Now What Orlando?

What a difference a week makes.  Last week I wrote a entry on why I thought Dwight Howard would stay in Orlando.  That's what I get for not letting the trade deadline get closer before I opened my mouth.  My bad!  I should have know better because Stan Van Gundy doesn't know how to use the talent he has.  They don't have a reliable PG or a consistent second scoring threat.  Yes Ryan Anderson has played well and Hedo Turkoglu has shown some signs of his old self but the Magic have been knocked around the court this past week.

The Magic are 1-3 this week, beating the Pacers.  They were blown out by 30 twice and blew a 20+ point lead against the Celtics.  Dwight Howard told his teammates after Friday nights blowout loss to the Hornets 'to stay in the locker room if they aren't going to show up' and has taken "media fire" from it.  Check out the video from SportsCenter. Bruce Bowen needs to be an analyst and not just a former player.  You shouldn't have to pull a NBA player aside and tell him to show up.  He's getting paid to play basketball, so go out there and earn your money.   I agree with Howard.  He is averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds through 19 games so far.  Even if one would say he's preforming for a long term contract, which he is, Howard is still showing up to play every night.  The same can't be said for the rest of the Magic players.  Howard has five 20/20 games already.  That's one less then he had all last season.  Howard has been leading by example on the court.  Howard asking for a trade isn't the distraction some say it is.  Players still have to show up and play.  If a guy wants out but still shows up and plays then how can that be a distraction?  The answer is its not.  Regardless of the mistakes Howard has made by speaking to the media about his pending free-agency, he has remained professional and showed up for his team mates.  The numbers don't lie.  The January 23rd beat down the Magic took at the hands of the Celtics shows this.  Howard was the only Magic player to play more then 30 minutes.  He was the only Magic player in double figures (18 pts, 14 rbs) and Boston was without Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.  There is no way blame can be placed on Howard.  What more does he have to do?

Now, the blame lies with the coaching staff.  The Magic were in the NBA Finals in 2009.  The first mistake they made was to not keep Rafer Alston.  When Jameer Nelson went down and Alston was brought in, and Alston played very well.  But in the Finals, Jameer was put back in the lineup over Alson and the Magic lost to the Lakers in 5 games.  I don't know what Nelson had over the Magic ownership but Van Gundy, as the coach, should have not let that happen.  It seems no one in the Magic front office knows anything about basketball.  The Magic have never surrounded the great players they have had with other great players or very good players at the least and now it seems we are all going to witness another 1996 here in 2012.  Maybe the Mayans were really talking about the Magic in their prophesies.

When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong.  The Magic don't deserve Howard and unless they move him before the trade deadline or bring a few people in, Howard will be in another uniform next year.  Yeah, I said it.  Not that the Magic need any more thrown on them, Howard could sign with the Bulls in the off-season.  They could afford him and are a team playing just at the championship level.  Adding a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year to one of the best defenses in the NBA, if not the best.  How good would the Heat look then?  I could make an argument for the Lakers or the Knicks but those teams have way more holes then the Bulls do plus the Bulls have more money and flexibility.  Either way, Howard is gone.  So Orlando, enjoy having Howard give your fans one last season to cheer and enjoy all the multi-millions you will bring in from the All-Star Weekend and Game.  It will be the only celebrating the city will see.

D!