Orlando Pinstriped Post

If Dwight Howard wants to return to the Magic, why doesn’t he say so? – Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

2012-05-17T18:24:04Z

If Dwight Howard wants to return to the Magic, why doesn’t he say so? – Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Orlando Sentinel

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel explores why Dwight Howard hasn't publicly affirmed his commitment to the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Houston Rockets Will Pursue Trade for Orlando Magic Superstar, According to Report

2012-05-17T01:36:52Z

The rebuilding Houston Rockets remain in the hunt for a superstar and are prepared to make a lucrative trade offer for one, with Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard at or near the top of their wishlist, reports ClutchFans.net. Indeed, Houston was close to landing Howard from the Magic at the 2012 NBA trading deadline: ClutchFans reports Daryl Morey, Houston's General Manager, "was the last one standing in the Howard chase." Further, in the lead-up to the March 15th deadline, Rockets management "believed they were going to land Howard later that day."

Orlando elected not to trade Howard, but only because he agreed to waive the Early Termination Option in his contract. The ETO would have enabled him to become a free agent on July 1st, 2012, but after waiving it, he won't enter free agency until one year later. Had Howard not waived his ETO, ClutchFans reports, he would have indeed become a Houston Rocket.

Houston is still interested in Howard, even only as a so-called "rental." Most teams would only trade for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year with assurances that he'd sign a long-term contract extension with the club, but the Rockets appear to be willing to take a risk with Howard by acquiring him with just one season left before free agency.

As ClutchFans notes, the Rockets have a stable of assets--"cap room, two first-round draft picks and a willingness to trade just about anyone"--that could intrigue the Magic, or any team looking to divest itself of a superstar in order to begin rebuilding.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: "Everyone Realizes He's Gone" from Orlando Magic, According to Report

2012-05-16T23:26:01Z

Eight days have passed since the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but Orlando has yet to announce any decision on the futures of head coach Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations. Though he offers no explanation for the delay, Chad Ford of ESPN.com said in a chat Wednesday, "I think you'll see them let go GM Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy in the next few days." Regarding the fate of superstar center Dwight Howard, Ford says, "I think everyone realizes he's gone sooner or later and the focus will be on how to best rebuild the team."

Van Gundy and Smith, whose contracts run through the 2012/13 season, have already commented publicly about their desires: Van Gundy wants to return to Orlando, while Smith was noncommittal. Magic ownership has said it would wait a few days to "decompress" before making a choice on Van Gundy and Smith.

Howard's contract also runs through 2012/13, and Smith said the eight-year veteran has not re-requested a trade. Howard asked to be dealt to the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or Los Angeles Lakers during training camp, but appears to have backed off that request.

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Raptors vs Magic - Orlando Pinstriped Post Weighs In on "Who They'd Rather Be" - Raptors HQ

2012-05-16T21:05:30Z

Raptors vs Magic - Orlando Pinstriped Post Weighs In on "Who They'd Rather Be" - Raptors HQ

The folks at RaptorsHQ asked yours truly to weigh in on this question: would I rather be the Orlando Magic or the Toronto Raptors? Coming up with an answer was a bit more difficult than I expected.

Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Glen Davis

2012-05-15T16:00:43Z

Glen Davis started his first season with the Orlando Magic in a fog. The four-year veteran, upset that he wasn't starting, didn't bring the same edge to the game he had in his prior years with the Boston Celtics, and it broke his jump shot. He struggled to fit adjust to his bench role, and his poor shot-selection only exacerbated his problems. In addition, he dealt with the deaths of his father and grandmother, as well as frequent booing from the Orlando faithful at Amway Center.

But then Davis settled in, found his niche, and started producing again. When a herniated disk in Dwight Howard's back forced the All-Star center to miss 12 of the team's final 14 games, and all of the postseason, Davis shifted from power forward to center full-time, and rewarded the faith the Magic showed in him when it signed him to a four-year contract in December.

Glen Davis
No. 11
Center
Points Per Game	Rebounds Per Game	Blocks Per Game
9.3	5.4	0.3
Points Per 36	Rebounds Per 36	Blocks Per 36
14.3	8.3	0.5
PER	Rebound Rate	Block Rate
13.2	13.4	1.0
FG%	3FG%	FT%
42.1	14.3	68.3
eFG%		TS%
42.3		46.6
All statistics in this table from Davis' player page at basketball-reference. Career-best statistics highlighted in gold; career-worst statistics highlighted in silver.

Not to get all Tim McCarver on you, but as bad as Davis was in the first few months of the season, he was just as good as it drew to a close, when Orlando needed him most. Davis scored a point every two minutes despite facing a severe height disadvantage in the postseason against the Indiana Pacers, and he maxed out his effort and energy. Davis, who won a championship during his Celtics days, didn't back down from Roy Hibbert and David West, instead continuing to attack Indy's bigs.

And in the regular season, Davis set new career-bests in per-minute scoring and rebounding, as well as in PER, despite never scoring less efficiently. Part of that problem is his jumper--never the strongest part of his offensive game--being horribly off the mark for much of the season. Moving Davis to center necessarily shifted him closer to the bucket, and cut down on those mid-range jacks. Long-term, he's more effective in the pivot than he is floating between the restricted circle and the top of the key.

Were it not for his late-season resurgence, Davis would have earned a

Grade: C-

for his performance. But Davis delivered upon his move to center, and no one could ever question his heart. He's a fighter, a competitor, a warrior, and when one pairs those attributes with talent, one sees impressive results. As such, anything lower than a

Grade: B

wouldn't do the former LSU Tiger justice.

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Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Dwight Howard

2012-05-15T12:01:11Z

I think there's a temptation, when assessing Dwight Howard's season, to grade him negatively due to the off-court drama he caused. It started with his since-rescinded demand for a trade in training camp and didn't cease until he waived his Early Termination Option on the day of the trading deadline, and even then more drama ensued when coach Stan Van Gundy revealed he knew Howard had asked for him to be fired.

Howard's off-court activity overshadows the work he did on the floor during the lockout-shortened campaign, which is saying something, as Howard once again put together an All-Star season. For the third time in four years, he was the only NBAer to average 20 points, 10 boards, and two blocks per game. By any measure, he was tremendous.

Dwight Howard
No. 12
Center
Points Per Game	Rebounds Per Game	Blocks Per Game
20.6	14.5	2.1
Points Per 36	Rebounds Per 36	Blocks Per 36
19.4	13.7	2.0
PER	Rebound Rate	Block Rate
24.2	21.9	4.4
FG%	3FG%	FT%
57.3	0.0	49.1
eFG%		TS%
57.3		56.9
All statistics in this table from Howard's player page at basketball-reference. Career-best statistics highlighted in gold; career-worst statistics highlighted in silver.

But also, by almost any measure, Howard's had better seasons. His 49.1 free-throw percentage is the worst of his career. His block rate slipped from six to 4.4--more than 25 percent. He looked especially out-of-it defensively--imagine his usual slow start with help and rotations every year, only extended throughout its duration--and lost his Defensive Player of the Year crown to a much more deserving Tyson Chandler.

Then again, Howard posted career-bests in assist rate (9.8) and steal rate (2.1) while cutting his turnover rate to 15.1, the second-best such figure of his career. He's more sure-handed, and sure-footed, at that end of the floor, but his atrocious free-throw percentage made him a bit of a liability in the post.

On balance, I think Howard gave Orlando about 85 or 90 percent of what he's capable of. That, coupled with all the drama, might prompt some fans to grade him a C, or worse. But Howard's still an All-Star center who finished sixth in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating and in Estimated Wins Added. Anything less than a

Grade: B+

would be unnecessarily severe.

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2012 US Olympic Basketball: Ryan Anderson Invited to USA Select Team, According to Report

2012-05-14T22:37:19Z

Ryan Anderson took home the NBA's Most Improved Player award earlier in May. On Monday, he received another accolade, as Team USA Basketball invited him to join the Select Team, which will convene prior to the 2012 Olympic Games to compete against the Team USA squad which will ultimately compete for the gold in London. Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area reported the news first, while Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel confirmed it independently.

Anderson joins a group of standouts including Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Anderson would have competed against Orlando Magic teammate Dwight Howard, but back surgery in April ruled Howard out of the Olympics, so he will not have the opportunity to repeat as a gold medalist.

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NBA Rumors: Jameer Nelson "Wants to Test Free Agency" in 2012, According to Report

2012-05-14T19:39:24Z

Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson "wants to test free agency," reports Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD, and as such is likely to decline his player option for the 2012/13 season. "Nelson doesn’t want to be dealt as an expiring contract and end up in a bad situation," Kennedy says, which is why he'd be willing to forgo the final year, worth as much as $8.6 million, according to ShamSports, in order to secure his long-term future in the NBA.

Nelson has spent his entire eight-year professional career with Orlando, averaging 12.4 points and five assists per game. He has never been a free agent. The Magic would most likely attempt to re-sign him even if he does decline his player option, as woeful backup Chris Duhon is the only other point guard under contract.

In addition, says Kennedy, Orlando is expected to relieve coach Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations, of their duties "in the coming weeks." According to the HOOPSWORLD scribe, potential replacements for Smith include Jeff Bower, David Griffin, Larry Harris, David Morway, Kevin Pritchard, and Tony Ronzone. On the coaching front, Mike D'Antoni, Mike Malone, Nate McMillan, and Brian Shaw "have been mentioned" as potential hires after Van Gundy's dismissal.

Kennedy's story includes much more on where Orlando is headed as a franchise, and is well worth your time.

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