| 2009/2010 NBA Preseason | ||
|---|---|---|
 | @ |  |
| 3-0 | 1-2 | |
| October 12th, 2009 | ||
| FedEx Forum | ||
| 8:00 PM | ||
| No local TV | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Jason Williams | PG | O.J. Mayo |
| Mickael Pietrus | SG | Rudy Gay |
| Matt Barnes | SF | DeMarre Carroll |
| Rashard Lewis | PF | Zach Randolph |
| Dwight Howard | C | Hasheem Thabeet |
| Game Officials | ||
| Karl Lane | ||
| Dan Beauchamp | ||
| Marcus Clayton | ||
The Orlando Magic will attempt to continue their winning ways--and to improve their struggling defense--tonight when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies in preseason action. The Grizzlies are in a fairly unusual predicament, as far as preseason ball in concerned, as they played last night in Dallas, where their 26 turnovers contributed to a 114-107 defeat. Coincidentally, tonight marks the first game of a back-to-back set for the Magic, who will play the New Orleans Hornets tomorrow in Wichita. It's highly possible that both teams will feature their stars less tonight in order to conserve energy.
As I mentioned earlier, the Magic's top priority is defense, as they have not dazzled on that side of the ball in the early going. And from an individual standpoint, Vince Carter will look to correct his poor shooting by driving to the basket more often. Make no mistake: Orlando may be undefeated, but there's still plenty of work for it to do.
For more on the Grizzlies, visit Straight Outta Vancouver, SB Nation's new and excellent Memphis-centric blog. For instance, here's djturtleface's take on the potential Rudy Gay/Rashard Lewis matchup:
Rudy vs. Rashard vs. Learning- Rashard Lewis is the yin to Rudy's yang. Lewis is the ultimate manifestation of a technically proficient Rudy, while Rudy is the pure energy and athleticism 'Shard lacks to become a superstar. Look for the two to fuse into one being during the game.
I'll update the lineup chart once the real starting lineup becomes available. See you at tipoff.
UPDATE (from the Orlando Sentinel):
Magic PG Jason Williams, who played for Memphis for four seasons and worked out for the Grizzlies during his free-agent tour this summer, will start tonight against the Griz.
Starting PG Jameer Nelson will have the night off to rest as will starting SG Vince Carter.
Also in the starting lineup for the Magic as Coach Stan Van Gundy continues to experiment and give his starters at least one game off this preseason: C Dwight Howard, SG Mickael Pietrus, SF Matt Barnes and PF Rashard Lewis.