The Dwight Howard Thread

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

That never happened.

Why?

Because Dwight's trade value relies on his willingness to re-sign with the team he is traded to. If Dwight didn't want to be traded, the Magic would have received significantly less value in return because teams wouldn't want to invest so much into a year of Dwight Howard.

Dude, that absolutely happened. You're changing history now. Dwight informed the team (and announced publicly) that he wanted to finish the season with the team. The team then told him he had to exercise his option, or they would trade him anyway.

[buickbeast]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

I really hope Howard gets traded this off season. I don't care if we get players, picks, or bubble gum. Opening home night each fan should receive a bottle of Advil for putting up with all the child play that Howard caused. I can't believe they let SVG go, I didn't agree with his reliance on the 3, but all in all he was one of the better coaches in the league. I hope he lands his dream job in the NBA.

[mKoz26]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Dude, that absolutely happened. You're changing history now. Dwight informed the team (and announced publicly) that he wanted to finish the season with the team. The team then told him he had to exercise his option, or they would trade him anyway.

Was that before or after Dwight had announced he wanted to be traded?

Far after. Why should we have expected the Magic to rely on Dwight's every new word after he already expressed serious interest in a trade?

Once Dwight asked to be traded, the writing was on the wall. The Magic weren't going to let him bully them. The front office deserves absolutely no blame for trying to trade him at any point after he requested a trade, even if he took back his request. Their actions were still reactionary. If their actions had to be reactionary to Dwight's every change in opinion, they'd allow themselves to be held hostage by a prima donna like Dwight. That would be a much greater mistake than shopping him after he requested a trade.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Was that before or after Dwight had announced he wanted to be traded?

Far after. Why should we have expected the Magic to rely on Dwight's every new word after he already expressed serious interest in a trade?

Once Dwight asked to be traded, the writing was on the wall. The Magic weren't going to let him bully them. The front office deserves absolutely no blame for trying to trade him at any point after he requested a trade, even if he took back his request. Their actions were still reactionary. If their actions had to be reactionary to Dwight's every change in opinion, they'd allow themselves to be held hostage by a prima donna like Dwight. That would be a much greater mistake than shopping him after he requested a trade.

What about when the Magic decided in the middle of the season to stop taking offers on Dwight, and that they were going to try and convince him to stay? It's not like once Dwight made his request, the Magic made the decision to try and trade him and stuck to that decision. They've wavered several times on whether to trade him or try and convince him to stay.

[mKoz26]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

What about when the Magic decided in the middle of the season to stop taking offers on Dwight, and that they were going to try and convince him to stay? It's not like once Dwight made his request, the Magic made the decision to try and trade him and stuck to that decision. They've wavered several times on whether to trade him or try and convince him to stay.

Since you're so convinced that's what happened, how about a source? Show me that Otis Smith publicly wavered several times. Because I'm not remembering the narrative that you're giving.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Since you're so convinced that's what happened, how about a source? Show me that Otis Smith publicly wavered several times. Because I'm not remembering the narrative that you're giving.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/sp...d-for-now.html

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/01/20/howard-smith-downplay-trade-ahead-lakers-game/

http://www2.canada.com/sports/magic+keep+dwight+howard/5864508/story.html?id=5864508

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/features/shaun_powell/02/09/devos-dwight/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

At no point did the Magic ever say "We are absolutely not trading Dwight Howard." But they did say "We aren't trading Dwight right now" in hopes he'd change his mind. And when he did, they changed their minds about wanting him for the rest of the season.

If I'm Orlando, I don't trade him. You need a Superstar to win in the NBA. In today's NBA, you probably need more than one. Dwight Howard is a superstar. So if I'm Orlando, I hold onto to him. Then, at the end of next season when Dwight is a free agent, I can offer him $30 million more than anyone else, plus have some cap space to make some improvements. If he leaves, then my roster is depleted, but I have cap space to rebuild, and hopefully will be able to get a high lottery pick. If you make one of the trades everyone presumes the Magic will make, you will likely be a playoff team, but you will likely never contend for a title. In the NBA, mediocrity leads to more mediocrity. If you don't have a roster that is, or can become, championship caliber, then you gut it and start over. That's how the Magic themselves got back into prominence after McGrady.

[mKoz26]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/sp...d-for-now.html

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/01/20/howard-smith-downplay-trade-ahead-lakers-game/

http://www2.canada.com/sports/magic+keep+dwight+howard/5864508/story.html?id=5864508

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/features/shaun_powell/02/09/devos-dwight/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

At no point did the Magic ever say "We are absolutely not trading Dwight Howard." But they did say "We aren't trading Dwight right now" in hopes he'd change his mind. And when he did, they changed their minds about wanting him for the rest of the season.

Those links certainly don't match your narrative.

The Magic went from "We will explore our options over the next three months" after Dwight's demand to "We want to keep him" and stayed there until the Dwight/Van Gundy incident. Then things got clouded with contradicting sources and such. You're going to tell me that's flip-flopping several times?

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Those links certainly don't match your narrative.

The Magic went from "We will explore our options over the next three months" after Dwight's demand to "We want to keep him" and stayed there until the Dwight/Van Gundy incident. Then things got clouded with contradicting sources and such. You're going to tell me that's flip-flopping several times?

Here's the chain of events:

We got all kinds of rumors last summer that Dwight would likely be traded (even that he was much more likely to be traded than Chris Paul) because the Magic were afraid of him leaving in Free Agency. They, obviously, don't pursue it further than putting out feelers in hopes Dwight will stay. Dwight requests a trade before the season. The Magic start looking at trades and reportedly got pretty close to trading him. They got cold feet (understandably) and decided to instead try and convince him to stay. Then the deadline comes and they're trying to shop Dwight Howard while simultaneously trying to bring in someone to play with him, most notably Monte Ellis. Then Dwight says he wants to finish the season with Orlando and pursue a championship, and the Magic get him to sign a waiver.

I don't blame the Magic for exploring options. That's smart. And I've never said that they were wrong to do so. My point is, if it's okay for the Magic to explore their options, why is is a crime against humanity for Dwight to explore his. The Magic haven't flip-flopped "several" times, but they have changed their stance, more than once, that we know of. As far as Dwight, he also hasn't changed his stance "several" times. He decided he wanted to be traded (which is smart on his part, since he can get more money that way), and then decided he wanted to finish the season. If someone offered you a new job, and it was a hard decision for you, you'd probably go back and forth about it. The difference is with all the leaks in that place, every time one party or the other started leaning one way or the other, everyone knew about it.

Here's another thing. Chris Paul also asked to be traded. The big difference in the situations is that the Hornets agreed to Paul's request and traded him. The Magic decided to try and convince Dwight to reconsider his request and to pick up his option. And it worked. So people are mad at Dwight, because the Magic convinced him to waive his trade request and pick up his option, when that was the plan all along? The Magic got what they were hoping for. He's not asking to be traded (that we know of) and he is under contract for next year.

About SVG, whether or not Dwight asked for him to be fired (and if he did, then that isn't right), the way he acted after that was, imo, unprofessional. Whether he knew it for absolute fact, or heard it from a guy that heard it from a guy, he should not have aired it out like that in front of the media. I know he was hurt by it, and was lashing out about it. But that doesn't help your team win, at all. I imagine the meeting probably was something like this:

Magic: "If we were to let Stan and Otis go and bring in a new coach and GM, do you think that would make this a better situation for you to stay in?"

Dwight: "Probably, yes".

That is likely the way it went. I don't think he went to them telling them he wanted Stan fired. I don't think they gave him the power to make coaching changes officially (though, let's be honest, every star free agent or soon to be free agent has some power in that decision). They probably asked him if it would help their chances, and he answered yes.

I've never said Dwight never flip flopped or changed his mind. My point is, and always has been, that if you are going to crucify Dwight for something, don't you have to crucify the team as well? Because they've changed their minds. Because when they decided to not pursue a trade at a given point and time, it was in order to try and change Dwight's mind (and somehow people are mad that they did?).

Really, what could Dwight have done in this situation? The only thing he ever could have done where people weren't going to rip him apart is stay with Orlando forever.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Go back and read this thread(which I doubt you really will)and you will see that PLENTY of people criticized the Magic as well, even up thru March 15th. I was one of the people who said they need to go ahead and move him since it was obvious that he was not committed to them. They're just as big a idiot as Duhwight is/was.

But once the idiot got guilt tripped into opting in, after going thru 4 months of "I want to stay, I don't want to stay" and even cater to his every need and that still may not be enough to convince him to stay long term, then how the hell can you be upset at people who's not blaming the Franchise?

Amazing how so much stuff is convientiently ignored just to fit an argument when the answers/facts are right there in front of you. It's ridiculous.

"The Magic flip flopped on Duhwight". GTFO with that mess

Here's another thing. Chris Paul also asked to be traded.

Did he or was that what the "sources" were reporting? The same "sources" that were putting out these false stories about Duhwight?

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

Go back and read this thread(which I doubt you really will)and you will see that PLENTY of people criticized the Magic as well, even up thru March 15th. I was one of the people who said they need to go ahead and move him since it was obvious that he was not committed to them. They're just as big a idiot as Duhwight is/was.

But once the idiot got guilt tripped into opting in, after going thru 4 months of "I want to stay, I don't want to stay" and even cater to his every need and that still may not be enough to convince him to stay long term, then how the hell can you be upset at people who's not blaming the Franchise?

Amazing how so much stuff is convientiently ignored just to fit an argument when the answers/facts are right there in front of you. It's ridiculous.

"The Magic flip flopped on Duhwight". GTFO with that mess


Did he or was that what the "sources" were reporting? The same "sources" that were putting out these false stories about Duhwight?

So you're mad that he felt guilty about leaving the only place he's ever played, and agreed to give them another season to put the team back on track? Yeah, you're right. That guy is a terrible person.

/sarcasm.

You said it right there, though. People are this mad because he won't commit to them longterm. Can you blame him?

[wwharton]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

So you're mad that he felt guilty about leaving the only place he's ever played, and agreed to give them another season to put the team back on track? Yeah, you're right. That guy is a terrible person.

/sarcasm.

You said it right there, though. People are this mad because he won't commit to them longterm. Can you blame him?

I'm sure "mad" is far from the right word, but people are replying bc you're trying to convince us that the Magic flip flopped some how in all this mess. That part actually should be pretty clear... don't know why you'd try to go in this new direction. Do you just want to defend all things Dwight Howard at all costs?

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

LMAO @ me being "mad" now.

But let him put words in people's mouths(which is what he's doing now)that this is ALL the Magic's fault and Duhwight was just caught in the crossfire of all this so if he wants to be that naive and believe that, then let him. Shoot, we got people out here in the world who actually think the world is flat so yeah lol.

[23]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

At this point, I think people just stopped replying because it really seems that Dj believes that Dwight is innocent in all of this and hasn't butchered his side of the process monumentally.

If this late in the game, you believe that the Magic were the lone screw jobs in this mess there isnt much else to discuss

[DonkeyJote]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

I'm sure "mad" is far from the right word, but people are replying bc you're trying to convince us that the Magic flip flopped some how in all this mess. That part actually should be pretty clear... don't know why you'd try to go in this new direction. Do you just want to defend all things Dwight Howard at all costs?

He used the word "upset". You're right, mad isn't the right word, but the point stands. Dude is in a no win situation. There is no way for him to have ever handled this situation where people are going to come down on him.

So are you trying to tell me that the Magic have kept the same stance on Dwight through this entire mess? They didn't, at any point, go from thinking "let's trade him to get what we can" to "let's try and convince him to stay" and back again?

It's funny you think I'm defending Dwight at all costs. It's not like I've ever said he didn't change his mind. I just don't get the hate for the guy over it. And I haven't been trying to say that the Magic are all bad. I'm just pointing out that both parties haven't been able to make up their minds about this. People are acting like the dude is a liar in here. I don't blame the Magic at all for their actions (people seem to skip over this part every time I say I'd probably do the same, or very nearly the same, if I was the magic). I just don't blame Dwight Howard at all for his. People act like he is somehow mentally fragile because months of an organization and a community try to convince him to stay had an effect on him. Like somehow him being torn between Orlando and bigger market makes him less than a guy who doesn't bat an eye about leaving for the big city (Melo, Paul, Bosh, LeBron, etc). I don't get it.

The ironic thing is he probably made the trade request to avoid all this. He had been hearing his name in rumors for months, and probably didn't want it to drag out like Melo's deal did, so he asked for a trade, and the team (within their rights, and I don't blame them) didn't comply.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: The Dwight Howard Thread

All I wanna know is how all of a sudden before Dwight ever asked to be traded this whole thing started with rumors that he was likely going to be traded by the Magic because they didn't want to lose him for nothing like Shaq as if the Magic forced Dwight to ask for a trade because he knew they didn't want him anymore. There was nothing but people speculating what Orlando SHOULD do, but there was NOTHING, repeat, NOTHING saying that Dwight would likely be traded. But whatever, this is a pointless discussion.