The Orlando Magic have operated as something of a feeder system for the Los Angeles Lakers over the years. They develop a star player. The Lakers take that player away. It happened to great effect with Shaquille O'Neal. The results weren't quite as exciting with Dwight Howard. But this one-sided relationship between the two franchises has created a bit off enmity. It would hardly be fair for the Magic to call the Lakers rivals. That would, after all, imply a degree of evenness that just does not exist (especially after the five-game 2009 NBA Finals), but there is some dislike here. The Orlando fans are going to have a hostile attitude towards the Lakers as they attempt to roll over their Eastern Conference foe.
The Lakers will therefore need to play some of their best basketball as they open this east coast trip. With two more personal games for LeBron James coming against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, it would be easy to overlook the Magic and lose a winnable game. These are the starters that the Lakers are bringing into that matchup to ensure a victory.
