I’m disappointed in our effort as a team. That’s not the effort we needed Friday night in Game 3. We act like we want to win the series, but Philly is outplaying us. They are playing harder, going for loose balls and extra rebounds and just playing harder.
It felt good to see us come all the way back and keep fighting after beinbg down by 17 points, but it should have never come to that.
We have to keep fighting. We talk about winning a championship and being a great=2 0team, but we’ve got to fight. We’re down 2-1, but that doesn’t mean the series is over with. We played well for 18 minutes at both ends, but if we want to beat a Philly team that is playing great we have to do it from the jump ball.
More than anything, it’s the effort that just really bothers me. For 82 games this year, we haven’t been outworked and in this series we’ve been outworked and we can’t hide from that. We’ve never let a team work harder than us. It’s disappointing that we’ve allowed Philly to play harder than us and they have confidence now.
We have to play how we know how to play on Sunday. It’s a game that we have to have to win this series. We haven’t lost the faith, but we just need to play with more effort and energy.
Take care, homies. – D-12
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
WHEW! THAT WAS A TOUGH ONE
I’m not sure which was more difficult to deal with last night in Game 2: Being in foul trouble all night on those flops or having to sit and watch my teammates close out that win against Philly.
It was killing me not being able to be out there on the court down the stretch, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in my team to get the job done when we needed it. That’s what it’s going to take for us to keep winning in the playoffs – dudes are going to have to pick each other up when we’re missing shots or in foul trouble.
I’m so proud of my guy, Courtney Lee, who I predicted was going to be a big key in this series. I=2 0knew that we were going to need him to play well in this series to win. Philly is leaving him open and daring him to shoot and he’s really making them pay.
A lot of rookies would be scared in this situation, but he’s so cool out there. He’s still under my wing – even though he’s a few months older than me.
Philly is going to be crazy playing up there, but we’ve got to weather that Storm. We’ve been really good on the road for two seasons and we have to keep that up if we’re going to be championship contenders. We’ll be ready. We all know that it’s a series now.
Peace out. – D-12
It was killing me not being able to be out there on the court down the stretch, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in my team to get the job done when we needed it. That’s what it’s going to take for us to keep winning in the playoffs – dudes are going to have to pick each other up when we’re missing shots or in foul trouble.
I’m so proud of my guy, Courtney Lee, who I predicted was going to be a big key in this series. I=2 0knew that we were going to need him to play well in this series to win. Philly is leaving him open and daring him to shoot and he’s really making them pay.
A lot of rookies would be scared in this situation, but he’s so cool out there. He’s still under my wing – even though he’s a few months older than me.
Philly is going to be crazy playing up there, but we’ve got to weather that Storm. We’ve been really good on the road for two seasons and we have to keep that up if we’re going to be championship contenders. We’ll be ready. We all know that it’s a series now.
Peace out. – D-12
Thursday, April 16, 2009
DON’T MISTAKE HAPPINESS FOR WEAKNESS
Sports Illustrated put me on the cover of its NBA playoff preview edition this week, but they wondered in the article if I could ever be serious enough to lead the Magic to a NBA title.
Trust me, that magazine will be going up on my mirror at home. But it will be there to serve as motivation for me in the playoffs. I want to show people that I can dominate AND have fun at the same time.
I remember three years back someone locally wrote that they hoped that I never lost my smile that I flash from time to time while I’m playing. But now, a few years later, my smiling and having fun on the court is seen as negatives? C’mon man, I just don’t get that.
People who watch the games sometimes take my kindness for weakness, but I don’t think the guys on the floor playing against me feel the same way. I can smile and still get the job done.
I’ve been smiling my whole life and I’m not going to stop. Basketball brings me joy and I’m having fun blocking shots and dunking, so I am going to smile. It’s not going to stop me from being who I am. I’m not going to change it for anybody.
My coach understands that my personality is to smile and have fun. I’m going to smile, but I’m going to get the job done too.
I just can’t play angry. I’ve tried it, but it only works for a couple of minutes. I have to smile, that’s just me. My dad use to try to stop me from smiling when I was growing up, but then he realized that basketball is my sanctuary. I’m going to smile and have fun, but at the same time I’m still going to dunk on you.
Trust me, that magazine will be going up on my mirror at home. But it will be there to serve as motivation for me in the playoffs. I want to show people that I can dominate AND have fun at the same time.
I remember three years back someone locally wrote that they hoped that I never lost my smile that I flash from time to time while I’m playing. But now, a few years later, my smiling and having fun on the court is seen as negatives? C’mon man, I just don’t get that.
People who watch the games sometimes take my kindness for weakness, but I don’t think the guys on the floor playing against me feel the same way. I can smile and still get the job done.
I’ve been smiling my whole life and I’m not going to stop. Basketball brings me joy and I’m having fun blocking shots and dunking, so I am going to smile. It’s not going to stop me from being who I am. I’m not going to change it for anybody.
My coach understands that my personality is to smile and have fun. I’m going to smile, but I’m going to get the job done too.
I just can’t play angry. I’ve tried it, but it only works for a couple of minutes. I have to smile, that’s just me. My dad use to try to stop me from smiling when I was growing up, but then he realized that basketball is my sanctuary. I’m going to smile and have fun, but at the same time I’m still going to dunk on you.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
MY MEMORIES OF THE SEASON
The regular season finally comes to an end and we can’t wait to get to the playoffs starting this weekend. We haven’t played great down the stretch and we’ve still got some nagging things going on with injuries, but we’ll make the best of it and be ready when the playoffs start.
It’s been a really good season for us. We went from 52 wins to 58 (and maybe 59). I still remember back to when we lost the first two games in a row and people were saying that the Magic were going to have a bad year. But we turned everything around very quickly and I think it shows how we matured.
We don’t get a lot of recognition nationally, but I guess people forget that we beat the Lakers twice, Cleveland twice, Boston twice and San Antonio twice. That has to count for something, right?
Because we have played so well against the best teams, we think we can win a championship. We know the playoffs are a different beast, but we’re confident that we can do anything we can put our minds to.
I promised myself and my teammates that I would be better defensively this season and I went out and led the NBA in blocks. That’s just proof that when you put your mind to something you can accomplish it.
Of all the good memories from this season, I have one that I still think is the absolutely funniest of the year. It was a couple of weeks ago against Cleveland when Marcin Gortat became the first Polish player in the history of basketball since James Naismith to hit a 3-pointer. Now that was a sight to see. That’s one for the historians and record books all time.
I’m out. Take care, ya’ll. -- DWIGHT
It’s been a really good season for us. We went from 52 wins to 58 (and maybe 59). I still remember back to when we lost the first two games in a row and people were saying that the Magic were going to have a bad year. But we turned everything around very quickly and I think it shows how we matured.
We don’t get a lot of recognition nationally, but I guess people forget that we beat the Lakers twice, Cleveland twice, Boston twice and San Antonio twice. That has to count for something, right?
Because we have played so well against the best teams, we think we can win a championship. We know the playoffs are a different beast, but we’re confident that we can do anything we can put our minds to.
I promised myself and my teammates that I would be better defensively this season and I went out and led the NBA in blocks. That’s just proof that when you put your mind to something you can accomplish it.
Of all the good memories from this season, I have one that I still think is the absolutely funniest of the year. It was a couple of weeks ago against Cleveland when Marcin Gortat became the first Polish player in the history of basketball since James Naismith to hit a 3-pointer. Now that was a sight to see. That’s one for the historians and record books all time.
I’m out. Take care, ya’ll. -- DWIGHT
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
DWIGHT WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
Maybe, just maybe, the voters for the Most Valuable Player award will take notice of Orlando Magic franchise center Dwight now.
Dwight won the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week. It was the fourth time this season that Dwight has captured the award and the seventh time in his career he was honored as the East’s Player of the Week.
Dwight led the=2 0Magic to a 3-1 mark last week while averaging 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Also, he made an impressive 61.5 percent from the floor.
Dwight notched his ninth 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season, three more than the rest of the NBA combined, on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. His totals were 21 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.
He had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat last Monday, and 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals against Toronto. Dwight was huge in the Magic’s rout of Cleveland on Friday night with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Dwight leads the Magi c in scoring (21.1) and leads the NBA in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (3.0). He has all but locked up the rebounding and blocked-shot titles, making him just the fifth player ever to do that in the same season. His Magic are 57-19, just a half-game back of Boston for the No. 2 seed, heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd, Dwight’s teammate on the Olympic team this past summer, was the West’s Player of the Week after averaging 13.5 assists and 9.8 points last week. On Sunday, Kidd passed Magic Johnson for third on the NBA’s all-time assist category. With 10,148 assists, he trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Mark Jackson (10,334).
Dwight won the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week. It was the fourth time this season that Dwight has captured the award and the seventh time in his career he was honored as the East’s Player of the Week.
Dwight led the=2 0Magic to a 3-1 mark last week while averaging 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Also, he made an impressive 61.5 percent from the floor.
Dwight notched his ninth 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season, three more than the rest of the NBA combined, on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. His totals were 21 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.
He had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat last Monday, and 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals against Toronto. Dwight was huge in the Magic’s rout of Cleveland on Friday night with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Dwight leads the Magi c in scoring (21.1) and leads the NBA in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (3.0). He has all but locked up the rebounding and blocked-shot titles, making him just the fifth player ever to do that in the same season. His Magic are 57-19, just a half-game back of Boston for the No. 2 seed, heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd, Dwight’s teammate on the Olympic team this past summer, was the West’s Player of the Week after averaging 13.5 assists and 9.8 points last week. On Sunday, Kidd passed Magic Johnson for third on the NBA’s all-time assist category. With 10,148 assists, he trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Mark Jackson (10,334).
Monday, April 6, 2009
IF I HAD PLAYED COLLEGE BASKETBALL ...
I’m often asked how my life and my game on the court would be different had I gone to college, but I really don’t think about it that much because growing up my goal was always to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
I accomplished that goal in 2004 without going to college, so I don’t look back. Because they no longer let kids jump from high school to the NBA (which I don’t totally agree with), I could be the last high school player ever to be chosen No. 1 overall.
I watch some college basketball, but really there’s no comparison between the college games and the NBA. What’s the better game? I’m going to go with the NBA.
College is very animated and they play hard, but it’s nothing like the NBA at all. In the NBA, that’s the best kind of basketball in the world.
Some people think the NBA is slow, but if you sit close enough you really see how fast the game is and how physical it is. And we have the best athletes in the world, so that makes for a better game.
Since we’re off tonight and in Houston, I’m sure I’ll watch some of the national championship game with the fellas on the team. As to who I think will win the game, few people actually know where I considered going to college before I made up my mind to enter the NBA Draft. (I made the right decision, don’t you think???)
If I had gone to college, it would have been to Carolina. So go Heels tonight.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
I accomplished that goal in 2004 without going to college, so I don’t look back. Because they no longer let kids jump from high school to the NBA (which I don’t totally agree with), I could be the last high school player ever to be chosen No. 1 overall.
I watch some college basketball, but really there’s no comparison between the college games and the NBA. What’s the better game? I’m going to go with the NBA.
College is very animated and they play hard, but it’s nothing like the NBA at all. In the NBA, that’s the best kind of basketball in the world.
Some people think the NBA is slow, but if you sit close enough you really see how fast the game is and how physical it is. And we have the best athletes in the world, so that makes for a better game.
Since we’re off tonight and in Houston, I’m sure I’ll watch some of the national championship game with the fellas on the team. As to who I think will win the game, few people actually know where I considered going to college before I made up my mind to enter the NBA Draft. (I made the right decision, don’t you think???)
If I had gone to college, it would have been to Carolina. So go Heels tonight.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Sunday, April 5, 2009
OUR MEETING WORKED
Sometimes people make too much of a big deal about ``players’ only’’ meetings, but this one really seemed to have a good effect for us. After all, we were up 41 points last night on Cleveland, who’s got the best record in the NBA. Let me say that again: We were up by 41 points!!!!
Our meeting was supposed to last five minutes, but we went more than 20, and just about everybody on the team got up and spoke whatever was on their mind. My message was that we’re a great team and when we play every night with the energy and focus that we bring to the big game, we are a really good team.
It’s kind of hard for me to tell guys that it’s time to be serious, because I’m one of the silliest guys on the team and everybody knows that I love having as much fun as I can. But the playoffs are nearly here and it’s time for us to lock in mentally. We have the kind of team that can win a championship. Chances like this don’t have too often and we can’t let this opportunity pass us by.
I thought one of the things that would help us improve would be to make sure we warm up harder before the game and at halftime. We have been getting off to slow starts and having bad third quarters, and maybe that’s because we were goofing off in our warm-ups some.
We fixed that last night and ended up jumping on Cleveland from the start and blowing them out in the third quarter. Did I mention that we were up by 41 points?!?!?!?!?
For some reason, we just match up well against Cleveland. Our whole game plan is to keep LeBron out of the lane, don’t let him get dunks in transition and make him take jump shots. He beat us with jumpers in Cleveland, but he missed some of them here in Orlando.
We have that confidence that we can beat any team in the league. We know we’re good enough to win a championship as long as we’re playing focused and hungry with a lot of energy.
Maybe we just needed to remind ourselves tha t at our ``players’ only’’ meeting. Hey, whatever it takes, baby.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Our meeting was supposed to last five minutes, but we went more than 20, and just about everybody on the team got up and spoke whatever was on their mind. My message was that we’re a great team and when we play every night with the energy and focus that we bring to the big game, we are a really good team.
It’s kind of hard for me to tell guys that it’s time to be serious, because I’m one of the silliest guys on the team and everybody knows that I love having as much fun as I can. But the playoffs are nearly here and it’s time for us to lock in mentally. We have the kind of team that can win a championship. Chances like this don’t have too often and we can’t let this opportunity pass us by.
I thought one of the things that would help us improve would be to make sure we warm up harder before the game and at halftime. We have been getting off to slow starts and having bad third quarters, and maybe that’s because we were goofing off in our warm-ups some.
We fixed that last night and ended up jumping on Cleveland from the start and blowing them out in the third quarter. Did I mention that we were up by 41 points?!?!?!?!?
For some reason, we just match up well against Cleveland. Our whole game plan is to keep LeBron out of the lane, don’t let him get dunks in transition and make him take jump shots. He beat us with jumpers in Cleveland, but he missed some of them here in Orlando.
We have that confidence that we can beat any team in the league. We know we’re good enough to win a championship as long as we’re playing focused and hungry with a lot of energy.
Maybe we just needed to remind ourselves tha t at our ``players’ only’’ meeting. Hey, whatever it takes, baby.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Friday, April 3, 2009
DWIGHT EAGER TO FACE LEBRON, CAVS
Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard has marveled from afar this season at the dominant and consistent success of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of 13 straight games before Thursday’s shocking loss to Washington.
But Dwight isn’t just tuning in to Cavaliers games these days for a scouting report on the team that his Magic could very well face in the eastern Conference Finals in May. Dwight says the Cavs have become must-see TV as much for their pregame theatrics as their in-game success.
``LeBron’s had an unbelievable season and he has his team playing great basketball,’’ Dwight said. ``But I would say now, more so than even watching his team play, I like watching the pregame rituals that his team does. To me, that’s more exciting than the game. Every time they play I try to catch the beginning of the game to see what they are going to do.’’
Dwight will have an up-close view of Cleveland’s pregame antics tonight when the Magic and Cavs face off in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans. Both teams will be coming off stunning losses to nonplayoff teams. Orlando’s six-game winning streak ended Wednesday when it lost to Toronto, while the Cavs stubbed their toes Thursday against the hapless Wizards.
Clearly, the stars of the show tonight will be Dwight and LeBron. The two Olympians have become the face of the NBA what with their ability to dominate games two dramatically different ways. LeBron is the favorite to win the MVP because he has his team on top of the East and has posted near-triple-double numbers most of the season.
Dwight, meanwhile, should be the landslide winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He is just a matter of games from becoming the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season. David Lee would have to average 20 rebounds a game down the stretch, and Chris Anderson would need five-plus blocks a night the rest of the way – and that’s only if Dwight doesn’t scratch in either category. Not going to happen.
Being a face of the NBA suits Dwight just fine, and he knows LeBron, his friend from the Olympics, is right there with him.&n bsp;
``Hopefully that’s the case. We both want to set a standard for how the game is played for years to come,’’ Dwight said. ``We’re both doing it from two different positions. We’re trying to do the best job we can for ourselves and our teams. He went to Cleveland, which was a struggling team before he got there and he brought some life back there. I’m trying to do the same, bring some life back to O-town.’’
But Dwight isn’t just tuning in to Cavaliers games these days for a scouting report on the team that his Magic could very well face in the eastern Conference Finals in May. Dwight says the Cavs have become must-see TV as much for their pregame theatrics as their in-game success.
``LeBron’s had an unbelievable season and he has his team playing great basketball,’’ Dwight said. ``But I would say now, more so than even watching his team play, I like watching the pregame rituals that his team does. To me, that’s more exciting than the game. Every time they play I try to catch the beginning of the game to see what they are going to do.’’
Dwight will have an up-close view of Cleveland’s pregame antics tonight when the Magic and Cavs face off in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans. Both teams will be coming off stunning losses to nonplayoff teams. Orlando’s six-game winning streak ended Wednesday when it lost to Toronto, while the Cavs stubbed their toes Thursday against the hapless Wizards.
Clearly, the stars of the show tonight will be Dwight and LeBron. The two Olympians have become the face of the NBA what with their ability to dominate games two dramatically different ways. LeBron is the favorite to win the MVP because he has his team on top of the East and has posted near-triple-double numbers most of the season.
Dwight, meanwhile, should be the landslide winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He is just a matter of games from becoming the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season. David Lee would have to average 20 rebounds a game down the stretch, and Chris Anderson would need five-plus blocks a night the rest of the way – and that’s only if Dwight doesn’t scratch in either category. Not going to happen.
Being a face of the NBA suits Dwight just fine, and he knows LeBron, his friend from the Olympics, is right there with him.&n bsp;
``Hopefully that’s the case. We both want to set a standard for how the game is played for years to come,’’ Dwight said. ``We’re both doing it from two different positions. We’re trying to do the best job we can for ourselves and our teams. He went to Cleveland, which was a struggling team before he got there and he brought some life back there. I’m trying to do the same, bring some life back to O-town.’’
Thursday, April 2, 2009
YOU ASKED, DWIGHT ANSWERED
Here is our first installment of the ``Ask Dwight'' segment we will be running weekly to help bring fans closer to the Me.
Remember, if you have a question for Me, send it to questions@dwighthoward.com and I will pick and choose a few each week for the site.
Thanks everyone for visiting the website each day.
QUESTION: I’m Dwight ’s biggest fan in the world, and yes I am a girl. And no I don’t just like him because he’s cute, which he is. I like Dwight because he is very dominant in the game of basketball. My question to him would be how does it feel to be considered one of the most dominant men to play the sport. -- Andrea Byers
DWIGHT: It feels good that people consider me a dominant player, but I don’t consider myself that way because there are still so many things that I’m working on. I always say that word, `Dominate,’ to myself before games because I always want that thought in my mind. I want to go out and dominate every game that I play in.
QUESTION: Hey Dwight. My name Is Tony and I’m 15 years old, in second year of high school. I'm 5'11 and I have to play the 5 for the JV team at my school. My coach had high expectations for me at the beginning of the season but I didn't do what I was supposed to do. I kept drifting out to the 3-point line to take the long range shots because we h ad a 6'1 Power Forward who would shoot as soon as he got the ball. So I cleared the paint for him and waited for a kick out. Other times when i got the ball in the post, I didn't have a "go-to" move, I would either just do a hook shot or a mini-fade jumper. I would like to ask you for some advice on what moves I can use that are effective in the post and tips on offensive rebounding. – Tony Shi
DWIGHT: The biggest thing is working on getting a consistent shot off the glass. I did that a lot when I was growing up. I tried to get any shot I had off the square and I knew if I hit the right spot it would go in. I always worked on left-handed and right-handed hooks off the glass.
Watching a lot of film on big men who still play today like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan helped me pick up little things, and kids coming up should do that because you can learn from those guys.
I’d say start off with learning basic moves like a drop step to the baseline, getting to the middle with hook shots and hitting a turn-around jump shot.
QUESTION: I am a die hard Magic fan from Orlando and a huge fan of yours as well. I am very high on this team and I’m sure you are too, but my question is, how do you feel about getting no respect from ESPN or any sports media? It’s almost like they count you out and you’re having one of the best seasons in Orlando Magic history and yet nobody seems to take notice nationally. Does it upset you or motivate you? Just want to let you know I have been going to games with my dad since I was a little kid and this year I have never been more proud the be an Orlando Magic fan. I believe in Magic. -- Matt Guidice,
DWIGHT: It does motivate me. I’ve never gotten respect from people growing up and that’s pushed me to try and be an even better player. It’s tough watching ESPN and all of the other stations and as a team we’re not getting any credit for the stuff that we’re doing. It motivates us and motivates us to be the best.
QUESTION: How do you guys learn to use Coach Van Gundy’s screaming as a motivator? Does it not bother you? Don’t you get sick of it? -- Omar DaShiki,
DWIGHT: Sometimes it’s motivating, but 90 percent of the time it does upset me. But he has a way of saying all of the right things. But when you are on the court, in the heat of battle, you don’t somebody getting on you. But that’s just the way it is with him.
QUESTION: Hey, D-12, I’m a big fan. I was just wondering what you consider to be your favorite verse in the Bible. – Unknown.
DWIGHT: I’ve got so many of them that really it’s so hard to choose. But I d have to say that it’s Philippians 4:13: For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
QUESTION: Hi. I just wondered what your favorite zoo animal is and why? Cheers, Drew. -- Drew
DWIGHT: Man, I haven’t been to the zoo since I was a little kid. C’mon man.
Remember, if you have a question for Me, send it to questions@dwighthoward.com and I will pick and choose a few each week for the site.
Thanks everyone for visiting the website each day.
QUESTION: I’m Dwight ’s biggest fan in the world, and yes I am a girl. And no I don’t just like him because he’s cute, which he is. I like Dwight because he is very dominant in the game of basketball. My question to him would be how does it feel to be considered one of the most dominant men to play the sport. -- Andrea Byers
DWIGHT: It feels good that people consider me a dominant player, but I don’t consider myself that way because there are still so many things that I’m working on. I always say that word, `Dominate,’ to myself before games because I always want that thought in my mind. I want to go out and dominate every game that I play in.
QUESTION: Hey Dwight. My name Is Tony and I’m 15 years old, in second year of high school. I'm 5'11 and I have to play the 5 for the JV team at my school. My coach had high expectations for me at the beginning of the season but I didn't do what I was supposed to do. I kept drifting out to the 3-point line to take the long range shots because we h ad a 6'1 Power Forward who would shoot as soon as he got the ball. So I cleared the paint for him and waited for a kick out. Other times when i got the ball in the post, I didn't have a "go-to" move, I would either just do a hook shot or a mini-fade jumper. I would like to ask you for some advice on what moves I can use that are effective in the post and tips on offensive rebounding. – Tony Shi
DWIGHT: The biggest thing is working on getting a consistent shot off the glass. I did that a lot when I was growing up. I tried to get any shot I had off the square and I knew if I hit the right spot it would go in. I always worked on left-handed and right-handed hooks off the glass.
Watching a lot of film on big men who still play today like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan helped me pick up little things, and kids coming up should do that because you can learn from those guys.
I’d say start off with learning basic moves like a drop step to the baseline, getting to the middle with hook shots and hitting a turn-around jump shot.
QUESTION: I am a die hard Magic fan from Orlando and a huge fan of yours as well. I am very high on this team and I’m sure you are too, but my question is, how do you feel about getting no respect from ESPN or any sports media? It’s almost like they count you out and you’re having one of the best seasons in Orlando Magic history and yet nobody seems to take notice nationally. Does it upset you or motivate you? Just want to let you know I have been going to games with my dad since I was a little kid and this year I have never been more proud the be an Orlando Magic fan. I believe in Magic. -- Matt Guidice,
DWIGHT: It does motivate me. I’ve never gotten respect from people growing up and that’s pushed me to try and be an even better player. It’s tough watching ESPN and all of the other stations and as a team we’re not getting any credit for the stuff that we’re doing. It motivates us and motivates us to be the best.
QUESTION: How do you guys learn to use Coach Van Gundy’s screaming as a motivator? Does it not bother you? Don’t you get sick of it? -- Omar DaShiki,
DWIGHT: Sometimes it’s motivating, but 90 percent of the time it does upset me. But he has a way of saying all of the right things. But when you are on the court, in the heat of battle, you don’t somebody getting on you. But that’s just the way it is with him.
QUESTION: Hey, D-12, I’m a big fan. I was just wondering what you consider to be your favorite verse in the Bible. – Unknown.
DWIGHT: I’ve got so many of them that really it’s so hard to choose. But I d have to say that it’s Philippians 4:13: For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
QUESTION: Hi. I just wondered what your favorite zoo animal is and why? Cheers, Drew. -- Drew
DWIGHT: Man, I haven’t been to the zoo since I was a little kid. C’mon man.
DWIGHT SCORES 30, BUT BOSH GETS WIN
Dwight Howard’s face formed a frown, his shoulders slumped and he shook his head disgustedly late Wednesday night. And the emphasis for the upset feelings wasn’t even that his Orlando Magic lost 99-95 to the Toronto Raptors.
Instead, it was a pride issue that was bothering Dwight most.
``I’m heart-broken and now I’ve got to take my rival out to dinner,’’ Dwiught said, half-jokingly. ``That’s the deal, loser buys dinner. And I really was looking forward to saving my money.’’
The friendship between Dwight and Bosh goes all the way back to Atlanta when Dwight was a high school senior at Southwest Christian High School and Bosh was a freshman star at Georgia Tech.
Their bond has strengthened through the years as they have competed together for Team USA. The two worked out together, along with Carlos Boozer, during the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Dwight got the best of Bosh statistically on Wednesday, outscoring him 30 to 24. Bosh had more rebounds (12 to 9) and more blocked shots (three to one), but Dwight had three steals.
But Bosh did hit a dagger of a shot over Dwight with 23.6 seconds remaining to keep the Raptors up three points as Orlando drew close. Dwight was up on Bosh on the play, making him shoot over his outstretched arm.20Still, Bosh hit nothing but net.
``I was right in his face, but he just hit a tough shot,’’ Dwight said. ``There’s nothing more you can do about it. Had I laid back he probably made the three. But that was a contested shot and he still made it.’’
Bosh, who made 10 of 20 shots, admitted that that basket was his toughest of the night.
``I have to give credit to Dwight because he played good initial defense,’’ Bosh said. ``I knew I didn’t have much time and I had to get a shot up to the basket. I didn’t really know where I was on the court, but I had to get up a shot. It felt good as soon as it left my hand.’’
The loss ended the Magic’s six-game winning streak and dropped Orlando (55-19) a game back of Boston (57-19) in the race for the No. 2 seed. The Celtics rallied at the end of regulation and the first overtime and beat Charlotte in two OTs.
Dwight is hoping that Wednesday’s loss to Toronto will be a wake-up call for the Magic, especially with Cleveland coming to town for a nationally televised showdown on Friday.
``I don’t think it’s our focus as much as it is our energy. We didn’t come out with a lot of energy and Toronto did,’’ Dwight said. ``We’ve got to be consistent with our energy and effort. Cleveland is playing the best basketball of all the teams in the NBA, so we know what they are going to come in here with. We have to come out Friday with a better effort.’’
Instead, it was a pride issue that was bothering Dwight most.
``I’m heart-broken and now I’ve got to take my rival out to dinner,’’ Dwiught said, half-jokingly. ``That’s the deal, loser buys dinner. And I really was looking forward to saving my money.’’
The friendship between Dwight and Bosh goes all the way back to Atlanta when Dwight was a high school senior at Southwest Christian High School and Bosh was a freshman star at Georgia Tech.
Their bond has strengthened through the years as they have competed together for Team USA. The two worked out together, along with Carlos Boozer, during the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Dwight got the best of Bosh statistically on Wednesday, outscoring him 30 to 24. Bosh had more rebounds (12 to 9) and more blocked shots (three to one), but Dwight had three steals.
But Bosh did hit a dagger of a shot over Dwight with 23.6 seconds remaining to keep the Raptors up three points as Orlando drew close. Dwight was up on Bosh on the play, making him shoot over his outstretched arm.20Still, Bosh hit nothing but net.
``I was right in his face, but he just hit a tough shot,’’ Dwight said. ``There’s nothing more you can do about it. Had I laid back he probably made the three. But that was a contested shot and he still made it.’’
Bosh, who made 10 of 20 shots, admitted that that basket was his toughest of the night.
``I have to give credit to Dwight because he played good initial defense,’’ Bosh said. ``I knew I didn’t have much time and I had to get a shot up to the basket. I didn’t really know where I was on the court, but I had to get up a shot. It felt good as soon as it left my hand.’’
The loss ended the Magic’s six-game winning streak and dropped Orlando (55-19) a game back of Boston (57-19) in the race for the No. 2 seed. The Celtics rallied at the end of regulation and the first overtime and beat Charlotte in two OTs.
Dwight is hoping that Wednesday’s loss to Toronto will be a wake-up call for the Magic, especially with Cleveland coming to town for a nationally televised showdown on Friday.
``I don’t think it’s our focus as much as it is our energy. We didn’t come out with a lot of energy and Toronto did,’’ Dwight said. ``We’ve got to be consistent with our energy and effort. Cleveland is playing the best basketball of all the teams in the NBA, so we know what they are going to come in here with. We have to come out Friday with a better effort.’’
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
DWIGHT’S DOUBLE-DOUBLES HELP FIGHT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE
Orlando Magic franchise center Dwight Howard already answers to the nicknames ``Manchild’’ and ``Thunder,’’ but another accurate moniker for the three-time all-star might be ``The Daily Double.’’
He entered Wednesday night’s game against Toronto with 57 double-doubles this season, which ranks him second in the NBA. In his five-year NBA career, he has a whopping 278 double-doubles, including a NBA-high 69 last year. He also tied the Magic’s franchise record earlier this year with 18 consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 6-Feb. 17.
In the double-double vain, Dwight is working with Wrigley’s Do ublemint chewing gum to fight child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Dwight spoke nationally with ESPN Radio Wednesday morning about his mission to prevent child abuse.
Doublemint gum is donating funds to PCA (Prevent Child Abuse) for every double-double Dwight registers this season.
During the month of April, NBA fans and fans of Dwight can step up and take part in the challenge on-line by making a donation for every double-double scored by any NBA player. Fans can go to: www.wrigleysdoubledouble.com to make their pledge.
Also, Dwight will appear at Finish Line at the Mall of Millenia on Thursday to donate $20,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Also, Dwight will reward 50 members of the Walt Disney World branch of the Boys and Girls Club (ages 13-17) a $100 gift card to Finish Line for new shoes.
Dwight won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment award on Saturday for his devotion to making a difference in the Central Florida community. It is the third time in his five-year NBA career that he has won the award.
He entered Wednesday night’s game against Toronto with 57 double-doubles this season, which ranks him second in the NBA. In his five-year NBA career, he has a whopping 278 double-doubles, including a NBA-high 69 last year. He also tied the Magic’s franchise record earlier this year with 18 consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 6-Feb. 17.
In the double-double vain, Dwight is working with Wrigley’s Do ublemint chewing gum to fight child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Dwight spoke nationally with ESPN Radio Wednesday morning about his mission to prevent child abuse.
Doublemint gum is donating funds to PCA (Prevent Child Abuse) for every double-double Dwight registers this season.
During the month of April, NBA fans and fans of Dwight can step up and take part in the challenge on-line by making a donation for every double-double scored by any NBA player. Fans can go to: www.wrigleysdoubledouble.com to make their pledge.
Also, Dwight will appear at Finish Line at the Mall of Millenia on Thursday to donate $20,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Also, Dwight will reward 50 members of the Walt Disney World branch of the Boys and Girls Club (ages 13-17) a $100 gift card to Finish Line for new shoes.
Dwight won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment award on Saturday for his devotion to making a difference in the Central Florida community. It is the third time in his five-year NBA career that he has won the award.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
EMOTIONAL NIGHT FOR 'ZO
My coach, Patrick Ewing, has told me a lot of stories about Alonzo Mourning, and ‘Zo was one of the big men who helped when I was first coming into the league. He gave me advice on how to approach the game of basketball and life, and I’ve always admired the way he played the game.
Me and all of my teammates were talking before the game and I had to get out there at halftime to see if ‘Zo was going to cry. We all figured that ‘Zo was going to shed a few tears because he was always such an emotional player. He did cry, but it’s all good. He’s really led the way for a lot of young big men who have come after him. I appreciate everything he’s done for me and for the game of basketball.
Watching the event at halftime, I was even getting a little bit teary-eyed, just seeing how emotional it was. It was a special night for him and I was happy that we were there to witness it.
Seeing that No. 33 go up in the rafters, made me think about my own career. Hopefully, one day after a long Magic career I’ll have my jersey retired, too. It’s a long way off and it’s just a dream, but that has to be the coolest feeling ever. I can see it now, No. 12 going up as the fans cheer. How cool would that be?
I got my 5,000th rebound Monday night, and I give credit for that to God for keeping me healthy throughout my five-year NBA career. It’s an honor that I’ve been able to accomplish what I have.
The most important thing of the night was that we beat Miami again and stayed ahead of the Celtics. We feel lie we’re going to have to win the rest of our games if we want to get that No. 2 seed and also get our goal of 60 win s. I think we can do it, but we’ve got a tough grind ahead of us.
OK, I’m out. Take care everybody. -- DWIGHT
Me and all of my teammates were talking before the game and I had to get out there at halftime to see if ‘Zo was going to cry. We all figured that ‘Zo was going to shed a few tears because he was always such an emotional player. He did cry, but it’s all good. He’s really led the way for a lot of young big men who have come after him. I appreciate everything he’s done for me and for the game of basketball.
Watching the event at halftime, I was even getting a little bit teary-eyed, just seeing how emotional it was. It was a special night for him and I was happy that we were there to witness it.
Seeing that No. 33 go up in the rafters, made me think about my own career. Hopefully, one day after a long Magic career I’ll have my jersey retired, too. It’s a long way off and it’s just a dream, but that has to be the coolest feeling ever. I can see it now, No. 12 going up as the fans cheer. How cool would that be?
I got my 5,000th rebound Monday night, and I give credit for that to God for keeping me healthy throughout my five-year NBA career. It’s an honor that I’ve been able to accomplish what I have.
The most important thing of the night was that we beat Miami again and stayed ahead of the Celtics. We feel lie we’re going to have to win the rest of our games if we want to get that No. 2 seed and also get our goal of 60 win s. I think we can do it, but we’ve got a tough grind ahead of us.
OK, I’m out. Take care everybody. -- DWIGHT
DWIGHT FASTEST TO 5,000 REBOUNDS IN HISTORY IN MAGIC WIN
Orlando franchise center Dwight Howard made NBA history Monday night when he became the youngest player ever to grab 5,000 rebounds in a career in the Magic’s 101-95 defeat of the Miami Heat.
Dwight’s 5,000th rebound was a thing of beauty as he swooped inside of Miami’s Jamaal Magloire, elevated and snatched a rebound away from the reserve Heat center with 2:55 left in the third quarter. By the end of Monday’s game, Dwight had 5,006 career rebounds.
Dwight hit the 5,000-board milestone at 23 years, 112 days. He eclipsed the previous record of 25 years, 128 days set by the immortal Wilt Chamberlain. Dave Cowens (25, 153), Walt Bellamy (25, 197), Moses Malone (25, 265) and Kevin Garnett (25, 296) were also among the youngest to 5,000 rebounds in NBA history.
The feat is nothing new to Dwight, who was already the youngest in league history to 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 rebounds. Clearly, the Magic’s all-star center is on a path to greatness and at this rate will go down someday as one of the game’s best centers ever.
``Thank God, first, to be able to play without any major injuries in my career,’’ Dwight said. ``So it’s an honor for me.’’
Dwight dominated all phases of Monday’s game, scoring 22 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and delivering a key blocked shot as the Magic overcame Dwyane Wade’s 42 points.
With Dwight patrolling the paint, the Orlando-Miami series has become mostly one-sided. The Magic have won 12 of the past 13 games against the Heat, losi ng only this January in Miami. Of course, Dwight has been a major part of the reason for Orlando’s domination of its rivals to the South. He’s had 12 straight double-doubles against the Heat.
But on this night Dwight was more worried about the Boston Celtics than the Miami Heat. The Magic hold a slim lead over the Celtics in the race for the elusive No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic have an impressive six-game winning streak after stopping Miami’s six-game home winning streak.
``We have to come out every night and grind it out. We want to try and win the rest of the games for the season,’’ Dwight said. ``We have a hard task in front of us. Miami had been playing great at home so to come in here and win it feels great.’’
On a night when Dwight made rebounding history and battered Jermaine O’Neal and Magloire with a bevy of nice moves in the paint, it was a stout defensive stop that was the highlight of the night for Dwight. And it showed once again why he should be the runaway winner of the Defensive Player of the Year.
Tied at 87-all with 3:47 to play, Miami point guard Mario Chalmers drove down the right side of the lane and put up a layup try. Silly, rookie. Dwight stuffed the shot with two hands, igniting a Magic fastbreak that led to Courtney Lee’s go-ahead layup. It was the play that set the Magic on their way to their 55th victory.
For the game, Dwight made eight of 11 shots and six of nine free throws. He had a spin-lob dunk from Hedo Turkoglu, but his two prettiest moves of the night came in the fourth quarter. On one possession, Dwight drove to the middle of the lane, faked left and went back right for a soft layup off the glass.
And with 50 seconds to play and the Magic clinging to a three-point lead, Dwight corralled a lob pass from Turk and finished over O’Neal in traffic to ice the victory.
Dwight’s 5,000th rebound was a thing of beauty as he swooped inside of Miami’s Jamaal Magloire, elevated and snatched a rebound away from the reserve Heat center with 2:55 left in the third quarter. By the end of Monday’s game, Dwight had 5,006 career rebounds.
Dwight hit the 5,000-board milestone at 23 years, 112 days. He eclipsed the previous record of 25 years, 128 days set by the immortal Wilt Chamberlain. Dave Cowens (25, 153), Walt Bellamy (25, 197), Moses Malone (25, 265) and Kevin Garnett (25, 296) were also among the youngest to 5,000 rebounds in NBA history.
The feat is nothing new to Dwight, who was already the youngest in league history to 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 rebounds. Clearly, the Magic’s all-star center is on a path to greatness and at this rate will go down someday as one of the game’s best centers ever.
``Thank God, first, to be able to play without any major injuries in my career,’’ Dwight said. ``So it’s an honor for me.’’
Dwight dominated all phases of Monday’s game, scoring 22 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and delivering a key blocked shot as the Magic overcame Dwyane Wade’s 42 points.
With Dwight patrolling the paint, the Orlando-Miami series has become mostly one-sided. The Magic have won 12 of the past 13 games against the Heat, losi ng only this January in Miami. Of course, Dwight has been a major part of the reason for Orlando’s domination of its rivals to the South. He’s had 12 straight double-doubles against the Heat.
But on this night Dwight was more worried about the Boston Celtics than the Miami Heat. The Magic hold a slim lead over the Celtics in the race for the elusive No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic have an impressive six-game winning streak after stopping Miami’s six-game home winning streak.
``We have to come out every night and grind it out. We want to try and win the rest of the games for the season,’’ Dwight said. ``We have a hard task in front of us. Miami had been playing great at home so to come in here and win it feels great.’’
On a night when Dwight made rebounding history and battered Jermaine O’Neal and Magloire with a bevy of nice moves in the paint, it was a stout defensive stop that was the highlight of the night for Dwight. And it showed once again why he should be the runaway winner of the Defensive Player of the Year.
Tied at 87-all with 3:47 to play, Miami point guard Mario Chalmers drove down the right side of the lane and put up a layup try. Silly, rookie. Dwight stuffed the shot with two hands, igniting a Magic fastbreak that led to Courtney Lee’s go-ahead layup. It was the play that set the Magic on their way to their 55th victory.
For the game, Dwight made eight of 11 shots and six of nine free throws. He had a spin-lob dunk from Hedo Turkoglu, but his two prettiest moves of the night came in the fourth quarter. On one possession, Dwight drove to the middle of the lane, faked left and went back right for a soft layup off the glass.
And with 50 seconds to play and the Magic clinging to a three-point lead, Dwight corralled a lob pass from Turk and finished over O’Neal in traffic to ice the victory.
Monday, March 30, 2009
DWIGHT NAMED EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard strengthened his bid for the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year awards when he was named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday.
It is the third time this season that Dwight has earned that honor.
Dwight led Orlando to a 3-0 record last week, averaging 23.7 points on 61.4 percent shooting from the field. He added 14.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for the Magic, who clinched its second consecutive Southeast Division title.
During Orl ando’s 84-82 win over Boston on March 25, Dwight posted 24 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks. He saved the win against the Celtics by swatting Paul Pierce’s layup attempt with three seconds remaining.
Dwight also had 29 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in a 106-102 win over the Knicks last Monday. And he capped last week with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks as the Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 110-94.
Dwight leads the Magic in scoring (21.0) and leads the NBA in rebounding (13.9) and blocked shots (2.99). He is attempting to become just the fifth center ever to lead the NBA in those two categories in the same season.
San Antonio point guard Tony Parker was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week. Parker averaged 27.5 points and 8.3 assists in leading San Antonio to a 3-1 week. Parker recorded back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games on March 24 vs. Golden State and March 25 at Atlanta. On March 29 at New Orleans, Parker scored his 10,000th career point, becoming the fourth Spur player to accomplish the feat.
It is the third time this season that Dwight has earned that honor.
Dwight led Orlando to a 3-0 record last week, averaging 23.7 points on 61.4 percent shooting from the field. He added 14.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for the Magic, who clinched its second consecutive Southeast Division title.
During Orl ando’s 84-82 win over Boston on March 25, Dwight posted 24 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks. He saved the win against the Celtics by swatting Paul Pierce’s layup attempt with three seconds remaining.
Dwight also had 29 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in a 106-102 win over the Knicks last Monday. And he capped last week with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks as the Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 110-94.
Dwight leads the Magic in scoring (21.0) and leads the NBA in rebounding (13.9) and blocked shots (2.99). He is attempting to become just the fifth center ever to lead the NBA in those two categories in the same season.
San Antonio point guard Tony Parker was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week. Parker averaged 27.5 points and 8.3 assists in leading San Antonio to a 3-1 week. Parker recorded back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games on March 24 vs. Golden State and March 25 at Atlanta. On March 29 at New Orleans, Parker scored his 10,000th career point, becoming the fourth Spur player to accomplish the feat.
PASSING A SIGN OF GROWTH FOR DWIGHT
With all-star center Dwight Howard, the dunks, rebounds and blocked shots are going to come every night. But it’s a new aspect of Dwight’s game – his ability to pass the ball out of double teams – that has made him an even more dangerous offensive threat.
As teams have had to double-team Dwight more and more to stop his steadily expanding offensive game, Dwight has become more adept at finding open shooters. His wife shoulders, long reach and ability see above the traps has made him a good passer out of double-team defenses.
Three times in the past two weeks Dwight has totaled at least five assists in a game. He burned Washington for what was a career-best seven assists on March 13. Then, five days later he had seven more assists against Milwaukee, a game in which he also scored 29 points and showed off his all-around game.
And when Milwaukee’s double-teams came one after another last Friday night in Orlando, Dwight contributed five assists to go with his 18 points and eight rebounds.
More and more, he’s making teams pay for trying to trap him along the baseline. It is a sign of his growth and maturity as an offensive threat that he’s able to see the traps coming and find the open player. But Dwight stressed that his passing abilities are still a work in progress as he works to fully learn the trapping tendencies of defenses.
``I’m trying now to make the easy pass instead of the home run pass,’’ Dwight said. ``It’s been working instead of me looking all the way across the court to pass. The touch pass back out to someone close to me is a better pass for our team. If they20double, they leave guys like Hedo (Turkoglu) and Rashard (Lewis) and J.J. (Redick) open for shots. And if they don’t double I have a chance to use the wide variety of shots that I have now.’’
In his fifth year in the NBA, Dwight admits that the game has ``slowed down’’ for him somewhat, making his ability to read defenses easier. Also, doing his homework on teams before games has helped the process. It’s not uncommon for Dwight to study an opposing team’s defensive tendencies for hours before a game.
``I try to slow the game down in my mind. Before the defense comes I try to think about where I can pass the ball,’’ Dwight said. ``Before the game there’s a lot of things you can do to get your mind right. Knowing where the double teams come from, the top or the baseline, that helps a lot.’’
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy preaches to Dwight to remain patience in the post. By analyzing the defense first before making his move, Dwight can make the proper read and then go to work. And when Dwight is passing out of double teams as well a s he has been doing lately, it makes it easier for the Magic to run their offense through him during games.
``He’s had some very good nights passing out of the post lately,’’ Van Gundy said. ``He’s playing with very good patience right now. Teams will be coming at him harder and harder and he just has to keep making good decisions.’’
Dwight’s improved passing skills could have a big benefit on him offensively as well. If he continues to find open shooters for 3-pointers, teams likely will be able to double-team him less and less in the future.
``Even when teams are doubling Dwight, he’s done an outstanding job of passing the ball,’’ Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing said. ``That hurts them. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they don’t double, he’s going to destroy them. If they do double and he does a good job passing out they’re going to be in trouble that way too.’’
As teams have had to double-team Dwight more and more to stop his steadily expanding offensive game, Dwight has become more adept at finding open shooters. His wife shoulders, long reach and ability see above the traps has made him a good passer out of double-team defenses.
Three times in the past two weeks Dwight has totaled at least five assists in a game. He burned Washington for what was a career-best seven assists on March 13. Then, five days later he had seven more assists against Milwaukee, a game in which he also scored 29 points and showed off his all-around game.
And when Milwaukee’s double-teams came one after another last Friday night in Orlando, Dwight contributed five assists to go with his 18 points and eight rebounds.
More and more, he’s making teams pay for trying to trap him along the baseline. It is a sign of his growth and maturity as an offensive threat that he’s able to see the traps coming and find the open player. But Dwight stressed that his passing abilities are still a work in progress as he works to fully learn the trapping tendencies of defenses.
``I’m trying now to make the easy pass instead of the home run pass,’’ Dwight said. ``It’s been working instead of me looking all the way across the court to pass. The touch pass back out to someone close to me is a better pass for our team. If they20double, they leave guys like Hedo (Turkoglu) and Rashard (Lewis) and J.J. (Redick) open for shots. And if they don’t double I have a chance to use the wide variety of shots that I have now.’’
In his fifth year in the NBA, Dwight admits that the game has ``slowed down’’ for him somewhat, making his ability to read defenses easier. Also, doing his homework on teams before games has helped the process. It’s not uncommon for Dwight to study an opposing team’s defensive tendencies for hours before a game.
``I try to slow the game down in my mind. Before the defense comes I try to think about where I can pass the ball,’’ Dwight said. ``Before the game there’s a lot of things you can do to get your mind right. Knowing where the double teams come from, the top or the baseline, that helps a lot.’’
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy preaches to Dwight to remain patience in the post. By analyzing the defense first before making his move, Dwight can make the proper read and then go to work. And when Dwight is passing out of double teams as well a s he has been doing lately, it makes it easier for the Magic to run their offense through him during games.
``He’s had some very good nights passing out of the post lately,’’ Van Gundy said. ``He’s playing with very good patience right now. Teams will be coming at him harder and harder and he just has to keep making good decisions.’’
Dwight’s improved passing skills could have a big benefit on him offensively as well. If he continues to find open shooters for 3-pointers, teams likely will be able to double-team him less and less in the future.
``Even when teams are doubling Dwight, he’s done an outstanding job of passing the ball,’’ Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing said. ``That hurts them. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they don’t double, he’s going to destroy them. If they do double and he does a good job passing out they’re going to be in trouble that way too.’’
Friday, March 27, 2009
I’M SEEKING PERFECTION
I’m somewhat of a perfectionist in everything I do, whether it’s my tie perfectly matching my shirt and jacket or my play on the court. I can have a 20-point, 20-rebound game, but if I miss a few free throws or turn the ball over too much then I’m not entirely happy with my effort.
I want to be one of the best big men to ever play the game, and that can’t happen if I settle for second best at anything. I expect myself to be aggressive and compete at the highest level every night.
That’s why even though I was really happy with the Boston win, I’m kind of disappointed how we ended that game. We a lmost lost a big lead in that game. They came back from 16. You play a good team like that, you get them down, you have to bury them.
We’ve got to have games where we let good teams know we’re for real. You do that by putting them in the hole and keeping them there. We gave Boston life. We’ve got to bury teams.
That’s important as we go down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. We want to go into the postseason playing our best basketball. That’s how we’re going to win a championship.
Starting tonight with our game against Milwaukee, we can’t let teams off the hook when we have them down. We have to bury them. That’s kind of what we did to the Bucks last week in Milwaukee and we need to do it again tonight. We have to have that mindset the rest of the way.
Beating teams and keeping them down, that’s how we are going to earn the respect that we deserve. That’s how teams are going to see that we are for real. We have to prove it every night we step on the floor.
Wish us luck. Peace. -- DWIGHT
I want to be one of the best big men to ever play the game, and that can’t happen if I settle for second best at anything. I expect myself to be aggressive and compete at the highest level every night.
That’s why even though I was really happy with the Boston win, I’m kind of disappointed how we ended that game. We a lmost lost a big lead in that game. They came back from 16. You play a good team like that, you get them down, you have to bury them.
We’ve got to have games where we let good teams know we’re for real. You do that by putting them in the hole and keeping them there. We gave Boston life. We’ve got to bury teams.
That’s important as we go down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. We want to go into the postseason playing our best basketball. That’s how we’re going to win a championship.
Starting tonight with our game against Milwaukee, we can’t let teams off the hook when we have them down. We have to bury them. That’s kind of what we did to the Bucks last week in Milwaukee and we need to do it again tonight. We have to have that mindset the rest of the way.
Beating teams and keeping them down, that’s how we are going to earn the respect that we deserve. That’s how teams are going to see that we are for real. We have to prove it every night we step on the floor.
Wish us luck. Peace. -- DWIGHT
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DWIGHT’S DEFENSE SAVES WIN AGAINST CELTICS
If there was any question as to who should win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award – and really at this point it should be a slam dunk – Dwight Howard delivered a resounding exclamation point Wednesday with a game-saving blocked shot.
Dwight’s two-handed stuff of Boston superstar Paul Pierce at the rim saved an 84-82 victory for the Magic against the Celtics. It also gave the Magic a leg up in the battle for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and locked up a second consecutive Southeast Division title for the Magic.
Afterward, all anyone could talk about was Dwight’s emphatic, game-saving blocke d shot – his fourth such stuff of the night. And Dwight, much to his credit, predicted the way the play would unfold before Pierce ever went down the lane.
``I told the guys when we came out of the huddle that they are going to give the ball to Paul Pierce. Please block out my man and I’ll try to go and get a big block,’’ Dwight recalled. ``It happened just the way we drew it up and I’m just glad he didn’t get the shot off.’’
The big block was just part of a dazzling night for the Magic’s franchise center. He entered the game averaging just 14 points against the Celtics, but he broke out of a mini-slump against Boston by hitting 11 of his first 14 shots and scoring 24 points.
More importantly, and one of the main reasons why Dwight should be the runaway favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, was the 21 rebounds he gobbled up. Two of those rebounds came in heavy traffic in the final minute when the Magic were clinging to a one-point lead.
Remarkably, it was the eighth time this season that Dwight has registered a game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. To put that in perspective, the rest of the league has six combined (one by six different players). And Dwight had his league-leading 56th double-double … by the end of the first quarter, the fourth time he’s accomplished that feat this season.
When asked afterward about his standing in the MVP race, Dwight instead talked of his pursuit of a championship rather than individual awards. And he stressed that his defensive contributions mean more to the Magic’s sparkling 53-18 record than some scoring records.
``Twenty points and 20 rebounds are a lot more valuable than 40 points because a lot of my rebounds are on the defensive end and that way teams don’t get a second chance to score,’’ Dwight said. ``It’s better for me to try and get rebounds than trying to score a lot of points.’’
As for his perceived place in the MVP voting behind LeBron20James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, here’s what Dwight said: ``It doesn’t bother me. Like I’ve been stressing, it’s about winning a championship. I’m all about team first and it’s not a cliché. I want to win a championship and it’s not all about MVP or what I can do individually. It’s about winning banners, that’s it.’’
Dwight said the win was important to a Magic team out to show that it’s a legitimate powerhouse in the NBA. The Magic are hungry for national respect, and a tough, hard-nosed win against a champion like Boston can provide that sort of acclaim.
The way Orlando won, by jumping on Boston early and getting gritty defensive stops down the stretch, will give the Magic confidence against the Celtics in the playoffs, Dwight said. And make no mistake about it, the Celtics and the Magic are on course to butt heads again in the playoffs in less than six weeks. And Dwight feels the Magic will be up to the task of beating Boston in a seven-game series.
``We’ll see them again and that’ll be a great test for us,’’ Dwight said. ``We understand that closing out the season strong is big for us. And when we see Boston again we understand now what we have to do to beat the Celtics. We’re not going to beat them playing their game. We have to play our game throughout 48 minutes and throughout a series to beat them.
``We’re confident that we can beat anybody. You’ve got to have that confidence that you can beat anybody. If you don’t believe in yourself nobody else will. We feel we can beat anybody put in front of us when we play our type of basketball.’’
Dwight’s two-handed stuff of Boston superstar Paul Pierce at the rim saved an 84-82 victory for the Magic against the Celtics. It also gave the Magic a leg up in the battle for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and locked up a second consecutive Southeast Division title for the Magic.
Afterward, all anyone could talk about was Dwight’s emphatic, game-saving blocke d shot – his fourth such stuff of the night. And Dwight, much to his credit, predicted the way the play would unfold before Pierce ever went down the lane.
``I told the guys when we came out of the huddle that they are going to give the ball to Paul Pierce. Please block out my man and I’ll try to go and get a big block,’’ Dwight recalled. ``It happened just the way we drew it up and I’m just glad he didn’t get the shot off.’’
The big block was just part of a dazzling night for the Magic’s franchise center. He entered the game averaging just 14 points against the Celtics, but he broke out of a mini-slump against Boston by hitting 11 of his first 14 shots and scoring 24 points.
More importantly, and one of the main reasons why Dwight should be the runaway favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, was the 21 rebounds he gobbled up. Two of those rebounds came in heavy traffic in the final minute when the Magic were clinging to a one-point lead.
Remarkably, it was the eighth time this season that Dwight has registered a game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. To put that in perspective, the rest of the league has six combined (one by six different players). And Dwight had his league-leading 56th double-double … by the end of the first quarter, the fourth time he’s accomplished that feat this season.
When asked afterward about his standing in the MVP race, Dwight instead talked of his pursuit of a championship rather than individual awards. And he stressed that his defensive contributions mean more to the Magic’s sparkling 53-18 record than some scoring records.
``Twenty points and 20 rebounds are a lot more valuable than 40 points because a lot of my rebounds are on the defensive end and that way teams don’t get a second chance to score,’’ Dwight said. ``It’s better for me to try and get rebounds than trying to score a lot of points.’’
As for his perceived place in the MVP voting behind LeBron20James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, here’s what Dwight said: ``It doesn’t bother me. Like I’ve been stressing, it’s about winning a championship. I’m all about team first and it’s not a cliché. I want to win a championship and it’s not all about MVP or what I can do individually. It’s about winning banners, that’s it.’’
Dwight said the win was important to a Magic team out to show that it’s a legitimate powerhouse in the NBA. The Magic are hungry for national respect, and a tough, hard-nosed win against a champion like Boston can provide that sort of acclaim.
The way Orlando won, by jumping on Boston early and getting gritty defensive stops down the stretch, will give the Magic confidence against the Celtics in the playoffs, Dwight said. And make no mistake about it, the Celtics and the Magic are on course to butt heads again in the playoffs in less than six weeks. And Dwight feels the Magic will be up to the task of beating Boston in a seven-game series.
``We’ll see them again and that’ll be a great test for us,’’ Dwight said. ``We understand that closing out the season strong is big for us. And when we see Boston again we understand now what we have to do to beat the Celtics. We’re not going to beat them playing their game. We have to play our game throughout 48 minutes and throughout a series to beat them.
``We’re confident that we can beat anybody. You’ve got to have that confidence that you can beat anybody. If you don’t believe in yourself nobody else will. We feel we can beat anybody put in front of us when we play our type of basketball.’’
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
DWIGHT READY FOR TRUE TEST AGAINST CELTICS
Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard knows that this test tonight against the Boston Celtics will be a much truer one than when the two teams met earlier this month in Boston.
Orlando won that game 86-79, but it came with Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo out because of injuries.
So when the Magic and Celtics face off tonight at Amway Arena, both teams will be fully intact. And Dwight, for one, is ready for the test between the Magic and the Celtics.
``It’s a big game. They have a lot of their guys back, so we are looking forward to it,’’ Dwight said. ``They won their last couple of games and I think it is going to be a good matchup. They are the defending champions and they are playing well. We want to come out with a lot of energy, and hopefully, we can get a good win.’’
The Magic’s best way to get a good win is to get Dwight going early and often in the game. He battered New York senseless Monday night, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and 29 for the game. Add in his 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and it was a truly dominant performance.
But Boston has been one of the few teams who have managed to slow Dwight down the season offensively. Dwight did hit the Celtics for 18 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the win earlier this month, but other games against Boston have been a struggle. In the three games this season against the Celtics, Dwight has averaged 14.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting _ among his season lows against any opponent. But he's still b een a dominant force on the defensive end of the floor, averaging 13.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the three games against the Celtics.
Boston usually sends big men at Dwight in waves, using Kendrick Perkins, Garnett, Leon Powe and Big Baby Davis inside. The referees allow those players to be extremely physical with Dwight (not to mention plenty of grabbing, holding and pulling on his jersey). But Dwight isn’t bothered by it and is vowing to break out tonight against the Celtics and have a big game in front of ESPN’s nationally televised audience.
``We are going to play our normal game. We are going to attack inside and out and we are going to run,’’ Dwight said. ``The last time we beat them, we did a good job of running and getting easy shots and not letting their defense set. Hopefully, we can do the same thing again this time.’’
Orlando won that game 86-79, but it came with Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo out because of injuries.
So when the Magic and Celtics face off tonight at Amway Arena, both teams will be fully intact. And Dwight, for one, is ready for the test between the Magic and the Celtics.
``It’s a big game. They have a lot of their guys back, so we are looking forward to it,’’ Dwight said. ``They won their last couple of games and I think it is going to be a good matchup. They are the defending champions and they are playing well. We want to come out with a lot of energy, and hopefully, we can get a good win.’’
The Magic’s best way to get a good win is to get Dwight going early and often in the game. He battered New York senseless Monday night, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and 29 for the game. Add in his 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and it was a truly dominant performance.
But Boston has been one of the few teams who have managed to slow Dwight down the season offensively. Dwight did hit the Celtics for 18 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the win earlier this month, but other games against Boston have been a struggle. In the three games this season against the Celtics, Dwight has averaged 14.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting _ among his season lows against any opponent. But he's still b een a dominant force on the defensive end of the floor, averaging 13.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the three games against the Celtics.
Boston usually sends big men at Dwight in waves, using Kendrick Perkins, Garnett, Leon Powe and Big Baby Davis inside. The referees allow those players to be extremely physical with Dwight (not to mention plenty of grabbing, holding and pulling on his jersey). But Dwight isn’t bothered by it and is vowing to break out tonight against the Celtics and have a big game in front of ESPN’s nationally televised audience.
``We are going to play our normal game. We are going to attack inside and out and we are going to run,’’ Dwight said. ``The last time we beat them, we did a good job of running and getting easy shots and not letting their defense set. Hopefully, we can do the same thing again this time.’’
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
BOUNCING BACK VS. NEW YORK
I really wasn’t happy with how I played Saturday against the Knicks and I wanted to come back with a big game Monday night. We really needed it to keep pace with the Celtics and to reach our team goal of 60 wins.
I really felt like I let the refs take me out of my game Saturday night. I stopped being aggressive because it seemed like anything I did, I got called for a foul. I can’t let the refs take me out of the way that I know how to play. When I’m aggressive, attacking and hitting first, that’s when I’m at my best.
That was my mindset from the jump Monday night. I had 13 points in the first quarter because I came out in attack mode. My teammates were looking for me and finding me and I didn’t hesitate.
The Knicks didn’t really start double-teaming me until the fourth qua rter, so I tried to make quick, strong moves in the paint. And when the double teams started coming, I just wanted to make the right plays to get us open shots. My assist to Turk in the fourth quarter got us a 3-pointer and got Turk going. He had another big fourth quarter and helped us win the games.
So many people think clutch plays in the NBA come on hitting shots. But too often people overlook a big defensive play or a tough rebound and don’t consider those to be ``clutch’’ plays. I had a couple of nice blocks down the stetch, I forced a turnover on Wilson Chandler that led to our go-ahead basket and I was really proud of the tough rebound I pulled in in traffic with us up three with about a minute to play.
Those are the plays that help us win games. And that’s why I’m constantly thinking and talking about defense. Me being a dominant presence in the lane defensively and on the boards is what is going to help us win a championship.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
I really felt like I let the refs take me out of my game Saturday night. I stopped being aggressive because it seemed like anything I did, I got called for a foul. I can’t let the refs take me out of the way that I know how to play. When I’m aggressive, attacking and hitting first, that’s when I’m at my best.
That was my mindset from the jump Monday night. I had 13 points in the first quarter because I came out in attack mode. My teammates were looking for me and finding me and I didn’t hesitate.
The Knicks didn’t really start double-teaming me until the fourth qua rter, so I tried to make quick, strong moves in the paint. And when the double teams started coming, I just wanted to make the right plays to get us open shots. My assist to Turk in the fourth quarter got us a 3-pointer and got Turk going. He had another big fourth quarter and helped us win the games.
So many people think clutch plays in the NBA come on hitting shots. But too often people overlook a big defensive play or a tough rebound and don’t consider those to be ``clutch’’ plays. I had a couple of nice blocks down the stetch, I forced a turnover on Wilson Chandler that led to our go-ahead basket and I was really proud of the tough rebound I pulled in in traffic with us up three with about a minute to play.
Those are the plays that help us win games. And that’s why I’m constantly thinking and talking about defense. Me being a dominant presence in the lane defensively and on the boards is what is going to help us win a championship.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Monday, March 23, 2009
FEELS LIKE THE PLAYOFFS
Because we are playing the New York Knicks again tonight after just playing them on Saturday in Orlando, it almost feels likes a playoff series to us. We’ve talked about that as a team, using these two games against the Knicks to get us ready for the playoffs. The postseason begins in less than four weeks, so it’s never too early to start getting ready.
We have to be aware that New York is still fighting for a chance to get into the playoffs. We have to come out with a better effort than we did on Saturday, but hopefully the result will be the same.
I was glad that we won Saturday’s game, but it was a frustrating one for me. I had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but I was in foul trouble much of the game. And I even fouled out with 3 minutes to p lay when Nate Robinson jumped in to me on a drive and got the call.
I was a little frustrated because I feel like I let the referees take me out of my game. I didn’t really want to be physical because I thought I was going to be called for a lot of fouls every time I did anything.
Tonight, when we play the Knicks again in Madison Square Garden, I’ve jut got to go play and not worry so much about the referees. I’m already looking forward to this game because I want to go out there and play a lot better.
We know that it’s going to be tough to catch Cleveland for the No. 1 seed in the East, but we have our sights set on Boston now. We have to take care of business against the Knicks and then we can get ready for Wednesday’s game in our house against the Celtics. We are tied with Boston20in the loss column and two back in the win column, so every game is important now.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
We have to be aware that New York is still fighting for a chance to get into the playoffs. We have to come out with a better effort than we did on Saturday, but hopefully the result will be the same.
I was glad that we won Saturday’s game, but it was a frustrating one for me. I had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but I was in foul trouble much of the game. And I even fouled out with 3 minutes to p lay when Nate Robinson jumped in to me on a drive and got the call.
I was a little frustrated because I feel like I let the referees take me out of my game. I didn’t really want to be physical because I thought I was going to be called for a lot of fouls every time I did anything.
Tonight, when we play the Knicks again in Madison Square Garden, I’ve jut got to go play and not worry so much about the referees. I’m already looking forward to this game because I want to go out there and play a lot better.
We know that it’s going to be tough to catch Cleveland for the No. 1 seed in the East, but we have our sights set on Boston now. We have to take care of business against the Knicks and then we can get ready for Wednesday’s game in our house against the Celtics. We are tied with Boston20in the loss column and two back in the win column, so every game is important now.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Saturday, March 21, 2009
DWIGHT STILL A STRONG MVP CANDIDATE
As far as the 2009 MVP race goes, Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard concedes that, ``When it’s my time, then it’s my time.’’
The time likely belongs to Cleveland’s LeBron James, the landslide favorite to capture this season’s MVP. And while Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are sure to be in the running, Dwight certainly belongs at the forefront of any MVP talk.
A look at the numbers shows just how dominant Dwight has been and also is proof as to how valuable he is to the Magic.
Dwight has more 20-point/20-rebound games (seven) than the rest of the NBA combined (six players with20one each). He has 10 games with at least 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, while the rest of the league combined has just four of those games.
And because Dwight is the NBA’s runaway leader in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (2.97), he is about to become just the fifth player ever to lead the league in both categories. Already the youngest rebounding champion in league history, Dwight is set to become the youngest shot-block leader in history as well. He will be 23 years, 128 days by season’s end, besting Marcus Camby’s record in 1997-98 (24 years, 28 days).
And Dwight’s growth on both ends of the floor has also shown up in the Magic’s victory total. When he scores 20 or more points, the Magic are 27-9. When he pulls down at least 15 rebounds, Orlando is 24-7. And when Dwight blocks at least three shots, his Magic are 27-9.
LeBron is the unquestioned favorite to win the MVP, but other players around the NBA have lined up in support for Dwight as a strong candidate for the award.
``Dwight’s one of those dudes that people don’t appreciate enough. He should be in the MVP talk, too,’’ Utah’s Carlos Boozer said. ``It’s hard to get 10 rebounds and he’s getting 14 a game. And he’s leading the league in blocked shots. He’s playing unbelievable. A lot of people look at scoring and if Dwight was averaging close to 30, he’d be talked about more. But in my opinion, with what he’s doing defensively, he should be up there in the MVP race.’’
Indiana’s Danny Granger had this say: ``Orlando is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for one reason -- Dwight Howard.’’
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy feels that Dwight’s accomplishments are somewhat overlooked in the MVP talk because rebounding and blocked shots statistics aren’t as sexy as the scoring exploits of Wade (30 ppg.), James (28.4 ppg.) and Bryant (28 ppg.).
``I do think scoring is overvalued and rebounding, defense and playmaking are undervalued,’’ Van Gundy said. ``You watch SportsCenter every night and you see guys putting the ball in the basket. That’s what people consider clutch plays and it’s rarely a great defensive play or a big rebound near the end of a game.
``It’s become a perimeter game for a lot of reasons,’’ Van Gundy said. ``Dwight’s overall contributions are undervalued for some reason. You look at the highlights every night and it’s Wade and LeBron twisting and turning and flying and that’s who you hear about all the time.’’
As for winning the NBA’s most prestigious individual award, Dwight said that his focus is more on helping Orlando win a NBA title. And for that to happen, Dwight knows that he has to continue to dominate the glass and be an imposing figure on the defensive end of the floor.
``Fantasy teams and fans like the scoring, but for our team to be successful I have to rebound and block shots,’’ Dwight said. ``It might be overlooked by a lot of people, but for this team to continue to contend I have to block shots and be a dominant force on the glass.’’
The time likely belongs to Cleveland’s LeBron James, the landslide favorite to capture this season’s MVP. And while Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are sure to be in the running, Dwight certainly belongs at the forefront of any MVP talk.
A look at the numbers shows just how dominant Dwight has been and also is proof as to how valuable he is to the Magic.
Dwight has more 20-point/20-rebound games (seven) than the rest of the NBA combined (six players with20one each). He has 10 games with at least 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, while the rest of the league combined has just four of those games.
And because Dwight is the NBA’s runaway leader in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (2.97), he is about to become just the fifth player ever to lead the league in both categories. Already the youngest rebounding champion in league history, Dwight is set to become the youngest shot-block leader in history as well. He will be 23 years, 128 days by season’s end, besting Marcus Camby’s record in 1997-98 (24 years, 28 days).
And Dwight’s growth on both ends of the floor has also shown up in the Magic’s victory total. When he scores 20 or more points, the Magic are 27-9. When he pulls down at least 15 rebounds, Orlando is 24-7. And when Dwight blocks at least three shots, his Magic are 27-9.
LeBron is the unquestioned favorite to win the MVP, but other players around the NBA have lined up in support for Dwight as a strong candidate for the award.
``Dwight’s one of those dudes that people don’t appreciate enough. He should be in the MVP talk, too,’’ Utah’s Carlos Boozer said. ``It’s hard to get 10 rebounds and he’s getting 14 a game. And he’s leading the league in blocked shots. He’s playing unbelievable. A lot of people look at scoring and if Dwight was averaging close to 30, he’d be talked about more. But in my opinion, with what he’s doing defensively, he should be up there in the MVP race.’’
Indiana’s Danny Granger had this say: ``Orlando is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for one reason -- Dwight Howard.’’
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy feels that Dwight’s accomplishments are somewhat overlooked in the MVP talk because rebounding and blocked shots statistics aren’t as sexy as the scoring exploits of Wade (30 ppg.), James (28.4 ppg.) and Bryant (28 ppg.).
``I do think scoring is overvalued and rebounding, defense and playmaking are undervalued,’’ Van Gundy said. ``You watch SportsCenter every night and you see guys putting the ball in the basket. That’s what people consider clutch plays and it’s rarely a great defensive play or a big rebound near the end of a game.
``It’s become a perimeter game for a lot of reasons,’’ Van Gundy said. ``Dwight’s overall contributions are undervalued for some reason. You look at the highlights every night and it’s Wade and LeBron twisting and turning and flying and that’s who you hear about all the time.’’
As for winning the NBA’s most prestigious individual award, Dwight said that his focus is more on helping Orlando win a NBA title. And for that to happen, Dwight knows that he has to continue to dominate the glass and be an imposing figure on the defensive end of the floor.
``Fantasy teams and fans like the scoring, but for our team to be successful I have to rebound and block shots,’’ Dwight said. ``It might be overlooked by a lot of people, but for this team to continue to contend I have to block shots and be a dominant force on the glass.’’
Thursday, March 19, 2009
DWIGHT DOMINATES IN MILWAUKEE
In Dwight Howard’s one-man demolition of the undersized Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night it was difficult to tell what was the most jaw-dropping highlight.
Was it the back-to-back sequence where Dwight deftly passed out of a double team for a J.J. Redick 3-pointer and then swatted a Ramon Sessions shot out of bounds?
Or was it the spinning alley-oop dunk that Dwight hammered home between the flailing arms of Milwaukee’s Dan Gadzuric and Joe Alexander?
Or could it have been that time when Dwight came across the lane and planted Charlie Bell’s floating jump shot in someone’s popcorn in the fifth row?
Add it all up and what you had from Dwight was a 28-point, 12-rebound, seven-assist, two-block performance that made the Magic 106-80 winners and Milwaukee all bloodied and battered from Howard’s domination.
It was a dramatic difference than what happened a night earlier in Cleveland when the Magic inexplicably went away from Dwight with the game on the line. In the loss to Cleveland and LeBron James, Dwight got just eight shots and just one field goal attempt after halftime. Predictably, the Magic struggled to finish that game.
But on Wednesday he had eight field goals attempts and nine free throws by the end of the first quarter. The result was Dwight scoring 18 of the Magic’s first 36 points, including a stretch of 14 of their 16 points.
A true sign of Dwight’s growth as a player has been his willingness and effectiveness passing out of double teams. For the second time in four games, Dwight had seven assists, a career-high=2 0total for him. On Wednesday, he hit Courtney Lee for a dunk, Rafer Alston for a layup and shooters for wide-open 3-pointers.
``It’s easy to go to Dwight when he’s being so effective,’’ said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who was critical of himself for not calling Dwight’s number more in the loss in Cleveland. ``It’s easy to play through him when he’s playing with that kind of patience and throwing the ball out, too.’’
Milwaukee used Francisco Elson, Gadzuric and Malik Allen on Howard and none of them were able to slow him down. Elson tangled with Dwight early, and that only seemed to motivate the three-time all-star even more to deliver a dominating performance.
Elton was pulled early in the game after Dwight caught a lob dunk over him and Gadzuric didn’t fare much better. On back-to-back possessions, Dwight sealed Gadzurcic under the rim for a three-point play and then on the next possession outran him down the floor on a fatbreak for another dunk and a free throw.
Dwight started the second half with that over-the-shoulder assist to Lee for a dunk and by the end of the third period he sent Bell’s shot deep into the crowd with an awe-inspiring swat.
Dwight could hide his delight with the play, flashing a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
Former Magic player Keith Bogans, who was traded to Milwaukee last month for Tyronn Lue, recognized Dwight’s joy and knew the Bucks were in for a long night with the game’s best center at his dominating best.
Noted Bogans, who playfully locked arms with Dwight late in the game on a rebound: ``If Dwight’s getting easy baskets, catching lob dunks, making three-point plays, it’s pretty much over with him. He’s already hard to stop.’’
Was it the back-to-back sequence where Dwight deftly passed out of a double team for a J.J. Redick 3-pointer and then swatted a Ramon Sessions shot out of bounds?
Or was it the spinning alley-oop dunk that Dwight hammered home between the flailing arms of Milwaukee’s Dan Gadzuric and Joe Alexander?
Or could it have been that time when Dwight came across the lane and planted Charlie Bell’s floating jump shot in someone’s popcorn in the fifth row?
Add it all up and what you had from Dwight was a 28-point, 12-rebound, seven-assist, two-block performance that made the Magic 106-80 winners and Milwaukee all bloodied and battered from Howard’s domination.
It was a dramatic difference than what happened a night earlier in Cleveland when the Magic inexplicably went away from Dwight with the game on the line. In the loss to Cleveland and LeBron James, Dwight got just eight shots and just one field goal attempt after halftime. Predictably, the Magic struggled to finish that game.
But on Wednesday he had eight field goals attempts and nine free throws by the end of the first quarter. The result was Dwight scoring 18 of the Magic’s first 36 points, including a stretch of 14 of their 16 points.
A true sign of Dwight’s growth as a player has been his willingness and effectiveness passing out of double teams. For the second time in four games, Dwight had seven assists, a career-high=2 0total for him. On Wednesday, he hit Courtney Lee for a dunk, Rafer Alston for a layup and shooters for wide-open 3-pointers.
``It’s easy to go to Dwight when he’s being so effective,’’ said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who was critical of himself for not calling Dwight’s number more in the loss in Cleveland. ``It’s easy to play through him when he’s playing with that kind of patience and throwing the ball out, too.’’
Milwaukee used Francisco Elson, Gadzuric and Malik Allen on Howard and none of them were able to slow him down. Elson tangled with Dwight early, and that only seemed to motivate the three-time all-star even more to deliver a dominating performance.
Elton was pulled early in the game after Dwight caught a lob dunk over him and Gadzuric didn’t fare much better. On back-to-back possessions, Dwight sealed Gadzurcic under the rim for a three-point play and then on the next possession outran him down the floor on a fatbreak for another dunk and a free throw.
Dwight started the second half with that over-the-shoulder assist to Lee for a dunk and by the end of the third period he sent Bell’s shot deep into the crowd with an awe-inspiring swat.
Dwight could hide his delight with the play, flashing a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
Former Magic player Keith Bogans, who was traded to Milwaukee last month for Tyronn Lue, recognized Dwight’s joy and knew the Bucks were in for a long night with the game’s best center at his dominating best.
Noted Bogans, who playfully locked arms with Dwight late in the game on a rebound: ``If Dwight’s getting easy baskets, catching lob dunks, making three-point plays, it’s pretty much over with him. He’s already hard to stop.’’
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thoughts After The Cleveland Game
Needless to say, I was very surprised by the three-second call at the end of Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland.
I was in the lane and I got out. It seemed like Cleveland’s bench or their coaching staff got into the ref’s ear about me being in the lane. Instead of letting the refs make the call, I guess their bench made the call.
I got just eight shots in the game and only one after halftime because they were double-teaming me so much with a big and a guard. As I’ve said many tim es before, I think we’re a better team when we play inside-out first. When we go inside first, that’s when we put the pressure on the defense to make a play.
Cleveland won this game, but I’m still confident if we see them again in the playoffs. Before this game we had won three in a row in Cleveland and had beaten them seven of the last nine times. If we do play them again, it’s likely going to be in the Eastern Conference Finals. So, we’ll take our chances with that.
We play again tonight in Milwaukee. They are without some of their big men, especially Andrew Bogut. I’ve put up pretty decent numbers against Milwaukee and we’ve played well there, so hopefully we’ll come out with the win.
Peace. -- Dwight
I was in the lane and I got out. It seemed like Cleveland’s bench or their coaching staff got into the ref’s ear about me being in the lane. Instead of letting the refs make the call, I guess their bench made the call.
I got just eight shots in the game and only one after halftime because they were double-teaming me so much with a big and a guard. As I’ve said many tim es before, I think we’re a better team when we play inside-out first. When we go inside first, that’s when we put the pressure on the defense to make a play.
Cleveland won this game, but I’m still confident if we see them again in the playoffs. Before this game we had won three in a row in Cleveland and had beaten them seven of the last nine times. If we do play them again, it’s likely going to be in the Eastern Conference Finals. So, we’ll take our chances with that.
We play again tonight in Milwaukee. They are without some of their big men, especially Andrew Bogut. I’ve put up pretty decent numbers against Milwaukee and we’ve played well there, so hopefully we’ll come out with the win.
Peace. -- Dwight
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I'M LIVE!!
HEY EVERYONE. MY OFFICIAL WEB SITE IS LIVE! CHECK IT OUT HTTP://WWW.DWIGHTHOWARD.COM WE HAVE LOTS OF PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND WHOLE LOTS MORE. ALSO, CHECK DWIGHT HOWARD EVERYWHERE, AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME THROUGH ALL THE SOCIAL NETWORKS.
P.S- THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE IS UP TO. HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OFFICIALDWIGHTHOWARD
P.S- THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE IS UP TO. HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OFFICIALDWIGHTHOWARD
READY FOR CLEVELAND AND LEBRON
I’ve played against LeBron James enough and with him this summer on the Olympic team to know that when he comes down the lane you’ve got to be ready to go up and make a play or you will get embarrassed. And I don’t like getting embarrassed.
I’m almost 7-foot tall, so I’m not taking a charge in the lane. Seven-footers are in the game to block shots and that’s what I’m going to try to do. Even with LeBron, who weighs almost as much as I do, I’ve got to keep him away from the basket.
When the L-Train is coming down the lane you try to make him change tracks before he gets up too much steam. The main thing with LeBron is you have to meet him early in the lane and make him take tough shots. I have to contest his shot when he gets in the lane and make sure not give him anything easy.
But this game is about more than just me vs. LeBron. We need to win this game if we are going to accomplish our goals. Just inside the door in our locker room our team goals are written on the board. We want to win our division, lock up homecourt advantage, win 60 games and get the East’s top seed. If we can do all of those things, then we will have the best shot of reaching our main goal and that’s to win a championship.
Cleveland is four games ahead of us going into this game, so if we’re going to catch them, we need to win tonight. We’ve played really well against them in the past, and we’ve got to keep it up.
Cleveland is really good at home, losing there just one time all season. We’ll be really up for this game, and because they are so good at home, that’s even more reason for us to try and get the top seed and homecourt for the playoffs.
Check back tomorrow with my thoughts on the game and other stuff.
Monday, March 16, 2009
DWIGHT BLOG FOR MONDAY, March 16
We did what we had to do against the Utah Jazz after they had just played three overtimes the day before in Miami – we were aggressive from the start and jumped on them early.
I had another double-double – before the end of the first quarter!!! I was really aggressive at the start of the game and had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the first quarter. It’s the third time this season that I’ve hit a double-double by the end of the first quarter.
I’m always seeking perfection and my word going into games is ``dominate.’’ I say it to myself before the tipoff, I write it on cards and leave them around my house and I’m thinking about it all throughout games. I had 28 points and 20 rebounds, my seventh 20/20 game of the season, but there are still a few areas I need to clean up. The turnovers (seven) and missed free throws (nine)20kept it from being a really great game for me, but what is important is that we got the win.
``Once I have one of those games where I don’t turn the ball over and I’m making my free throws, then that will truly be a dominant performance,’’ I told the media after the game.
It was cool seeing my guy, Carlos Boozer, Sunday night. Carlos, Chris Bosh and myself hung out and did drills against one another every day during the Olympics in China. He’s a really good dude. And it was good to hear that he was taking up for a fellow big man by saying that I should be getting more pub in the race for the MVP.
Next up for us: Cleveland and LeBron James. The grease board in our locker room lists all of our goals and a win in Cleveland will help us reach some of them. We want 60 wins and the top seed in the East. We’re four games back of Cleveland and if we want to catch them we need to20beat them in the two games we have left against them. Cleveland is really good at home, but we’re a good road team, too. We’ll come out with a lot of energy and it should be a good game.
Check back tomorrow and I’ll talk more about Tuesday’s game against Cleveland. Peace. -- Dwight.
I had another double-double – before the end of the first quarter!!! I was really aggressive at the start of the game and had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the first quarter. It’s the third time this season that I’ve hit a double-double by the end of the first quarter.
I’m always seeking perfection and my word going into games is ``dominate.’’ I say it to myself before the tipoff, I write it on cards and leave them around my house and I’m thinking about it all throughout games. I had 28 points and 20 rebounds, my seventh 20/20 game of the season, but there are still a few areas I need to clean up. The turnovers (seven) and missed free throws (nine)20kept it from being a really great game for me, but what is important is that we got the win.
``Once I have one of those games where I don’t turn the ball over and I’m making my free throws, then that will truly be a dominant performance,’’ I told the media after the game.
It was cool seeing my guy, Carlos Boozer, Sunday night. Carlos, Chris Bosh and myself hung out and did drills against one another every day during the Olympics in China. He’s a really good dude. And it was good to hear that he was taking up for a fellow big man by saying that I should be getting more pub in the race for the MVP.
Next up for us: Cleveland and LeBron James. The grease board in our locker room lists all of our goals and a win in Cleveland will help us reach some of them. We want 60 wins and the top seed in the East. We’re four games back of Cleveland and if we want to catch them we need to20beat them in the two games we have left against them. Cleveland is really good at home, but we’re a good road team, too. We’ll come out with a lot of energy and it should be a good game.
Check back tomorrow and I’ll talk more about Tuesday’s game against Cleveland. Peace. -- Dwight.
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