The Magic Insider

Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Things to Watch

The Orlando Magic (2-8) will host the Houston Rockets (1-9) Monday night at the Amway Center. Here are some things to watch heading into the game.

Jeremy Brener

Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Things to Watch
Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Things to Watch /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic eyes its third win of the season and the team is favored against the Houston Rockets, who have just one victory in their first 10 tries.

The Magic and Rockets represent two of the league's rebuilding teams, which makes for an evenly-matched contest.

Here's a look at three things to watch for in Monday's game ...

Small Ball vs. Tall Ball

The Rockets usually operate a starting lineup with three guards ... Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Eric Gordon. And that's the exact opposite of what the Magic do.

The Magic will have a height advantage in Monday's matchup, but it will be up to Orlando to utilize that edge and exploit it. Because there is also an advantage the Rockets have with a team filled with quick guards that can run up and down the floor.

Jabari Smith's Chip

Up until Paolo Banchero's name was called as the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Jabari Smith had reason to believe his name was the one coming out of Adam Silver's mouth.

However, it wasn't. Banchero ended up in Orlando, while Smith landed in Houston.

After the draft, Smith admitted that he was disappointed the Magic didn't take him. Monday is his first chance to sock it to the team that passed him up.

Keep The Foot on The Gas

The Magic could easily be winners of three straight games coming into this contest. However, Orlando surrendered double-digit leads in losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings.

The Magic is playing better basketball than its record suggests. The same could be said for the Rockets, albeit on a smaller scale.

The Magic is losing games not because of macro-philosophy reasons, but rather because the team isn't executing the micro-details inside each game. If Orlando can clean that up, expect a happy crowd heading home Monday night.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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