New York Knicks at Orlando Magic
Time: 7:05 PM ET
TV: NBA League Pass
Spread: ORL -5.5
Total: 189
Betting odds c/o Bovada
Stability and identity. That must be the model words for the Orlando Magic trying to transition with interim head coach James Borrego. Orlando is 1-2 since firing Jacque Vaughn, but according to NBA live odds, the Magic should prevail. Early NBA game odds show the Magic as 5.5-point favorites over the 10-42 New York Knicks.
Orlando doesn’t really excel at anything, ranking in the bottom-third of all major statistical categories. Orlando has a negative-6.2 point differential, and is 28th in the league in rebounding. The Magic are still early-on in a complete rebuild following the trading of franchise player Dwight Howard, but there are a lot of promising signs.
The total is 189 for this game, with neither team being overly dominant offensively. For an explanation of how NBA odds work, click here.
The first and foremost of these signs has been the emergence of point guard Elfrid Payton. Payton, a former UL-Lafayette standout, is posting 5.7 assists, 7.8 points and 1.55 steals per game, though doing so at an inefficient PER of 12.4. Still, Payton has done a number of things that are really only comparable to the work of Rajon Rondo. Payton chases down long rebounds (averages 1.1 per game on the offensive end), and he even does the ball-cuff fake that No. 9 did in Boston and is doing in Dallas.
Victor Oladipo, at this point, is without a doubt the best player of the 2013 NBA rookie class. Nerviness Noel and Michael Carter-Williams will be the answer by many, but neither offer the two-way brilliance of Oladipo. The former Indiana Hoosier is averaging 16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He’s become a formidable three-point shooter (34.6 percent), but needs to improve his marksmanship further to be the complement the Magic hope he will be with Payton.
The third guard in the rotation, Evan Fournier, is very inconsistent but fully capable of being a great interjection of scoring in the second unit. Fournier is hitting 37.4 from distance, and much like Oladipo, that mark needs to be closer to 40 percent. The Magic don’t really have any sharpshooters, and even Channing Frye (who is basically only good for spotting up) is under 40 percent.
The Magic may be shopping Tobias Harris at the deadline, even though he is second in scoring on the team only behind Nikola Vucevic. Harris has yet to establish a well-defined niche nor position in Orlando, and the thought is that his scoring could be better used on a contending team in need of second unit punch.
Harris’ lack of defined position will render him neither a wing nor post player, perhaps a poor man’s Carmelo Anthony— but how is that at all a good thing? Where has it got Anthony, a perpetual failure in the post season?
Harris can score, but tonight’s opponent has even inquired about his services. The thought around the league seems to be that Orlando will sell the to-be free agent off cheaply. That is likely far from true, however.
Harris will not suit up for this game, due to soreness in his right knee.
New York really has few good things going this season. Carmelo Anthony is still putting up numbers, but that means almost nothing. He’s going to miss this game with pain in his left knee. Amar’e Stoudemire is also out expected to play, but will be nursing a sore left ankle.
Langston Galloway has looked nice, but he is hardly an All-NBA future threat. Tim Hardaway Jr falls into the same category, and Quincy Acy is little more than a high energy bruiser. Shane Larkin has looked nice at times, but is clearly nothing more than a good backup.
The Knicks might praise Galloway’s development, but the Knicks will be looking to make moves with free agency, or even sweep in on a player made available at the trade deadline. There’s little to observe with the Knicks anymore, unless the development of Galloway and Hardaway Jr fall into that category…and it doesn’t for Knicks fans.
