Dwight Howard Creates Drama In Magic Kingdom

There is no repairing a broken relationship with Dwight Howard, a wishy-washy, flip-flopping, flaky, don’t-know-what-he-wants diva who was given too much power and abused his authority. The circus has drained us all, and peeved our senses — over and over until we couldn’t listen to the nonsense from a man who selfishly thought about himself and no one else, as the Orlando Magic meant nothing to him, even though he preached the magnitude of loyalty.

What loyalty?

For the last few months now, Howard has put a petulant franchise in Central Florida through hell, and drawn more headlines than any other player. A long time ago, we should have seen this coming from his body language and antics, which was clear that he really was unsure about renewing his vows with a team where he is not satisfied but unhappy. He told the Magic again that he wants to be traded to the Nets. On Friday, Howard, who has grown frustrated with the situation in Orlando, met with newly minted general manager Rob Hennigan face to face in Los Angeles. So now, the Magic are listening to offers and have already had discussions about moving the disgruntled center.

It figures. He told us he wanted out of town months ago. It’s the same tired saga and it just won’t go away, until Howard finally behaves like a man and not a spoiled brat who is seeking more attention and not so much a desirable destination to satisfy him — a pouty, self-centered superstar acting like an overly controlling owner. Simply he’s only a player, not an executive upstairs making personnel decisions. And so it seems though Howard won’t be in Orlando too much longer, begging to leave an organization that was too nice and gave him too much leeway. Like many before, he abused it and was haughty and bombastic throughout the course of the season. With all indications leaning toward a trade in potentially the next 24 hours, Howard’s preferred destination is Brooklyn.

But wherever he goes, as his departure appears to be inevitable, he’s a risk judging by his immaturity and baggage. It’s almost understandable as to why he wants to leave as new management refuses to give him power, unwilling to bow down to his demands. Howard wants to be a dictator for a team that now realizes they made a dreadful mistake by giving him too much responsibility. There’s never been a player, at least from my mind, who wanted so much from a team and implored for fame and/or likability among fans and teammates. Has it ever dawn on Howard that this is one way a person can fall from grace and lose respect? If anything, he’s turning away fractious and furious Orlando fans, and the vast majority by now are ready for him to either leave or stay, burnt out from the ongoing drama that has cast a gloom on the Magic Kingdom.

If he weren't content all along, then he should have stayed true to his words from the beginning of the season when he asked to be traded, and should have had the guts to be upfront with his bosses. But instead, he was biting the hands that fed him, acting as if he was happy with the team's direction, grinning in front of the media and telling the team and reporters he would stay through the 2012-2013 season and then become a free agent the following summer. Just to refresh one’s memory, he said he wouldn’t opt out of his deal and signed a waiver to remain under contract. He was, for the moment, credible and fairly popular in Orlando, where he was a marketable player for a lone sports franchise. What no one knew about him was that he was deceptive and fibbing to us last season. His responsibilities changed and he wasn’t committed to the team, however, and promised to stay loyal to the Magic but then he chickened out on team executives, his teammates and fans. His team was fooled, you were fooled, and I was fooled. Knowing his penchant for changing his mind, he never had the self-will, desire or urgency to take accountability and perform to his highest standard.

It’s a crazy summer in Orlando, with all the Howard drama stealing and killing the buzz, as we learn more about a 7-foot center who was never Superman and never wore his cape like a superhero.

Not once did he even come close to resembling Wonder Woman or Batgirl.

The absurdity from this Dwight Howard tumult, that is already hijacking our summer while free agency has opened with swirling drama mostly surrounding Howard, is the most annoying soap opera to drag on from time to time. The whole nonsense about trying to be the most famous and likable player is ridiculous to believe when he knew exactly what his intentions were and waited until the first day of free agency to grab our attention. By flashing back to the season — keep in mind — he tried to have his former coach Stan Van Gundy fired. In hopes to please Howard, the team cut ties with Van Gundy and relieved him of his duties. On the same day, the Magic and GM Otis Smith unanimously parted ways, and none of it ended the infighting, disastrous mess in Orlando.

After all of this, Howard is still not too satisfied and is unhappy on a team where there’s no coach, and no star player to play alongside one of the biggest men in the game. But he knew from the get-go that he really wasn’t willing to play for the Magic. And with that being the case, why wasn’t he man enough to speak up and demand a trade when he asked for one during the season? It was already a divorce in the making, in which everyone had sort of gathered a sense that his days were numbered in a Magic uniform, and surely, he’s now inclined to leave.

It would be best for Howard, and it would be best for the Magic if they both went their separate ways and moved forward. What he has done, while he has had the leverage in what has become a disaster that has taken countless twists and turns, is screwed over the Magic and led them to believe that he would be staying. For a long time, however, he’s been disappointed with the organization and told people that he feels the Magic “blackmailed” him into signing the “opt-in” clause. A week ago, he and his representatives complained to the players’ union in an attempt to have the waiver lifted, which would have made him a free agent this summer.

Oh, really?

That is why it’s time to part ways. He’s turning on the Magic organization, and no one is too sure what to believe at this point — at least I’m not too sure what to take away from this convoluted, chaotic mess. It’s hard to believe Howard was “blackmailed” when he had all the power to awe us with his magic tricks. So now he doesn’t want to stay because he’s upset the Magic made promises that have been broken. That means the organization has not mollified him. But it's good he can amount to something. Howard, in eight seasons, has led the league in rebounding three times. One individual achievement that stood out the most was when he led the league in double-doubles twice. He can also say he’s played in the NBA Finals, and has been voted the league’s Defensive Player of the Year three times.

There’s no question that he’s one of most dominant centers in the game, but he still needs to mellow into a matured professional when, as of now, he’s nothing more but a petulant child creating havoc, poisoning a team with his selfish, egotistical traits that just won’t fly with some teams. He can now flirt with the notion of playing with Deron Williams, a free-agent point guard who can sign with the Dallas Mavericks. There's a feeling Williams may decide to re-sign with the Nets, hearing the trade speculations that Howard likely could come to Brooklyn. The Nets reached an agreement with swingman Gerald Wallace on a 4-year, $40 million deal and are trying to hold on to Brook Lopez, as general manager Billy King and him are negotiating a deal. And with that, the Nets are shopping for deals and targeting the likes of Joe Johnson and O.J. Mayo.

There is pity to all of this Howard insanity. And one of these days, just as Brett Favre and LeBron James, Howard will regret what he’s done and realize how much he’s made it harder on himself. This is not the way to be a likable person. If anything, it’s the way to destroy one’s reputation. Not sure he ever thought about it. For now, at least, credibility is thrown out of the door wherever he plays.

Magic's Weaknesses Unveil Anything But Magical Touch in Legitimate Test

In a postseason with dull routs and lopsided finishes, the Orlando Magic, once regarded as the emerging franchise with the next dominant big man in one of the largest cities, all of a sudden has been deprived of creating a magical sequence, similar to the one a year ago, when the Magic earned a bid to the NBA Finals.

In Orlando, a beautiful vacationing spot, the population believed in a magical shooting touch, a category the Magic is usually proficient in compiling points.

It’s no longer unfathomable to realize that Orlando was untested and slightly deeper than Charlotte and Atlanta.

What exactly symbolized fate of the Magic, a heartless and harmless match against the Boston, is a team completely lost on defense and bewildered in finding the weaknesses of the aging Celtics.

And really, it’s hard to imagine Orlando avoiding a humiliating sweep in a series in which they never demoralized the pesky nemesis, now one win away from returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in two years, setting up a potential rematch against their foes the Los Angeles Lakers.

In a raucous arena, the crowd shouted continuously as the Celtics overpowered the Magic embarrassingly as if they were little kids without a clear understanding of basic fundamentals.

From the start, they were done, they were doomed, and they were badly dismantled without even attempting a comeback. The nightmares were uninspiring, lacking heart and fortitude in a game the Magic needed to avoid a possible sweep.

There’s proof that Orlando is clearly no match against Boston, even if some Celtics are barely standing on wobbly legs and knees.

With the Magic untested in the first two rounds of the uncompetitive postseason, we finally found out the truth about a mystified Orlando, unlike a year ago when it rose to new heights and encountered a one-sided match with the Lakers to suffer the loss when a surreal playoff run ended sorely.

All of which we now know the Magic’s true identity in a series the Celtics defied logic and tested the wills.

Judging by the first two series, they were deemed as the invincible Magicians of the East, but were mistakenly favored to return to the finals with depth, size and athleticism.

What? If this team was supposed to transcend, grasped a clear sense of what it takes to sustain felicity and validate the franchise’s history by winning its first championship, then why isn’t Dwight Howard dominating like Superman vanquished the evildoers? Of course, he’s not the only one to blame.

Why isn’t Vince Carter...the Vinsanity we once were accustomed to playing like he’s a revived megastar, but instead playing like an aging guard with no swagger? Why isn’t Rashard Lewis firing in three-pointers, but instead misfiring on nearly each shot attempt.

Suddenly, what happened? The Magic never recovered and had no response Saturday, but suffered the flimsiest playoff defeat in NBA history.


Sure, the Celtics' sumptuous defense is making every team it has faced look awful. Before, Boston made LeBron James seem like the most inferior player ever in the year he won the NBA Most Valuable Player award.

And now it seems Howard isn’t a physique or gigantic center, but a whiny baby easily teased and frustrated underneath the basket.

The pounding of Orlando, summarized an ugly night and shocked the entire team when the scoreboard inside the Garden posted the final outcome, 94-71, in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After an effortless performance in the first two rounds, totaling an 8-0 record, the Magic encountered the biggest test in the postseason.

The Celtics have quickly become archenemies, retaliating and bouncing back from an unimaginable letdown a year ago, of course, when the Magic wasn’t bemused and dominated the East without even fiercely bulldozing its opponents.

In the series, Orlando has unraveled completely, losing composure, heart and firepower it once had to win. In short, the Magic are incapable of beating Boston.

It’s that very obvious trailing 3-0 on the brink of elimination as the Celtics aims towards dispatching the Magic, when everyone predicted they’ll return to the finals.

And some even forecast that Orlando would win its first-ever championship. It’s impossible to even suggest that they’ll win one game in this series.

In each game, the lack of urgency and consciousness revealed the flukiest postseason competitors.

Throughout the series, the Magic were outplayed on defense, missed an array of shots and heard shouts from coach Stan Van Gundy that went through one ear and out the other.

By halftime, the night was over as the score extended to embarrass Orlando, inspiring an electrifying crowd that started chanting “Beat L.A.!” “Beat L.A.!”

Early on, the Magic never found its magic touch and trailed 7-0. Shortly after, the night turned uglier and the Celtics maintained control the rest of the way, ending Howard’s and his lifeless teammates’ probable season and mitigated probability.

As time runs out on the Magic's season, Howard wasted much valuable time weeping over pity fouls in the series. He’s a 24-year old who hasn’t fully developed into a dominant force, with his incredible size advantage and wingspan.

He’s not Superman after all, a name given to him when he became the tallest man to win the dunk contest during NBA All-Star weekend not long ago. Maybe Shaq is still the man of steel.

With championship hopes on the line, Howard wasn’t the toughest man on the floor, but the most vulnerable only scoring seven points with seven rebounds.

It’s disappointing that the Magic played with no intensity, no guts, not even a suitable game plan to cut down a large deficit.

Well, when a team falls apart, you cannot point the finger at one individual, which means Howard isn’t the only one to blame.

He wasn’t wearing his comical smile, but disappointing expressions after struggling mightily, at one point down 21-6. Because of a lousy defensive approach, all defenders were manhandled, allowing Boston to possess a double-digit lead.

“They just riddled us,” Van Gundy said, blaming himself for not having his team prepared in a must-needed win.

The difference in such a one-sided contest, the Celtics outhustled and had the most intensity as the aggressors, controlling the dynamics of the game, while the Magic struggled to find the nets and failed to hustle or match the aggressiveness of Boston. It’s obvious that Van Gundy takes most of the blame.

He’s didn’t have his team prepared in an onslaught that eventually turned brutal, which is why he admittedly blamed himself for Orlando’s poor performance.

“The most disappointing to me was that I didn’t have our team better ready to play,” Van Gundy said. “That was what was disappointing to me was my job.”

The Celtics were crafty on the floor, particularly on the breathtaking moment involving Boston’s explosive guard Rajon Rondo. He outran Jason Williams to a loose ball in the backcourt, diving on the floor and picked it up to score.

This night really brought out the true colors of the Magic, when there were no signs of toughness or awareness, but a confused and discouraged group.

Lewis scored four points on 2-for-8 shooting, missing all four three-point attempts. The two biggest non-factors were Carter and Jameer Nelson, who had 15 points apiece.

And maybe the only thing exciting about this game was Kevin Garnett getting pushed into the Orlando bench, knocking over Van Gundy, or the diving play by Rondo to score the layup.

Other than that, there was nothing else to see. There was no magic whatsoever.