Three Things To Watch In The Magic vs. Wizards Game Tonight:
Will either team be able to score efficiently?
This game is probably gonna be ugly. Over at the Point Forward Zach Lowe explains that in seven of the Magic’s games in January they had less points per possession than the Wizards, who are currently the worst scoring team in the NBA. In fact Lowe points out that in four of their recent games the Magic scored only 87.5 points per 100 possessions, significantly worse than even the dismals Wizards league-last 93 points per 100 possessions rate.
With Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson out, will the Magic’s backup guards be able to slow Nick Young and John Wall?
Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson’s absences will certainly hurt the Magic offensively, but the game might be decided by how Nick Young, Jordan Crawford, and John Wall play against the Magic’s backup guards. Chris Duhon and JJ Redick are reliable fill-ins as starters, but afterwards the Magic’s lack of depth really becomes apparent. When the Magic have Larry Hughes and Quentin Richardson in they’re likely to struggle against Washington’s speedy guards. John Wall in particular has been playing well recently and is a likely candidate to have a big game against the Magic.
Who Will Win The Battle of The Blocks?
With Dwight Howard averaging less blocks per game than he has in four years, Javale McGee, the Wizards young center, has taken over the top spot and raced out to a league-leading 3.1 blocks a game. While he’s averaging one more block a game than Dwight Howard, his lack of polish offensively should give Dwight plenty of opportunities for blocks himself. Watching their block contest might be fun distraction for what otherwise could be a tough game to watch.