By John Denton
March 4, 2015
ORLANDO – Devyn Marble’s rookie season for the Orlando Magic could potentially be over because of a detached retina in his left eye.
Marble, a second-round draft pick who the Magic acquired as part of a trade back in June, is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with the injury. The regular season ends on April 15 – six weeks from Wednesday night’s home game against the Phoenix Suns.
Marble, who saw two doctors on Tuesday, will have surgery on Tuesday in Orlando to repair the injury.
The injury apparently happened while Marble was playing a game with the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Development League. Marble, who has been assigned to the Magic’s minor league team three times this season, last spent time with the Bayhawks from Feb. 17-22. When he returned, he complained of vision troubles.
``The doctors said it can happen naturally and I think that’s what happened. But it probably happened (some time) ago because I remember it from when I was playing and my eyesight was blurry and I just thought I needed new contacts,’’ Marble said. ``It’s been at least a month (with blurry vision) because I remember that stretch when I was playing a lot and it was happening and it got worse. It got worse and something had to be wrong.’’
Marble, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard/forward, has appeared in 16 games this season with seven of them being starts in January. Marble is averaging 2.3 ppg., 1.9 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 13.0 minpg.
Marble, son of former collegiate great and NBA player Roy Marble, also played in six games with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, averaging 13.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 2.2 apg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 30.3 minpg.
NBA players such as Amare Stoudemire and Jason Maxiell suffered detached retina injuries and returned to action while wearing protective goggles. Marble, who missed 15 games earlier in the season with a strained rotator cuff, said he was already dreading having to play with goggles on, but he’s happy to know what was causing his blurred vision.
``Surgery is never your favorite thing to do and we’re real particular with our eyes as human beings,’’ the rookie said. ``I know I didn’t get poked (in the eye) and I don’t remember getting hit or anything like that. I guess the doctor said the fluid is breaking down the wall and going into my eye. That’s what’s happening. I really don’t think it was a physical injury or anything.’’
LINEUP CHANGE: Interim head coach James Borrego made a bold move to his starting lineup on Wednesday night, inserting defensive-minded power forward Dewayne Dedmon in place of 3-point shooter Channing Frye.
Frye, who was signed to a four-year free-agent contract last July, has struggled with his defense all season, especially of late. In the past nine games under Borrego, the Magic have given up 105.9 points per 100 possessions with Frye on the floor. Without Frye, the Magic are surrendering 93.2 points per 100 possessions. And those numbers are even better with the shot-swatting Dedmon on the floor – 87.8 points per 100 possessions.
Borrego said one of his major challenges as a head coach is figuring out how to juggle the talents of players to maximize the value for the Magic.
``They’re very different looks for us, but they have to give us what they have,’’ Borrego said. ``Channing, even though he’s thought of as an offensive stretch (shooting) guy, he’s got to give us what he can defensively and he is. Just like with Dewayne – he’s a defensive player and he impacts the game defensively. But he has to do his job offensively. He still has to set screens, roll hard and put pressure on the rim. Both of them are going to be challenged on both ends of the floor.’’
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