EA SPORTSDESK -- NBA Game of the Week

By Shawn Drotar, Executive Editor, 5WGaming.com

January 27, 2009

Two of the NBA's best teams square off on Thursday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic meet in Florida.

With star power to burn, the two clubs are championship contenders and both are looking to dethrone the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

Magic center Dwight Howard recently set a new record for All-Star votes earned, and justifiably so -- while leading the league in rebounds and blocks, the phenomenal young center has become one of the most potent forces in the game.

However, the single-most potent force in the game wears a Cleveland uniform. Forward LeBron James, the latest contender for Michael Jordan's long-vacated throne, is having one of the finest seasons in memory.

Leading his team in scoring (28.0 points per game), rebounds (7.4 per game), assists (6.9 per game) and steals (2.0 per game), James is the most dynamic player in the NBA, capable of a triple-double on any given night.

There's simply no way to stop the man they call "King James". This month, he's notched double-digit assist totals four times and is averaging over eight per game. His rebounds in January have jumped to nearly 10 per game while pulling down 14 rebounds in three contests this month.

It's important to remember that he's a small forward, not a center or point guard, yet he can put up numbers with the best at any position on the floor. In other words, LeBron James is a coach's worst nightmare... unless you're Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, that is.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is not, and he'll have to figure out how to contain James' teammates instead of trying to control the uncontrollable LeBron. Van Gundy has a long team, tall at almost every position with excellent shooting range. If the Magic can find their shot from the outside, they can spread the Cavaliers thin, freeing up space inside for Howard, who's a superior player to Cleveland centers Zydrunas Ilguaskas and Ben Wallace.

By neutralizing Ilguaskas and Wallace, the Cavaliers will be forced to turn to guard Mo Williams for scoring. Williams is more than capable of putting the ball in the basket, but if the Magic can give Howard room to dominate inside, they'll be able to even the odds.

The question at that point -- as it always is when playing the Cavaliers -- is how much James will be able to alter those odds singlehandedly.

The Magic are a better team than is widely recognized, and they're certainly capable of winning this game, but the difference between victory and defeat will be the performance of James, and the best player in the world makes this the best game of the week to watch.

Shawn Drotar's Bio:

Shawn Drotar, in his second season of covering the NBA for the EA SPORTS Desk, brings over a decade of gaming and sports journalism experience to 5WGaming.com. As a columnist for Rotonews (now Rotowire).com, a fantasy sports correspondent for ESPN.com, and currently, as an editor for a national sports wire service, Shawn's experience in covering the world of sports also translates well to the ever more true-to-life world of sports gaming. As Managing Editor of Operation Sports.com from 2002-07, Shawn was responsible for all of the content for the Internet's largest independent sports gaming site, and as a guest columnist for Xbox.com since 2003, he has been able to share his enthusiasm for gaming with that community. Shawn has had the opportunity to blend the two worlds in print, as featured in the Washington Post, on radio stations and on television as well, appearing on the Altitude sports network in the Rocky Mountain region and nationally on ESPNEWS' "The Pulse" as an expert on both sports video gaming and the gaming industry as a whole. At 5WGaming.com, Shawn continues to closely follow the world of sports gaming, but will also expand his focus to include other genres and the fascinating kaleidoscope of experiences that comprise the entire gaming industry, an ever-changing blend of engineering and artistry.