Dwight Howard: Team Leader

Alot can be said about leadership and where it comes from. Are people just born with natural leadership qualities or if they are blessed enough with great talent in their particular arena can they then learn leadership and guide others.

This question is especially prevelant in basketball because for the most part we hear that the best player on the team needs to be the leader of the team and for the most part it is true. There is no doubt that Kobe leads the Lakers and Lebron leads the Cavs, etc. Heck I remember when Tracy McGrady played here he took a leadership class at Rollins College so he could try and become a better leader. He was not necessarily born with that quality nor has he developed it over time.

The leader of the Magic this season definitely became Jameer Nelson as he not only elevated his game to that of an all-star but you could see he was taking the reigns and making the team his own. When he went down Rafer Alston stepped in with brilliant results but something else has occured to me that I think alot of people are missing which is Dwight Howard has decided to become the leader of this team.

After the Hawks game on Saturday he eluded to the fact that the Magic did not have the energy or effort they needed and that they need to bring that every night to be a championship contender.

After the Raptors loss he called a team only meeting which usually fall on deaf ears but it was a brilliant strategy for him because when he spoke the players listened as evidenced by the boat racing that was handed to the Cavs on Friday night.

I have never been one to question how much money my athletes make or what they do in their free time but I do want to know they care as much about the team winning as I do. It sounds so absurd to think that a NBA player does not care about winning but sometimes all the joking and jovial stuff has led me and others to believe that they may shrug off these losses easier than we do. Dwight is quickly teaching me that this is not the case and when he says he wants this team to win a championship he means it. It has been his message all season.

Actions have always spoken louder than words and trust me Dwight's actions have been so clear I think we might take them for granted. But if the best big in the NBA wants to voice his opinions then I am pretty darn sure his team will continue to listen.

DPOY: So obvious, even an idiot can pick it

Most of the debate concerning this years awards have centered around the MVP. Lebron? Kobe? Wade? However, believe it or not there are other awards to be given out. Of those, the one that doesn't even require a debate is Defensive Player of the Year.

Call me bias, or a homer, or whatever, but the DPOY is Dwight Howard. End of discussion.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn't see it as clearly as I do. For example, take this from Ball Don't Lie:

BDL reader "Tony J." on the MVP debacle: "I've been thinking about this whole NBA MVP race, and I see a potential problem around the corner. Let me explain. Okay, the big race is for the NBA Defensive player of the Year. The reason I say that is, because it appears to be an award that D-Wade is the favorite to win. Well, if that happens, and he leads the league in scoring, while leading his horrible team to the playoffs, it really creates a problem in naming anyone else the league MVP. As of today [Monday], he has more points, assists, steals, and blocks than the other leading candidate! It's going to be a really tough decision, and I hope the league doesn't choose to not give him the Defensive player award because they see the potential problem."

Wrong. Dwayne Wade will not be named the DPOY. Again, it's Dwight Howard. It's hard to make the argument that Wade should win considering his team is not only weaker defensively, but is also 16.5 games back in the division.

Howard will finish the year as the league's top shot blocker and rebounder, and is the anchor of what has become a damn good defensive team. This is not news to TPASTBM readers, as we have touched on this before. I'll say it again:

• Orlando gives up only 5.4 3's a game... 4th in the NBA.
• Teams only shoot 34% from beyond the arc against Orlando... 2nd in the NBA.
• Opponents average 43.0% from the field... 3rd in the NBA.
• Orlando scores the 8th most points in the league (102.1), but at the same time they give up the 8th least amount of points (94.8).
• Orlando leads the league in the amount of points per shot they give up (1.14).
• The Magic lead the league in adjusted field goal percentage (explanation here).
• And to tap into Hollinger's numbers, Orlando is right behind Boston in defensive efficiency... That's the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions.

Hmm... It sure does seem that their defense is what carries these boys. The scary thing about the Magic is that there is really only one defensive star on the team, Mr. Dwight Howard. Jameer Nelson and Rafer Alston were never known for their lockdown defense. Courtney Lee has a ton of potential but is only a rookie. Who knows what Hedo does. Rashard Lewis has met the challenge of playing out of position and has improved his defense but certainly isn't going to make any all-defensive teams any time soon.


That leaves us with Dwight, who is undeniably the best defender in the league. He makes everyone around him better. He changes the way the other teams play offense.

The best example of this was the last time Cleveland came to town. Check out the shot chart. Lebron ended up with 23 points on 10 of 27 shooting. A vast majority of his shots were jumpers. Now there is no way of knowing this for sure, but don't you think the man in the middle might have played a role in keeping Mr. James from taking it to the basket as he does so well? In their other matchup of the season Cleveland won the game and Lebron scored 43 points. Of his 27 shots in that game, 19 were out of the paint. To give it some perspective, in last nights loss to the Wizards, Lebron was 11-18 from the field... And 5 of 6 from inside the paint. So, against the Wizards 33% of his shots were in the paint and against the Magic (let's use the average of both games) only 22% of his shots were taken from the same area.

In conclusion, anyone who tries to argue that any player other than Dwight should win the Defensive Player of the Year award should be publicly humiliated.

Credit the AP for the image of Dwight and Dwayne and ESPN for the shot chart.

A Fan Experience

Earlier in the season the Magic held a contest in which the winner won the opportunity to sit next to the Magic radio broadcasters during a game. The winner, Brian, wrote the following about his experience:

Hey guys, cool blog, I enjoy reading it.

Anyways, I was asked to write a little blog about my recent courtside experience with Dennis and Richie. Long story short, I won a courtside seat for the Magic/Nets game on 3/6/2009, and got to sit next to Dennis Neumann and Richie Adubato for the entire radio broadcast.

It was quite an experience... I never realized quite how frantic the radio broadcasts are. Behind the scenes, there are people yelling facts about the game (Magic on a 10-0 run, Turk has scored the last 8 points for the Magic, etc.), through the microphones, which Dennis has to absorb and then spit back whenever he gets a spare second.

During every timeout, someone (presumably from the Magic's front office) runs an updated stat sheet out to the guys.. and they were kind enough to print one out for me each time. So I have a huge stack of papers saved in a file folder, including a media guide for the Nets, and about 20 stat sheets.

Dennis Neumann was probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He was sincerely interested in speaking with me, and dropped my name on air several times over the course of the game. Richie was... just as you would expect Richie to be. Funny, but at the same time, extremely knowledgeable. It was quite an honor to get to talk X's and O's with him (as I am quite a basketball buff myself)

At the end of halftime, I got the opportunity to go live on the air to ask Richie a question, which he answered without hesitation (note that they did not ask me what my question was going to be prior to me going live on the air.. I guess they trusted me!!! Haha)

Also, right before the 3rd quarter started, Dwight Howard came over, as Richie wanted to give him a word of advice on guarding Brook Lopez. Dwight noticed me there, and I got to shake his hand. He's an absolute monster.

The game went down to the wire, but thankfully Orlando won... from where we were sitting, Vince Carter's last second 3 looked like it was going to fall straight in after clanging off the back of the rim, but thankfully, it fell harmlessly to the ground.

Afterwards, I shook hands with the guys, and some friends that took my season tickets (since I was courtside!) came down to visit. Dennis and Richie shook their hands, and spoke with them as well.

I got them to sign my press pass, which I now have proudly hanging in my office.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. Dante (who is also on the radio) kindly escorted me to my seat before the game, and everyone really tried to make me feel comfortable.

I'm only 23, but I've literally been a Magic fan since I was 3 years old. This is an experience that I will never forget.

Shaq Proves he is still a big tool

Remember all the talk from Shaquille a few weeks ago? Remember all the stupid name calling and put downs? The guy is getting old fast, and his ego won't admit it. He can't just let go.

Here's a few quotes from the big Shaqtus himself after last night's loss to the Blazers.

You don't like the floppers do you, asked one reporter.

"No. It just shows you are giving in. The referees are probably going to go for that every time. You've got to now (flop). It's the only way you can stop a person. It's kind of crazy the refs go for that."

No Shaq. You don't have to flop to stop a person. You are just getting old, and heavier, and you can't move around as you used to. Plain and simple. You are like the old polar bear that is too old to hunt and have to rely on scavaging for food. I'll give you this, this season you have played pretty good. I mean for an old dinosaur you aren't bad. But just admit it man. You have to flop to be competitive these days. Its ok. Seriously. No one will hate you for it. Stop being so proud and just say it. It would make it much better, and will make you look much better if you play that angle. Come on and say, hey man, I'm old, fat and slow. I'll do whatever I have to do to still compete and win. I think we would all respect you for that. Instead you keep sounding like a little kid in the playground that just won't let any other kid play with his brand new ball.

At least he did say this right after.

So what did Shaq think of Oden?

"I don't. I'm a Shogun. You can't ask me about a low level ninja. I still have to worry about Yao Ming, Dwight Howard."

He finally gave Dwight Howard some love. Well some weird twisted respect and love. I guess Dwight Howard is a high level Ninja in the league. Baby steps Shaq. Baby Steps.

Dwight in a Foul Mood!

Wednesday's Boston game had all the makings of playoff basketball, including the refs swallowing their whistles and letting the teams get very physical. When seeing his young star center again not get a call when the defender was INTENTIONALLY trying to foul to prevent an easy basket Stan Van Gundy did what good coaches do and blasted the officials until they gave him a technical foul. Part of me also felt Stan did it to ensure he got the tech and not Dwight who this season has joined a club he has never been a part of.

Looking at the NBA stat leaders in this category makes it one that is very easy to identify. Rasheed Wallace, Carmelo Anthony and Stephan Jackson present and accounted for, but where is Mr. Iverson and why is his seat filled by this 6-11 physical phenom who always seems to be smiling? Yes, oddly enough our own comical, smiling, media friendly Dwight Howard has suddenly joined the usual foul tempered league leaders in getting technical fouls. His total of 13 for the season ties him with Carmelo Anthony for third and is only 3 away from a one game mandatory suspension. In fact Dwight's sudden rise in this category has nearly matched his entire previous four year career total of 16.

Why the sudden rise you say? Dwight has become such a handful in the paint that teams have resorted to flopping (that includes you Shaq), clubbing, and grabbing along with the double and triple teams he receives on a nightly basis. Teams have decided that the best defense against Dwight is to put him on the line (Dwight leads the league in free throw attempts per game) to test his career 60% free throw percentage or try to get him in foul trouble by drawing offensive fouls. This treatment unfortunately leads to a lot of missed calls because the sheer volume of the fouls but quite often calls are blown. The refs need to be made aware that although Dwight looks like a man of steel he can still be injured when teams send 2,3 and sometimes 4 people after you during a game with the full intent of using their full allotment of six fouls.

Quite honestly, I believe other star big men like current Magic coach Patrick Ewing have told him that sometimes he has to put aside his bubbly personality and let the officials know they still have a job to do in protecting him... Even if it means getting technical fouls! Unfortunately in the NBA it is a well known fact the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" which is why you see the "who's, who" of NBA stars and coaches spending a good deal of game time complaining to officials.

"They live and die by the 3!"

Yep, if you are a Magic fan I'm sure you have heard that one about 100 times this season."All they do is shoot 3's and when they are not falling in the playoffs, and when the game slows down, they will lose." Sure, the Magic shoot a lot from behind the arc (they currently lead the league with 10.3 made per game on 26.6 attempts) and there certainly will be games when it is not falling. However, as so many people fail to notice, it really isn't the 3 that is leading to all these wins.

It's the freaking defense!


Just ask Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard which is more important. So many talking heads fail to see that Orlando ranks towards the top in almost every important defensive category:

• Orlando gives up only 5.4 3's a game... 4th in the NBA.
  
• Teams only shoot 34% from beyond the arc against Orlando... 2nd in the NBA.
• Opponents average 43.0% from the field... 3rd in the NBA.
  
• Orlando scores the 8th most points in the league (102.1), but at the same time they give up the 8th least amount of points (94.8).
• Orlando leads the league in the amount of points per shot they give up (1.14).
  
• The Magic lead the league in adjusted field goal percentage (explanation here).
• And to tap into Hollinger's numbers, Orlando is right behind Boston in defensive efficiency... That's the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions.

Hmm... It sure does seem that their defense is what carries these boys. The scary thing about this team is that there is really only one defensive star on the team, Mr. Dwight Howard. Jameer Nelson and Rafer Alston were never known for their lockdown defense. Courtney Lee has a ton of potential but is only a rookie. Who knows what Hedo does. Rashard Lewis has met the challenge of playing out of position and has improved his defense but certainly isn't going to make any all-defensive teams any time soon.

That leaves us with Dwight, who is undenyably the best defender in the league. Anyone who tries to argue that anyone other than Dwight should win the Defensive Player of the Year award should be publically humiliated.

ESPN's Daily Dime... Swing and a miss

The Magic are getting all sorts of ESPN love this morning... Too bad they don't check their facts. According to ESPN, "Dwight Howard had 24 points and 21 rebounds -- his eighth 20-20 game of his young career."

Wrong.

Last night was his eighth 20-20 game of the season, not his career.

Credit the Orlando Sentinel for the photo.

Dwight's Other Assist

As we all know by now Dwight Howard received the NBA's Community Assist Award in the month of January and on Wednesday had a career high 7 assists against Milwaukee.



It must be pointed out though with the Knicks strolling into the Amway that one of his biggest career assists was to the other team. Nate Robinson has benefited tremendously since soaring over Dwight in the dunk contest.



Lets take a look:

• Dime Magazine shows us that Nike gave Nate his own limited edition shoe the Nike Foamposite Lite Kryptonate.



• Darren Rovell of CNBC shows us a photo of Nate's 80 foot billboard over Madison Square Garden which is a space that has been shared by Lebron and Lance Armstrong.



• Within the same article we see from NBA auctions that Nate's green ball sold for $8,650 .



• The New York Times tells us that Nate's jersey is now in the top 5 in sales at nbastore.com.



• New York Newsday points out that only Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and Durant have outscored Nate's 25.8 ppg since the all-star break.



• Heck The Onion even wrote an article about Nate jumping over Dwight in everyday life.
  

Though the kudos and marketing oppurtunities for Nate have increased personally it has not exactly led to team success which I am sure Coach D'Antoni hopes is the next step. Either way it will be interesting to see what his value is around the league as he is a restricted free agent this summer.

With that said enjoy the game and the madness.

Knicks @ Magic Preview... In One Picture

The Knicks don't face off against the Magic until tomorrow night. But here is a preview of the matchup... Thanks to the genius that was Kids in the Hall.



Dwight Howard: "I crush your head."

David Lee: "Noooooooo."

Seriously, check back later for a real preview.

The Amount of Time It Took You to Read This Title...

...was greater than the amount of time Dwight Howard spent in the lane last night during a crucial play near the end of the Magic's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Howard was whistled for a three-second violation that negated the Magic’s possession and gave the ball back to Cleveland with 30 seconds left and a two point lead.

Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy was beside himself in reaction to the call. Three-second violations are not uncommon, in general, but they are rarely called late in a close game.

“You won't see that call again. That, I guarantee you," Van Gundy said. "You will not see, with the game on the line, a 3-second call in the last 10 seconds. That's part of the reason they're 30-1 at home. They're a very good team, and when you get calls like that [expletive], you're in pretty good shape."

What made it worse is the fact that Howard was on his way out of the lane when the ref blew the whistle. So, Howard was policing himself, going by the rules, and exited the lane in the time allotted. But the ref jumped the whistle. Howard implied that their may have been some home cooking involved.

"I was very surprised," Howard said. "I was in the lane and I got out. It seemed like their 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 the bench made the call."

I had the game recorded on my DVR and reviewed that play over and over with my stop watch from the moment that Howard entered the lane until the moment that I could hear referee Jack Nies blow his whistle. By my measurement, the whistle was blown well before 3 seconds, in fact, it was barely past two seconds. This makes me think that the ref had been watching Howard the whole game and maybe after enough complaining from the Cavs bench, he made a conscious decision to blow his whistle right then.

The problem I have with this goes beyond the idea of “make up” calls or even placing an emphasis on when during the course of a game it is acceptable to make or not make certain calls. The idea that rules already being enforced by subjective individuals are themselves subjective is extremely consternating. But in this case, the problem is that the call was incorrect! Howard was not in the lane for three seconds. Had he clearly been in the lane for over three seconds and the ref blew the whistle, we would still be talking about the call not being appropriate at that time. But at least we would have to admit that it was the right call. But this isn’t the case. Howard was not in the lane for three seconds…not even close.

I won’t go so far as to say that this call cost us the game. Most folks in the Magic blogosphere prefer to place the focus on Rashard Lewis and his recent slump. I agree that this is a bigger issue than one call. However, it is clear to me that when two elite teams are this evenly matched, it only takes one bad call to make a difference in which team wins and which team loses.

Happy Monday!

Orlando had a pretty good weekend, picking up a win on the road against the Wizards on Friday night and putting it to the tired Utah Jazz last night. Here's some highlights:

And let's see what the internet has to say.

• ESPN recap
• Box score
• Orlando Sentinel story
• CBS Sports story
  
• Dwight needs to watch his technical foul count, and Jerry Sloan didn't make it too long last night
  
• David Whitely asks us to thank Billy Donovan for changing his mind.
• ESPN's Outside the Lines discussed children out of wedlock which included an interview with Royce Reed, the mother of Dwight Howard's child.
  

Tell em Pat

Dwight Howard has been getting into foul trouble lately. Said Pat Ewing:

"They need to let him play. They let them beat the heck out of him on one end and then he gets ticky-tack fouls on the other end. It's not right, it's unfair."

Let's hope that starts this evening when Orlando will be facing off against the Wizards in DC.

SHAQ ATTAQ

First, a little bit of background for those who have had their heads in the sand for the last few days.

Here is the ESPN article on the feud, and here is the Orlando Sentinel piece.

• Gibberish is defined as unintelligible or nonsensical talk or writing. With that in mind we here at the PUNS would like to react to the latest SHAQ ATTAQ.
  

Maxwell Effort:

Well yesterday I called him the Big Floptus and that name fits again because these comments flopped just like his big body. Its a sad portrayal of his character to see him lash out like this. He is getting up there in years and could not take the fact that somebody else is coming along would COULD quite possibly be as good. He tries to downplay everything Dwight does saying he invented it. Gosh I did not know Shaq invented the dunk or even participated in the dunk contest. Heck if DWade does not get hurt in 2005 they beat the Pistons in my opinion and its not like Shaq exactly carried or willed his team to victory. He is so quick to take all the glory but yet when things do not go his way pass off all the blame. In the 2006 NBA Finals the refs and Wade carried him and I would say Zo played better than he did providing a great deal of defense and grit. Yet Shaq is there with his huge smile acting like he did the heavy lifting. Now Shaq has been a truly dominant and amazing player to watch but I would argue he is not even the best big man of this era because that would be Tim Duncan.

El Fantasma:

Grumpy Shaq..this is what ESPN called Shaq last night while talking about his idiotic and childish "war" against Stan Van Gundy, Dwight Howard and really, anything or anyone he feels like talking about. I believe they wanted to say Grumpy OLD man, but they where afraid of the fury coming back from the Big Shaqflop. I read in some articles and forums that the guy is just trying to save his legacy, and finish his career on a high note, be relevant. I say, What legacy? This latest run only cements his legacy of a cry baby, a quitter and a sorry sad man. Everywhere he's been, Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami, he's left talking trash about the team and the people that supported him. He just can't shut up. It makes him look like an idiot. Sure he has 4 rings, but all of those accomplishments are in risk of being forgotten because of his classless rants. His legacy is right now, is being a silly old man, trying to hold on to whatever memory of youth and relevance he might have left. I think ESPN finally got something right, well at least half right. Shaq is just a Grumpy (old) man.

Jackie Moon:

The thing that comes to my mind over and over reading Shaq's comments is "the truth hurts". Shaq did not be called out for flopping because it has annoyed him for nearly two decades now that players that can't guard him flop or foul him. So when Dwight started making his free throws down the stretch (something Shaq has never done in his career), he resorted to the only defense left and flopped. Shaq is a big baby who would have no rings if not for Kobe or Wade. Patrick Ewing who Shaq took a shot at for no reason at all, would have won more rings than that if he had a wing player of their calibre on his team instead of John Starks.

OCTB:

Another prima donna who thinks his talent in one area gives him free reign to do or say whatever he pleases about those around him.I mean, hell, I'm a fantastic napper! Maybe the best in the whole world! But you don't see me acting like I own the joint, taking peoples milkshakes outta their hands, or calling people out for staying up all day!

Nickel Steak:

Someone needs to explain to me what the meaning of "frontrunner" is as per the Shaqtionary.

Terry and The Pump Fakes:

So much for bowing out gracefully, Shaq seems to feel the need to repeat his resume any chance he gets even if it means taking shots at a kid who looks up to him in Dwight. The thing is, that is all in the past. His time is over and he can't handle it. Did he not get enough attention over the past 16yrs? Apparently not, so now he takes shots at the people that command attention now.

I couldn't believe my eyes at the game Tuesday when I saw him flop. A 300+lb man acting like getting bumped by someone who gives up 50lbs to was enough to knock him down. In my opinion flopping is the most heinous action a player can take while trying to play defense. Not only should it be punishable by death, the offending player should burn in Hell for it. There is nothing more cowardly. Shaq (understandably so) complained for years that the only way other players could defend him was to flop. That if the refs didn't allow flopping he would have better games/been more effective/not fouled out. So what does "The Big Hypocrite" do when he is called out for doing the very thing he spoke out about? He has the audacity to try and defend his actions- "Yeah I flopped but flopping is falling and crying and complaining to the ref." "It was a flop but flopping is wrong." It was a flop but flopping is wrong?? So as long as you only do it to players you can't hope to defend and not to every player in the league it's ok?? As long as you don't complain about not getting the call it's ok?? So I guess Vlade and every other center that played against you were really ok right? Well if there is no problem with it I guess you shouldn't have to take shots at your old coach (the 3rd old coach he has taken shots at for those of you counting) for standing up for the guy that didn't fall down even though he was giving up 50lbs and you were using your off hand to shove him out of the lane, right? You shouldn't have to take shots at someone that wasn't even involved in the whole thing by saying that Dwight's moves are the old stale Ewing moves(stale HOF moves).

Shaq will go down in history as one of the best but the gap for me between him and Russell, Hakeem, and Kareem is Grand Canyon wide. Those guys competed every minute, they fought, they worked hard in the offseason. When was the last time Shaq showed up for training camp in shape? What we are seeing now is the real Shaq, a pathetic shell of a person who is nothing without the attention that others heap upon him. The worlds smallest 7ft 300lb man.

Paul Ego:

The Big Shaquego. Open mouth, insert foot. The Shaquego has a HUGE problem with criticism, so much so, that he seems to have a few blank spots in his own memory banks. Calling Stan's coaching career a flop? I think the Big Shaqflopopolis (remember this nickname later kids) needs to open up Webster's and look up flop for old times sake. I have a few different version here in my office (what can I say, I'm a collector), one has a picture of Steel, another had a picture of Kazaam, and the third said something about a rumored rap career? Talk about a flop.I used to think it would be a good move to get a year or two out of Shaq on the bench in Orlando, playing mentor to Dwight, and picking up 15 minutes a game. Now I see that his ego would not let that happen. Personally, I'd rather have Rasheed Wallace here playing that role.In his twilight years, if the Big Shaqflopopolis wants to stay the "center" of attention, play fewer games, not worry about back to backs, and be the focal point of his team, maybe he should move to Greece. He should get enough attention there to feed the big Shaquego plenty.

The Big Train

The key thing in this entire situation is Dwight Howard. It was pretty obvious that he was a bit put off by all the jabs that Shaq has been taking the last few days, and he wasn't really sure how to respond to it. He ended up staying quiet, noting that he respects his elders. Regardless, you could tell he wasn't too happy. Insert Stan as he provides yet another reason why everyone here in Orlando is so happy to have him as our coach. He defended the hell out of his player, and took the heat off of Dwight and placed it square on his shoulders.

Jareth Cutestory

Rather then try to analyze and comprehend what Shaq was saying, or get mad about it like I did when I first read it, I'm simply going to applaud our coach for defending Dwight Howard the best way he knew how. While Stan commented on something we all saw, Shaq decided to take another route, and degrade our beloved coach, his staff, and his players. What did Stan do? He replied that he was honored. And why did he not respond back with a verbal onslaught like Shaq did? Because he knew he had accomplished what he wanted to do. He subtly got under Shaq's skin with a 20 second blip about his flop, and Shaq took the bait hook, line, and sinker. While Shaq made a fool of himself, Van Gundy successfully defended his player, and took Shaq's ego down a few notches while he was at it.

The OCTB's Fat From the Fryer: Magic vs. Suns

• Shaq vs. Dwight: epic battle in the post against the game’s best big man and the game’s biggest, uh, big man. First time in a while that I focused more on an individual matchup vs. the team matchup.
• You ever used a medicine ball? After shooting or passing with a weighted medicine ball, a regular ball suddenly seems lighter than air. Dwight Howard must have experienced this concept when Shaq left the game and he suddenly found himself guarded by...wait for it...Louis Amundson.
• Still plenty of boos for both Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal. Anyone who thinks that these guys shouldn’t be booed just can’t appreciate how a sports fan takes things to heart. And with affairs of the heart, logic is not a factor.
• During a timeout, the jumbotron showed Rafer Alston answering the question, “what is your favorite movie.” His answer, “Breakin” and “Breakin II: Electric Boogaloo!”
• Tyronn Lue’s new role: world’s ugliest cheerleader.
• Robin Lopez = Sideshow Bob
• Another technical foul called on Dwight…this is beginning to be a habit and I hate to see it. He is already in double-digit techs for the season and if he keeps this up, he will start to look more and more like Tim Duncan, but not in the “four rings and great glasswork” way.
• Shaq actually flopped! Shaq!! Is there another player in the NBA besides Dwight Howard who could have made Shaq even consider flopping? Shaq flopping is as strange a site as seeing me without the Fries On The Side!
• The Magic were a mess with the turnovers, they kept pushing too much, rushing their passes, and making dangerous passes. The Suns looked like an NFL secondary.
• I was relieved to finally have a team visit the O-Rena who, despite having some serious star power, didn’t have much of a vocal following in the audience like we’ve seen lately with Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland.
• Both Dwight Howard and Shaq received technical fouls for arguing fouls drawn by the other. No further proof is needed that the two players were “super”-hyped (see what I did there?) for this matchup.
• From the “Jump In the Fryer If You’ve Heard This Before” Department: In the fourth quarter, when Shaq was called for a technical for arguing a foul called on Steve Nash, Rashard Lewis shot the technical free throw. Then Dwight stepped to the line to take his two free throws. After making the first one, the ref gave the ball to Steve Nash and the Suns headed up the court! All the Magic players and the entire audience was alarmed, saying “he gets two shots!” I was pleased to see that the Magic players had the presence of mind to head back up the court on defense while they protested. Obviously the ref made a mistake but it says right here that Steve Nash was pretty sneaky to take advantage of it like he did. There should have been a delay of game warning given. I don’t care if it was the refs fault. Kudos to Howard for hitting both free throws despite the interruption.

After the game, I went to the visiting locker room. I was able to get a quick moment with Grant Hill. Here are two questions and two answers from The Ankle. The first question is one that another media member asked, but I thought it was worth sharing, because it dispells stories of Hill and Shaq coming back as owners. The second question was asked by the OCTB himself.

Question: “Do you see yourself being involved with this team (the Magic) down the line at some point.”
Grant Hill: “Being involved? Nah…I’ll be a fan when I’m done playing. I’ll be involved as a fan.”

Question: “This is your second game back and there was still a negative reaction from the crowd. Did that affect your game?”
Grant Hill: “Nah, nah, I just played bad. I’ve played bad all year at the four position. So...uh, nah, I came out…played a good first quarter but just didn’t get into a good rhythm there. That’s just part of the game.”

Shaq v. D12: The Morning After

In one of the more entertaining games of the year, the Orlando Magic defeated Shaq and the Phoenix Suns last night, 111-99.

There were some great post game quotes.

"This dude is huge. I just realized that I've got to go home and eat like five chickens to put a lot of weight on." - Marcin Gortat

"I was shocked, seriously, shocked," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of O'Neal's flopping. "And very disappointed cause he knows what it's like. Lets stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight."

Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Dwight fended off foul trouble to score 21 points and pull in 9 rebounds. TPASTBM favorite Marcin Gortat filled in for Dwight after picking up his 2, 3, and 4th fouls beautifully, contributing 8 points and 8 rebounds. For the Suns, Jason Richardson scored a team high 27, while Shaq had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

• Check out the box score.
• The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi doesn't want Shaq and Dwight to be buddy buddy after these games.
• Kyle Hightower asks, "Did Magic Fans forget about Grant Hill?"
• Yankees pitchers Joba Chamberlain, CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang were in attendance.
• The Orlando Sentinel's take on the game.
• John Denton over at Florida Today has his.
• The Arizona Republic writes that one Superman leads in scoreboard seniority.
  

Tell us what you really think Shaq

Asked whether Dwight Howard's Superman mystique is bothering him, Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal said:

Doesn't bother me. I can't be impressed by something I invented in '92. I mean, you look at what he is doing, I've been there and done that. Every street he is driving down in Orlando, I have been on that street. Every nightclub, every restaurant. ... I have been there and done that. Until he wins three, four championships, then we can talk about him. But right now, he is just like every other big guy: 'You can run and jump, but you haven't won yet.'

Here is the Stats LLC preview...

Who is the real Superman? Dwight vs. Shaq

Let me start by saying I am biased here, but considering your are reading an Orlando Magic blog this shouldn't come as a surprise. But who really deserves to have the nickname “Superman” over the other? Shaq had it first and tattood it on his arm, but Dwight made it his own by flying in the cape for one of the most memorable dunks in the NBA slam dunk competition.

Sometimes I get the feeling Shaq is having an identity crisis with all the nicknames he has like Big Kahuna, Big Aristotle, Big Cactus, Shaq Diesel and of course Superman (among others). Does he really need all these nicknames? Does he really need a nick name at all? His name itself “Shaq” pretty identifies him to most people on the planet! How many other famous people are there named Shaq? Dwight on the other is more common name used by many people some who are very famous. Physically, Shaq is a rare combination of size, strength, and agility (more so in his younger years) that he sometimes appears to be superhuman but if you had to pin a Superhero label on him. I would go with the Incredible Hulk myself not only are the physical attributes closer, but so are the emotional aspects. Don’t make him angry or will leave town and call your city a “dried up little pond”, not to mention the Kobe bashing after his divorce (or trade) from the Lakers.

Dwight on the other hand is the real “Superman”, not only does he have the same superhuman physical skills as Shaq has but he can fly without his teammates holding him up! Dwight looks like a man of steel to the point he looks like he was molded instead of born. Off the court Dwight nearly always has a smile to go with his well mannered interviews and off the court comedy routines.

I have been a Magic fan since the day the NBA announced my hometown was being awarded a franchise. I have watched both of the future Hall of Fame centers be drafted, fight through their rookie struggles and grow up to be considered among the NBA elite players. Both have given me great joy in watching their domination of the paint, but to me Dwight will always be Superman regardless of how his career goes. It fits like no other nickname does.

As for Shaq, I admit to having hard feelings for him leaving town to join the Hollywood scene. Not to mention leading our in state rivals the Heat to their one and only championship. But I will always have fond memories of the finals team you lead and your leading role in helping establish our expansion team in a way that Charlotte and Vancouver were unable to do. To me you always be Shaq Diesel, an immovable force in the paint who knows how to carry the weight of his team.

Coming this week

This week Orlando plays three pretty big games as they try to find some consistency. Tuesday the now off and running Phoenix Suns come to town followed by New Jersey on Friday. The week is capped by a visit to Boston on Sunday.

Phoenix Suns @ Orlando Magic: Tuesday, March 3, 7:00 PM. SunSports and NBATV

The Suns enter the game winners of two straight, including a big with against the Lakers on Sunday. The Suns are now 6-2 since Alvin Gentry replaced Terry Porter as coach after the All-Star break.

Prediction: Phoenix will score points, and probably quite a bit of them. On the other hand, Orlando can score points also (You're welcome for the crack TPASTBM analysis). Shaq will score 17 but only grab 3 rebounds. However, on the other side Dwight will put up 27 and totally dominate Shaq on the boards with 16. Throw in 3 blocks for Dwight.

The key to this game is Steve Nash, who didn't suit up in the win against the Lakers on Sunday. Right now it is anyones guess if he plays. If he sits, the Magic win. If he plays, the Magic still win. Score: Orlando 115, Phoenix 109

New Jersey Nets @ Orlando Magic: Friday, March 6, 7:00 PM. Fox Sports Florida

The New Jersey Nets are trying to get themselves back into the playoff picture after sitting inside for most of the season. Frankly, (Is that a Lawrence Frank pun?) the Nets have been all over the place this year. Taking a look at their schedule, they have had lost 8 of 9, then won 4 in a row, then lost 5 in a row, and followed that up by winning 2 of 3. So, who knows what we are going to get on Friday.

Prediction: In their only previous meeting this season Orlando came out on top, 101-84. Dwight led the Magic with 30 points and 16 boards while Devin Harris paced the Nets with 28 points and 12 assists. Look for similar numbers again on Friday by both players. However, in the previous matchup Vince Carter did not play, so look for him to add an element of difficulty for an Orlando team that is having a hard time keeping quality scores from getting their share. Score: Orlando 105, New Jersey 102

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics: Sunday, March 8, 1:00 PM. Fox Sports Florida HD

Well, it's time to play the Celtics again. The Magic are 0-2 this season against the reigning world champs. The Celtics beat down on Orlando by 19 earlier this year in Boston and took the matchup in Orlando by 10. That said, the Magic are due to play well against these guys. In case you haven't heard, Stephon Marbury plays for them now.

Prediction: Dwight has struggled in scoring against Boston this year, putting up 11 and 15 in the two games. He will struggle again. Rashard and Hedo will pick up some of the slack, but not enough to break Boston's luck against the Magic. Score: Boston 97, Orlando 85

Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic Game Preview

It's time for your Orlando Magic to battle their bugaboo, a desperate sliding Detroit Pistons team. Let's get it started.

• As we know by now Rasheed Wallace will play tonight but Terry Foster of the Detroit News is calling for the Pistons to cut him.


• Chris McCosky of the same Detroit News tell us that maybe it's time to bench Allen Iverson and start Richard Hamilton considering their 4-12 record with Rip on the bench.


• Kudos are due to our very own Dwight Howard who received the NBA's Community Assist Award for the month of January.


• If you have always hated the space bar yet love Adonal Foyle we learn from the National Post's Outlandish section that he pulled an ad in yesterday's Orlando Sentinel to thank the fans.


• Senior V.P. of the Magic Pat Williams swung by the Herd yesterday to discuss his new book and the possibilities of Dwight Howard becoming an all-time great.


• NBA.com tells us that Rafer Alston has fit in just fine with his new teammates and that he sometimes misses his AND1 roots.

Detroit has won 7 out of 9 regular season games against Orlando and 8 of their last 9 playoff games but are on an eight game losing streak. Something has to give!!

Quickie

Here are two interesting tidbits from the Elias Sports Bureau and ESPN:

• Dwight Howard dominated the Knicks with 24 points and 21 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 114-109 win in New York. It was the sixth game this season in which Howard reached 20 in both points and rebounds, matching the total for the rest of the league combined. David Lee, Amare Stoudemire, Troy Murphy, Andrew Bogut, Brad Miller and Al Jefferson have each done that once.

• Rashard Lewis went 1-for-6 from beyond the arc but his 24-foot jump shot with fewer than three minutes remaining in the final period extended his streak of consecutive games with a 3-point field goal to 50. Only four other players have had a streak of at least 50 straight games with a 3-point field goal within one season: Dennis Scott (74 games in 1995-96), Reggie Miller (68, 1996-97), Dana Barros (58, 1994-95) and Tracy McGrady (50, also for Orlando, 2002-03).

So for the 5 players who have hit 3's in 50 straight games during a single season, 3 (Tracy, 3D, and Rashard) have done so while playing for the Magic.

Happy Thursday Magic Fans, as today is the 58th anniversary of the ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.