Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  77 responses

Dwight Howard: Orlando Magic Need to ‘Change’


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Talk about timing for Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic team.

A few hours after saying he would consider playing for the Boston Celtics starting next year, citing his admiration of their resolve, cohesiveness and overall toughness, the C’s put all of those qualities on full display in Orlando last night.

Boston overcame a 27-point deficit, in a stunning comeback win (their second consecutive victory over the Magic.) A dejected Dwight Howard criticized his squad and himself following the game, saying they need to make changes.

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Howard intimated that teammates didn’t stick to their roles Thursday night’s loss to Boston. “We didn’t play the right way and we have to change,” he said. “Everybody just can’t come down (the floor) and feel like they have to take the game over. You just have to play team-ball and play the way we want to play. We didn’t do that.” Howard included himself in the meltdown inwhich the Magic lost a 27-point lead. He finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds, but didn’t steady the ship as the lead dwindled and got into early foul trouble.

Howard said the team let down after racing to a big lead.“We thought it was going to be easy after the first two quarters,” Howard said. “We can’t allow that. We have to change.”

Assuming that he hasn’t already completely made up his mind about leaving the Magic, or that the front-office doesn’t trade him by the deadline, Dwight Howard’s free agent decision will be largely based on how his team responds to adversity (especially in the postseason.)

Last night’s crushing defeat doesn’t help matters in any way, but Orlando does have plenty of time to make “changes”. Can they, will they?

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  • shutup

    So making him look like a whining b!tch is whats best for Howard, I understand now. and despite what you think agents dont have the final say, he might suggest it to howard and convince him, but ultimately the client would make the final call.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    He doesn’t look like a whining b*tch to the people that understand. Which is everyone that actually matters. No offense, but your perception of Howard, just like every other person here is 100% irrelevant. Once he gets traded and starts to help another team, this will all fall by the wayside.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Yeah the client makes the final call on an “anonymous” source? Lol because teams not knowing about Dwight’s desire to be traded will really yield a better situation. If a player wants toget traded the word will get out 100% of the time.

  • shutup

    I have no doubt he will help another team (only by default though), but he will not save another team or put a team straight into title contention. and I thought these comment sections were for people’s opinions, unless I don’t understand this either. And I have to respectfully disagree depending on where he goes I think the hate will increase along with the scrutiny of his lacking offensive game.

  • shutup

    This article is about a statement he made to the press and earlier you said “His agent is going to do what’s best for his client. He isn’t going to chek with Howard, it’s his job to do what is most beneficial.” which was a reference to his agent releasing a statement to the press or is my reading comprehension failing me again?

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Yes it is actually. What the hell did Dwight say that has anything to do with being traded?

  • shutup

    I’ll lay out the progression, people complained about Dwight b!tching, you said “y’all definition of crying is broken” then you said “He hasn’t requested a trade publicly either, he requests the trade in private and his AGENT or the ORLANDO MAGIC make the request public.” so it was actually you who introduced his trade talks into the argument, then I addressed it by saying the agent wouldnt do anything that his client didnt ok. and this article was about him calling his team out in the media, thus the opinion that he was crying. Easy enough to understand?????

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Wayno Posted: Jan.27 at 4:08 pm
    He’s Toronto Vince Cartering it out there…You don’t piss and moan in public when your team isn’t how you want it. I play or maybe talk to management IN PRIVATE about a trade….If no trade happens, just sign with another team when your contract is up. It’s not rocket science.

    nbk Posted: Jan.27 at 4:28 pm
    He hasn’t requested a trade publicly either, he requests the trade in private and his AGENT or the ORLANDO MAGIC make the request public. If you’re ignorant about what is being said or how it’s released it’s better to just keep your judgement to yourself.

    (shutup seriously you need to read all of the comments if your going to just jump in a conversation and try to pick an argument)

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    And if you consider what he said to be crying then your definition of crying is broken.
    .
    .
    I’m out, talking with you takes all of the enjoyment out of this website.

  • shutup

    I dont like arguing despite what it seems like, I just like to play devils advocate, especially when you contradict yourself, if its his agent that “leaks” it to the media then him being an employee who is in charge of his clients public image as you stated is crying none the less. and like i said him calling his team out in the media is crying and his stating his opinion about where he wants to go publicly (even if directly asked by members of the media, he does have the right to remain silent) can be construed as crying. and I’m sorry if pointing out the flaws in your comments takes the fun out of it for you, reading some of your comments or doctrines on all things basketball isnt fun for me either.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    His trade demand has to be public for the Magic to hear as many trade offers as possible. For everybody that doesn’t understand why these demands are made public. Just like the Nuggets wanted Melo’s demand to be public. If the trade demand is private then Howard retains the power to go to the strongest team with enough chips to trade. The more public, the more teams have to compete for a player, and thus the more assets they want to give up. Dwight’s agent would want his trade demand to be public so that he can get Dwight to sign an extension that yields more money then if he moved via free agency in the off-season. The public trade demand is also a tool to speed up the process of getting a player into a bigger market. Dwight just like most professional basketball players tell their agent what they want and then the agent does his job from there. Spreading rumors to build interest is a common tactic. If the agents name isn’t connected to the rumor then there is no way for anyone to blame him. (for example, his client). That’s how The system has been explained and showed to ME. This is not a doctrine or anything else for anyone reading this to get all ass hurt about. Think of it as an opinion. If you have that ability.

  • shutup

    The trade demands dont have to be public for Orlando to hear trade offers, everybody (GM’s especially) know Howards contract situation, its there job too. The fact that players or their agents make it public is a power move to try to force managements hand. And usually if its the team that wants to trade it thats what hits the news (like NO wanting to trade Kaman) as for all these this talk of it not coming from him you gotta know thats B$, there have been countless articles about where HE would like to be traded or where HE considered playing. As for him crying; again tonight there were reports on espn that at halftime he called out his team, they stated that he told the media about this after the game, so yes he’s crying like a b!tch and doesnt realize his actions are hurting this team. Oh and dont try to take what i stated earlier and act like its now a point to prove your arguement; either its a tool that the agent and client use knowingly or it isnt, it cant be both. If it is his agent spreading the rumors even anonymously Dwight knows about it and has signed off on it in some form, as for the direct quotes to the media that just reiterates my point that Dwight is aware of what hes doing and his agent isnt acting like a rogue uhmm well agent

  • http://averysmith.org Avery Smith

    Cats want instant championships. Grass is greener mentality. Whats sad about these guys is that even though a guy like Dwight “wants to win”, and is used to “winning”, he has to understand that everyone in the NBA from the stars to the DNP’s all the way at the end of the bench are used to winning on some level. That’s how they got to the NBA. Everyone was Jordan in high school. What we have here is a glut of talent, and so crazy superior skilled athletes get championships. Let’s stop this whole “I win” crap. It’s kind of smug when you think about it. Dwight, if you win, then how come you got swept in the 2009 NBA Finals? Just humble yourself and wait your turn like everyone else. These guys worship championships and winning like its their God. Calm down and play basketball. You don’t here Derrick Rose crying like this. Or Kevin Durant. Hakeem stayed. David Robinson stayed. Both got 2 rings at the tail end of their careers. Ewing stayed. Kobe stayed.The only center that bounced around was Shaq when you think about it.

  • shutup

    @avery I agree except that Wilt bounced around too, so did Kareem. I think Dwight needs to work on the holes in his game, there are some gaping ones, like free throws, passing out the double team, offensive post moves, even his competitive fire (although I dont think this can be worked on, either you have it or dont) but first and foremost I think he needs to mature as a player and a leader. I know I keep saying this but there is a reason his teammates dont defer to him and his coach doesnt have faith in him.

  • Justin G.

    nbk, yes when he goes to another team this will all fall by the wayside but that’s because he won’t be in a contract year and perhaps will be on a team he asked to be traded to. If that team doesn’t start winning right away let’s see how he handles it because you don’t just change your personality like that. The diva in him will come out again

  • Shtrobi-1

    1. Dwight is playing out of position, the Magic screwed up by trading Gortat and by not playing them both together more often.

    2. Dwight should be a POWER FORWARD. Throw him into the same category as a young Horace Grant or young Dennis Rodman on a good team like they were, and that is the best position for him to be in, and that team will dominate.

    He got lucky and successful at centre because Shaq was fading and there were no other centres in the league worth a pinch in the East. Now Beefy Gasol and Bynum have developed and are around along with some more unheralded Euro-Centres (Gortat) and role-player centres (Chandler, DeAndre Jordan)who will be just as successful without the high expectations as Howie.

    If he decides to play 2nd/3rd/4th fiddle on a good team he is gonna get his rings, be an all-star and could be considered one of the great PF of all-time. But I just don’t see him being one of the great centres.

  • GC6

    Cosign Caboose on pretty much everything
    Did anyone watch the game when Dwight wasn’t playing we were doing well as soon as he came on the court the flow was disrupted he wasnt drawing any double teams everytime they though the ball in he would turn it over or miss a shot he doesnt intimidate anyone attacking the basket anymore.

  • Justin G.

    Kareem got “bounced around”? He played for Milwaukee for 6 years and the Lakers for 14 years. Not exactly bouncing around

  • Ismael

    Yes Dwight, something’s gotta change, you need to DOMINATE IN A CONSISTENT BASIS.

  • shutup

    @ justin he mentioned three centers that stuck it out on the team they were drafted that had successful careers, the move from the bucks to the lakers was controversial in its time, maybe bounced around was the wrong word, but he didnt stick it out on a smaller market team either and actually if you think about it Ewing never really had ultimate team success and at the end of career he got shipped around a bit until injury ended his career (but he went from big market to small market). One more center that was drafted by a team and then found success on another was Bill Walton.

  • shutup

    @Justin g I agree with the diva comment completely, he’s gonna be vilified if he leaves orlando, and whatever team does get him is gonna high have expectations, and if he goes to a big market team like NY,LA or Chicago the fans are gonna eat him alive, and he will go back to being a cancer in the locker room. Do you realize how much Gasol hate comes out of LA? considering he was the piece that put them back on top (also do you really see Kobe deferring to him? He wouldnt with Shaq he wont with Gasol or Bynum). Look at how much people dislike boozer in Chicago or all the scrutiny the Knicks stars are under both Melo and Amare.

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    KAJ demanded a trade out of Milwuakee to either New York or Los Angeles in 1974, Wilt demanded a trade from The 76ers in 1968. Bunch of whining b*tches.

  • shutup

    So you have the audacity to compare Howard to the possibly two best centers ever to play the game? Both Wilt and Kareem were leaders on and off the court. and upon some research Kareem didnt demand a trade he requested one, theres a difference. and he was born in NY and went to school in LA so its different than demanding a trade to a contender. Also being a black activist in Milwaukee probably wasnt looked on to well. The only one who looks like a whining b!tch is you and Howard

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Demanding/Requesting a trade are the same thing. We are just in the Internet age. Where stupid ass people (like the dumbass who responds and reads my comments even though he doesn’t enjoy it) can make a bigger deal out of things then they need too. Pussys

  • http://www.coachesclipboard.net/FlexOffense.html nbk

    Demanding as requesting a trade are the same. The difference is now there is the Internet for Little p*ssys like the dumb f*ckin idiot who read and responds to my comments even though he doesnt enjoy it, can make a big f*ckin deal out of nothing. Kareem and Wilt aren’t considered whiny b*tches, just like Kobe isn’t, and Melo isn’t. The only whiny b*tches are the people who make a big deal out of somethin that has been happening for half a century.

  • shutup

    Demanding and requesting arent the same thing, not even synonyms. as for the rest of your comment, I hope you end up on Maury with a black on black baby. You are not the Father. lmao

  • http://Www.freerice.com Freerice

    I used to like Dwight
    But he’s a douchebag just whining and complaining they were on top of the east they were still whining and complaining. I feel as for the magic players and fans
    Trade his selfish ass already

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