Chapter 87: The Honeymoon Phase.
Two days later, the Cavaliers visited Orlando for their second matchup of the season against the Magic.
The Magic hadn't made any moves by the trade deadline, and Jamison was still coming off the bench as Coach Brown had planned.
But in this game, Jamison became the key factor in the outcome.
He came off the bench for 31 minutes, shot 9-for-14 from the field, and delivered an efficient 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Not only did he perform completely opposite to his previous game offensively, but he also played solid defense for once.
For most of the game, Jamison was matched up against Rashard Lewis. Under Jamison's defense, Lewis was limited to 5-for-12 shooting and only managed 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Jamison had never been known for his defense, especially after joining the Wizards, where his defensive habits became poor, turning him into a liability for his team.
However, defense often relies on physical talent.
Take two extreme examples: Tracy McGrady and Sasha Vujacic. The former, even without putting much effort into defense, was never considered a liability, while the latter, no matter how hard he tried, was often referred to as non-impactful.
Jamison stands at 6'9" with a 7'1" wingspan, weighs 238 pounds, and has broad shoulders— a natural gift for defense.
When he's willing to commit defensively, even at 33, he can at least avoid being a liability, though not a lockdown defender.