Staff writer Josh Robbins breaks down the matchups when the Orlando Magic host the Atlanta Hawks tonight at Amway Center.
Center
Dwight Howard is the series' best player by far, but he's no good to the Magic if foul trouble takes him off the court. His patience will be tested by Atlanta's Jason Collins, a gritty (read: physical) and savvy (read: flopping) 7-footer. Howard will get his points, but Collins will defend Howard one-on-one, which allows the Hawks to defend the 3-point line effectively. Collins is not a scoring threat and he can be prone to foul trouble. Edge: Magic.
Power forward
Brandon Bass possesses a feathery midrange jumper and a set of powerful inside moves. He can be a good one-on-one defender, but he must focus on his team defense and rebounding. Generously listed as 6 feet 8, he could have trouble defending against 6-foot-10 Al Horford. Horford continued to improve this past season, and he should be a big factor now that he doesn't have to defend Howard. Edge: Hawks.
Small forward
Hedo Turkoglu shoots well from 3-point range, and his 6-10 frame and ball-handling skills enable him to serve as a point forward. He's deadly running the high pick-and-roll with Howard, but his defense can be awful if he isn't engaged. Atlanta's Josh Smith is athletic, with a quick first step and explosive jumping ability, and should be able to beat Turkoglu off the dribble. The Magic would like to limit Smith to long jumpers. Edge: Hawks.
Shooting guard
Magic players have more confidence in Jason Richardson at crunch time than they did in Vince Carter. Richardson doesn't take the ball hoop often enough, but he's a strong 3-point shooter who isn't afraid to take a key late shot. No player in this series faces more pressure than Atlanta's Joe Johnson, who is the team's leading scorer but was awful in last year's playoffs against the Magic. Johnson is a poor 3-point shooter who made just 30 percent of his treys this season. Edge: Even.
Point guard
Jameer Nelson is a big-game player who excelled in last postseason's first and second rounds. He's the Magic's barometer: When he plays well, so do the Magic. But he's a below-average defender who's limited by his 6-foot frame. Kirk Hinrich, whom Atlanta acquired in a midseason trade, is a big upgrade over Mike Bibby defensively. But Hinrich has been up-and-down during his short Hawks tenure. Edge: Magic.