The Dwight Howard Thread

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  • ProfessaPackMan
    Bamma
    • Mar 2008
    • 63852

    #481
    Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

    Oh, just wait til the All Star Break and everyday after up to the trade deadline. We haven't heard nothing yet LOL.
    #RespectTheCulture

    Comment

    • 23
      yellow
      • Sep 2002
      • 66469

      #482
      Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

      Yeah I know man.. that exactly what I was thinking as I typed that

      Comment

      • King_B_Mack
        All Star
        • Jan 2009
        • 24450

        #483
        Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

        I just know when they were winning earlier in the year everybody was talking about Ryan Anderson being the front runner for Most Improved and **** was sweet, then they take some bad L's and everybody but Dwight apparently wasn't trying. They won a game or two and now another double digit lost so I was just wondering if we were still throwing everybody but Dwight under the bus.

        Comment

        • 23
          yellow
          • Sep 2002
          • 66469

          #484
          Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

          That was Dwight saying nobody was playing hard not the fans

          I do think that team is on the decline though from where they were so I dont see them doing anything

          I think the Celtic game just showed who they really were in light of contendors

          Comment

          • ProfessaPackMan
            Bamma
            • Mar 2008
            • 63852

            #485
            Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

            The push is on in Orlando to persuade Dwight Howard to stay, and at the center of it this week was Rich DeVos. The respected, 85-year-old Magic owner sent a strong message to his All-Star center by making a rare trip from Michigan to visit the Magic locker room in a wheelchair.
            This powerful image, DeVos at Amway Center for the Magic's 102-89 victory over the Heat on Wednesday night, was the symbolic backdrop for a night he hoped would serve as a reminder to Howard that he's where he belongs -- where he should stay.
            "We love him, and he respects us, so we talk," DeVos told reporters Wednesday night. "When you've lived as long as I've lived, you see things from a bigger lens, and you try and share that with the young guys, including being patient. ... You have to move in life, but the loyalty you develop in a community is always remembered. But if you leave, you don't pick it up in the next town. It's not an add-on, you know, because you lose what you had."



            This has become a collision of conflicting personal crusades: Howard, who has the itch for greener pastures, a bigger stage and global marketing opportunities, is being pulled hard in those directions. For DeVos, it is about more than that. It's about leaving the franchise he built, and the palatial arena that was built for it -- built for Howard -- in good standing. And it's about avenging a perceived misstep that contributed to the Magic's original franchise center leaving for the same things Howard is seeking.
            Way back when, in the summer of 1996, DeVos had a conversation with Shaquille O'Neal, who like Howard had been making noise about leaving for a bigger market. DeVos told O'Neal that he wanted him to stay, but that he was not going to overpay. If O'Neal wanted to be in Orlando, DeVos wanted it to be for reasons other than money. He wanted O'Neal to pick Orlando first, to proclaim his loyalty to the Magic. All Shaq had to do was say the word, and DeVos would've paid up.
            But Shaq being Shaq, and having one giant foot out the door already, he saw this as a convenient excuse to step with the other foot too. Years later, in his own revisionist history, O'Neal would complain about DeVos low-balling him. Did DeVos' tough stance, the negotiating acumen of a shrewd businessman trying to protect his investment, directly result in O'Neal leaving? For all practical matters, no -- O'Neal almost certainly was leaving anyway. But you can grasp how important this is to DeVos, how badly he wants to avoid a repeat.
            "We want to win," DeVos said. "We all want to win, OK? You can't change anything until he says he's going to stay."
            And by change anything, DeVos means a trade that would give Howard a second All-Star in Orlando, the piece he needs to win a championship there. (In my humble view, Steve Nash would do the trick.) But such a move can't be made blindly. Just as any team trading for Howard by March 15 needs assurances that he'll re-sign there in the summer, so do the Magic need Howard's word that if they pony up to help him, he'll return the favor by committing to them.
            Which brings us to the latest: What does Howard really want -- and not want -- and what is Orlando going to do about it?



            Recent reporting about Howard's negative views on the Lakers were over the top, and Kobe Bryant denies warning Howard that if he were traded to the Lakers, it would never be Howard's team as long as No. 24 was still lacing them up. I asked Bryant directly about this, and he said, "I didn't say any of that ___. Why would I need to say that? That's childish stuff."
            As for whether Kobe and Dwight have connected in some fashion, at least through an intermediary, it's clear they have. What was said in those conversations is "none of your business," I was told by someone privy to them. But the Kobe-said/Dwight-said aspect of this is merely a diversion from the real issues: Will the Magic buckle under the pressure and trade him by the deadline, and what does Howard really think about playing for the Lakers?
            While Howard's camp has not officially removed the Lakers from his three-team list, which also includes the Nets and Mavericks, a person with knowledge of the All-Star center's thinking told me he has some serious reservations about whether following Shaq's path out of Orlando and forming an alliance with Kobe would be a good idea.
            "Could Dwight's star shine as brightly as possible in L.A. because Kobe's there?" the person said. "Dwight would not be the main star on that team until Kobe retired. That is something that is a negative for Dwight."
            The idea of following in the footsteps of Shaq, who already has made a cottage industry of accusing Howard of stealing everything from him, also gives Howard pause, another person familiar with his thinking said.
            "Dwight is very sensitive to people thinking that he is duplicating Shaq," the person said.
            So that leaves Dallas and Brooklyn, with Brooklyn the clear leader in the clubhouse if 1) Orlando doesn't trade him by the deadline; and 2) Howard opts out and is willing to sign with the Nets outright as a free agent, thus leaving about $30 million on the table.
            "To go rebuild a team around Deron [Williams] and Dwight holds some sway," one of the people close to Howard said. "[Mikhail] Prokhorov definitely offers worldwide marketing opportunities. Going to Dallas and playing with Dirk [Nowitzki], who's not an egomaniac -- that could make sense. Going to L.A. with Kobe? I just don't see it."
            Aware of Howard's world view and the Magic's aversion to trading him, league front-office sources believe the Nets can get Howard in the summer without having to trade for him. Why would they absorb Hedo Turkoglu's contract and surrender assets if they don't have to? The aforementioned $30 million, to some degree, has been overstated. The difference is one year and 3 percent smaller raises under the new collective bargaining agreement, money that a 26-year-old superstar can make up with marketing dollars and, barring injury, his next contract.
            Dallas? A reassessment of the Mavs' cap situation after they signed Vince Carter reveals that they will not be able to clear enough room for two max players, as in Williams and Howard. The most room Dallas could possibly have is $29.4 million, according to league salary sheets. To do it, they would have to: 1) amnesty Brendan Haywood; 2) trade Shawn Marion; 3) waive Brandan Wright and Sean Williams; and 4), the kicker, trade Lamar Odom and Carter by March 15 for expiring contracts. Even then, they would be about $3 million shy of offering Howard and Williams max deals.
            So Howard will almost certainly still be with Orlando when he and his city host All-Star weekend in two weeks. The Magic, and DeVos, hope he's there beyond that -- beyond March 15 and long after July 1. It's a collision of conflicting crusades and agendas, a high-drama game of chicken that will end very badly for someone -- perhaps many people -- as we enter the crucial weeks that will decide his future.
            #RespectTheCulture

            Comment

            • ProfessaPackMan
              Bamma
              • Mar 2008
              • 63852

              #486
              Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

              Duhwight wants the ball in the 4th quarter. Doesn't care how he gets it, he just wants it(pause):

              There's often a trend with pretty much every Orlando Magic game. Dwight Howard dominates for three quarters and then fades in the fourth taking only two or three shots.

              Why? Because defenses clamp down, clog the paint, foul him when he gets it near the basket and he doesn't have teammates that can create good opportunities for him. It's not like someone like LeBron disappearing. Howard can't really help it. He doesn't handle the ball, can't create for himself and in general, has to be set up with opportunities.

              But he wants the ball. He wants to be a fourth quarter player. He wants to start shouldering that load, on his very oddly wide shoulders. Via FoxSports.com:
              "I do want the ball more in the fourth quarter," a frustrated Howard told FOX Sports exclusively after the game.
              "I want to become a closer. The only way you get there is by getting the ball and have coach have the confidence in giving me the ball.

              "That’s how Kobe (Bryant) and the rest of the great fourth-quarter players got that way. It’s trial and error. When Kobe first got in the league, it took him a while to become the killer he is in the fourth quarter now. That’s because he went through that phase where he had to learn what shots to take and just get confidence in taking shots in the fourth quarter.

              "That’s one thing that I want for myself, so I can become the guy who finishes games for my team. I want to be that guy whose team wants him to close games out for them. Coach just needs to have confidence in me."

              Obviously the Magic would love for him to be that closer too, but as I mentioned above, there are obstacles. The most obvious one being Howard has to do better at the free throw line. He's shooting just 49 percent from the stripe this season (a career-low, by a longshot) and hasn't ever shown the ability to be a consistent back-to-the-basket scorer. He gets a lot from lobs, putbacks and just overpowering his defender.

              Howard doesn't care though. He wants the ball.
              "Just run plays through me, so I can be comfortable in being the guy and have confidence in getting the ball late in the game and scoring," Howard said. "That’s what I’m worth. I want to be that guy who controls games. As a kid, that’s what you dream about in the NBA, taking that shot. I want to do that.

              "I’m the leader of the team. Ride my back. I’ll lead. I don’t care if I miss every single shot, I’m going to continue to play hard. Just get on my back.

              "That’s why they call me Superman."

              Actually, I'm not sure THAT'S why. I'm pretty sure it has more to do with you putting on a cape and calling yourself that, but whatever. Not the point.

              It's such a challenge to do that with a post player though. It's so difficult to rely on a guy on the block to hit a crucial late game shot. Shaq was sort of an exception, but still, he faced challenges of Hack-a-Shaq and Kobe getting him the ball.

              The Magic have always been most dangerous when they play inside-out with Howard drawing extra defenders and then kicking out to a shooter or to someone who can penetrate a rotating defense and then dish again. They've never really succeeded just dumping the ball to Howard and letting him go to work. He doesn't have the footwork or touch to really do that.

              But he wants the shot. And at this point with his future in the air with Orlando, it might be best to just give him what he wants.
              Thoughts on his comments?
              #RespectTheCulture

              Comment

              • Dice
                Sitting by the door
                • Jul 2002
                • 6627

                #487
                Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                He wants to be the man during crunch time? Hit a higher FT% than .491, his FT% this season. And please don’t give me the “Shaq was a terrible FT shooter as well”. Dwight ain’t Shaq and probably will never be Shaq. Shaq could score 35 points and go 4-12 from the FT line. Not sure if Dwight can do that.
                I have more respect for a man who let's me know where he stands, even if he's wrong. Than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil. - Malcolm X

                Comment

                • King_B_Mack
                  All Star
                  • Jan 2009
                  • 24450

                  #488
                  Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                  Beat me to it Pack. I think Dwight needs to just stop talking because he's making himself less likable every single time. Before even touching the trade request aspect of this, he needs to shoot free throws better before even thinking of asking for the ball in the fourth quarter down the stretch. Anybody who could be ruled a non-factor cause he can't make his free throws has no business being the go to guy in the last two to three minutes of a tight game. Beyond that, just like calling out teammates, once you demand a trade from your team and make it so clear publicly that you don't want to be there, you lose the right to call for people to have confidence in you.

                  Comment

                  • wwharton
                    *ll St*r
                    • Aug 2002
                    • 26949

                    #489
                    Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                    "I’m the leader of the team. Ride my back. I’ll lead. I don’t care if I miss every single shot, I’m going to continue to play hard. Just get on my back.

                    "That’s why they call me Superman."
                    Maybe the worse quote from an NBA player in a long time... much worse than anything LBJ has said. Dwight, I officially no longer have your back in any regards.

                    Comment

                    • ProfessaPackMan
                      Bamma
                      • Mar 2008
                      • 63852

                      #490
                      Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                      Meh, could've done without the Superman part or not have said anything after his team went on a 16-0 run to win the game, but other than that, that quote ain't THAT bad now.

                      But I also agree with Dice. He wants to be a closer.....gonna have to do alot better than just hitting half of your FTs my man. On top of the fact that he ain't Young Shaq either.
                      #RespectTheCulture

                      Comment

                      • AlexBrady
                        MVP
                        • Jul 2008
                        • 3341

                        #491
                        Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                        Maybe Howard should raise his free throw percentage or develop a short range angle banker. This is his eighth season as a pro, why does he still not have any hip dips, twisters, elbow clears, or duck unders? This guy's career is turning out to be like David Robinson's. Otherworldly talents but lacking passion for the game.

                        Comment

                        • 23
                          yellow
                          • Sep 2002
                          • 66469

                          #492
                          Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                          He's really trying to get out of ORL aint he

                          That last quote is a bit weird

                          Comment

                          • King_B_Mack
                            All Star
                            • Jan 2009
                            • 24450

                            #493
                            Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                            I hadn't even seen that last quote in the article I read. When I saw it in the one Pack posted I just smh. This is starting to sound like some agent influenced talk from Dwight. He throws some trash like this closer business out there so he can say they didn't believe in him or something as a way to save face with fans when he gets traded or bails at the end of his deal.

                            Comment

                            • The 24th Letter
                              ERA
                              • Oct 2007
                              • 39373

                              #494
                              Nothing wrong with what Dwight said IMO, except that last part

                              If he wants to take on the ownership of being a "closer", so be it, you can either succeed or fail.....it's as simple as that.....I don't know the numbers, but I want to say he tends to knock down his FTs in clutch situations...either way, it's something he needs to improve...
                              Last edited by The 24th Letter; 02-13-2012, 03:09 PM.

                              Comment

                              • 23
                                yellow
                                • Sep 2002
                                • 66469

                                #495
                                Re: Could Dwight Be Playing Somewhere Else Next Season?

                                I think he's doing the most talking out of all of this I want out business except for maybe Kobe

                                Everyone else it was the media carrying things on...every week Dwight is on something new

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