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Struggling Dwight Howard Needs Help Not Criticism
When the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard started off the 2006-07 regular season like gangbusters on a championship mission with Howard dominating the low post like a young Shaquille O'Neal, extended greatness was predicted for both Howard and his young Orlando teammates this season.
However, Howard is now in the midst of some immense struggles against the Detroit Pistons in their first round playoff series - and looks nothing like the player who averaged a double-double of 17.6 points per game and 12.3 rebounds during the regular season.
Even worse, the Orlando coaching staff doesn't seem to have a clue as to how to help their young phenom out of his current funk.
Dwight Howard, currently averaging 10.7 points and 14.0 rebounds in three games against the Pistons, looked like a shell of his former self in game one, making just 3-of-11 free throws and committing six turnovers (which has plagued him throughout this season) before coming back with an even worse performance in game two when he made only 3-of-9 shots from the field while battling the flu.
Orlando general manager, Otis Smith said his team needs Howard to perform the way he did in the regular season when he lit up the Pistons for averages of 20.8 points and 13.5 rebounds despite dropping all four regular season contests to the Pistons.
"You've got to get more out of your best player, at least what he's been doing all season long," Magic General Manager Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. "If he does that, we're OK. I expect him to have a big game [tonight], although it won't necessarily show up in points and rebounds. It would show up in a win." Of course, Smith's words are easier said than done, particularly since Howard is being double and triple-teamed and Orlando 's perimeter players aren't making the Pistons pay by knocking down outside shots.
Former Piston Carlos Arroyo touched on the subject of helping out his young low post teammate.
"We have to help him," Arroyo said. "Spacing is going to be very important. We have to get Dwight some space so he can play his game and do his thing."
The Magic also need to look at the tactics of head coach Brian Hill, who has failed to help Howard by making adjustments like inserting outside shooter supreme, rookie J.J. Redick, to loosen up the inside for Howard.
Redick has not played in the series despite Hill saying he would insert the sweet-shooting Redick in game two.
"I think there are situations, when we substitute, if Dwight is in the game, in particular, and we're trying to establish him as a post presence inside, we need a certain amount of spacing out there," Hill said." Sometimes we don't always have that . . . and I think it gives us an opportunity, for J.J., to get out there a little bit and see if his presence on the floor can open up the game a little bit."
Redick averaged six points while playing in just half of the Magic's games after working his way into the rotation midway through the regular season.
Howard's lack of scoring actually dates back to the regular season, when the Magic got away from going to their talented big man late in games because of his inability to pass out of double teams and knock down free throws in foul situations.
Howard broke the 20-point mark just twice in the final 16 regular season games." Obviously, we need him to be the guy he was for us all season, but it's tough when they can run five different guys at him," Magic guard Keyon Dooling said. "But he'll learn. He'll get it done." Smith agreed with his back-up point guard.
"Their [Pistons] game plan is not hard to understand. They are going to crowd him, take away his dunks and make other guys try and beat them," Smith said. "Really good teams can take away things. For him to be our best player, pressure has to be taken off him by our other players."
The fact of the matter for Howard and the Magic is that Orlando has only one competent low-post player, while the Pistons can run at least four quality big men at Howard with regularity.
Yet Hill tees off on Howard, begging for a better performance instead of looking for ways to help his struggling young impact player.
"We need more of a physical presence in this game," Hill said. "That's on the glass [rebounding], taking fouls, they [Pistons] had more of that than we did in Game 2. We can't allow that to happen."
Until the Magic can get more consistent outside shooting from someone besides Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, Howard and the Magic will continue to struggle against the more experienced and deeper Pistons. The Magic have their backs against the wall while finding themselves down 3-0 already in the series. There's no room for error and no learning curve.
Asking Howard to do more instead of finding ways to help him is just wrong - and will eventually end up costing Hill his job - again.
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