Dwight Howard is unhappy in Orlando and does not agree with the way Stan Van Gundy has been approaching things. What else is new? Howard is almost certainly on borrowed time with the Magic, but he wants to make the most of it and become more of a focal point while he’s there. The Magic beat the Bucks 99-94 on Saturday night, but Howard left the game with a foul taste in his mouth.
“I do want the ball more in the fourth quarter,” Howard told FOX Sports after the game. “I want to become a closer. The only way you get there is by getting the ball and have coach have the confidence in giving me the ball.
“That’s how Kobe (Bryant) and the rest of the great fourth-quarter players got that way. It’s trial and error. When Kobe first got in the league, it took him a while to become the killer he is in the fourth quarter now. That’s because he went through that phase where he had to learn what shots to take and just get confidence in taking shots in the fourth quarter.”
The issue is Howard is a center. The Magic should be allowing him to control the game on offense since he is such a major presence down low, but sometimes you need jump-shooters to take a game over. Shooting from the outside isn’t exactly part of Dwight’s game. In case you forgot, however, Howard wanted to remind everyone of his nickname.
“That’s what I’m worth. I want to be that guy who controls games. As a kid, that’s what you dream about in the NBA, taking that shot. I want to do that. I’m the leader of the team. Ride my back. I’ll lead. I don’t care if I miss every single shot, I’m going to continue to play hard. Just get on my back. That’s why they call me Superman.”
For what it’s worth, Van Gundy said Howard “wasn’t having a good night” on Saturday and the Magic were playing better from the outside in transition. Howard missed some shots he’d normally make, so the offense got away from him. It’s understandable for him to feel he has earned the right to keep getting the ball on a bad night, but sometimes you have to ride the hot hands. Superman is only a nickname.
