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| Finished with serving his two-game suspension for DUI, Jason Kidd will be making his regular season head coaching debut tonight vs the Magic |
When: 6:00 PM; Sunday, November 3rd, 2013
Where: Amway Center; Orlando, FL
TV: YES Network
It's not always easy to play a less-than-elite team after an emotional win over one of the NBA's best. Well, the Brooklyn Nets have to do that on this Sunday as they are in Florida to take on the Orlando Magic just two days after beating the Miami Heat in their home opener at the Barclays Center. This game has all the makings of a traditional trap game for the Nets, who have beaten the Magic in four consecutive meetings, so Jason Kidd's crew has to make sure it takes Jacque Vaughn's banged-up squad seriously.
Kidd is making his debut as head coach tonight, ironically enough, against Vaughn, whom he played with for two seasons on the New Jersey Nets. Vaughn's team has faced the injury bug as of late with forwards Tobias Harris and Glen "Big Baby" Davis expected to be out vs Brooklyn. Conversely, everyone on the Nets is available to play–and according to Newsday's Nets beat writer Rod Boone–Deron Williams' and Andrei Kirilenko's playing time will be increased.
The Magic finished with a disappointing 20-62 record in the 2012-13 season, giving them the #2 overall pick in June's Draft which they used on Indiana guard Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has been inconsistent but dynamic so far in his pro career, averaging 12 points, four assists, and five rebounds per game throughout the Magic's first three games but he is also shooting 36% from the field and less than 29% and 67% from three-point range and the free-throw line respectively.
Clearly, Orlando and Brooklyn are teams heading in completely opposite directions right now, with the Magic being in the midst of a massive rebuilding effort and the Nets in playoff contention in the East.
Since Dwight Howard's departure from Orlando via trade to the Lakers the summer before last, the Magic have been trying to clear cap space and construct a winning team built around young players and draft picks. The fruits of that labor haven't presented themselves yet to the Orlando front office, fans, and players, but in time it's likely they will.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Paul Pierce (SF), Kevin Garnett (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
ORL- Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Jason Maxiell (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
Final Thoughts
This is a game the Nets need to win if they want to win the Atlantic Division and/or be a high seed in the Eastern Conference come April. They must beat the lesser teams on their schedule and the Magic are one of those lesser teams.
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