The Orlando Magic take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first nationally televised game of the season at Amway Arena tonight at 8:00 pm EST. See my preview of the game here.

Joshua Robbins compares the first six years of Dwight Howard’s career with the first six year of Shaq’s career. You can read that here.

Robbins also has a nice interview with former NBA coach and current NBA announcer Hubie Brown.

Q: Do you attribute the Magic’s recent problems on defense to the injuries?

Brown: Absolutely, because not only does it affect the rotations and the chemistry of the first unit, but now you’re changing your second unit completely and your substitutions. So, everybody is in an unfamiliar situation, whether it is the [move to the] first unit from the second unit, whether it is in minutes, whether it is in coverage of the opposition.

All of a sudden you’re going from playing backup people to starters, so naturally things of this nature cause an uncertainty of a team functioning at its maximum level defensively. I think that’s what Orlando will be in the second half of the year, one of the better half-court defensive teams that we have [in the league].

You can find that here.

Tania Ganguli takes a look back at Shaq’s NBA career. Click here to read Ganguli’s article.

Mike Bianchi argues that Cleveland is Orlando’s chief rivals and they are for one main reason: Shaq.

It’s the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom the Magic will play tonight in Amway Arena.

And it’s for one reason and one reason only.

Not because of LeBron. Not because the two teams met last year in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not because Cleveland fans are just jealous because we get to live in Orlando.

No.

It’s about Shaq, stupid.

He’s the biggest reason the Cavs are the team Orlando most wants to beat.

Click here to read Bianchi’s “Open Mike.”

Dwight Howard updated his official blog looking for fan votes so that Howard can once again make the All-Star team.

I just heard that the all-star ballots came out today. VC, ‘Shard, Jameer and me are on there this year for the Magic. I hope that you guys can help me get back to the all-star game again. I’ve been there three times already and I want to be in that game in Texas this year where the Cowboys play. That stadium looks incredible. I can’t believe they are gonna put a B-ball game in there.

I was blown away last year that you guys helped me get the most votes ever for an all-star player. That honor is one of the greatest of my career because it’s all about the fans helping me out.

Click here to read Dwight’s blog.

Dwight needs to be careful about what he says on his blog. The NBA fined him $15,000 for comments he made on his blog about the officiating.

“What really bothers me is they are letting guys hammer me at one end of the floor, yet I’m being called for everything. All of those hits take a toll on my body after a while,” Howard wrote.

Read the full story here.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)