason | ||
|---|---|---|
 | @ |  |
| 4-1 | 4-2 | |
| October 20th, 2008 | ||
| Philips Arena | ||
| 7:00 PM | ||
| No TV | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Jameer Nelson | PG | Mike Bibby |
| Keith Bogans | SG | Joe Johnson |
| Mickael Pietrus | SF | Josh Smith |
| Rashard Lewis | PF | Al Horford |
| Dwight Howard | C | Zaza Pachulia |
UPDATE2: I went ahead and updated the actual starting lineups. No Hedo for the Magic.
UPDATE: Looks like Hedo Turkoglu will be return after all, says Brian Schmitz. Whoops.
Okay, so I don't know for sure will join Jameer Nelson in the Orlando Magic's backcourt tonight -- I assume that Hedo Turkoglu will once again sit out to rest his strained groin -- but I'm reasonably certain it'll be J.J. Redick. Mickael Pietrus will shift to small forward, which some people might argue is his natural position, leaving a three-way battle between Redick, Courtney Lee, and Keith Bogans for the starting shooting guard job. Lee got the call Saturday night and played horrifically on offense, earning this harsh criticism from coach Stan Van Gundy, as transcribed by John Denton:
"He was passive and putting the ball over his head. We were playing five on four a lot of the time he was out there. He's too good of a player to play like that."
Then again, Stan praised Lee for his defense, and the Magic face another tough two-guard to handle tonight in Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson.
So I guess what I'm saying is your guess as to who will start is as good as mine. But if I were a betting man, I'd say Redick. Stan may want to reward him for his stellar play against Miami and, at the same time, boost his confidence.
This game might have more significance than normal as the Magic open the regular season against Atlanta only 9 days from now and could use tonight to tune-up. For more on the Hawks, check out Peachtree Hoops, SB Nation's Hawks blog.
Tip's at 7. Go Magic.