Defense focus for Howard...

[jack daniel 999 27]

Orlando Magic Coach Brian Hill heaped praise on his all-star center, Dwight Howard, at Saturday's practice.

 

Hill raved about Howard's. . . . defense. He'd love to rave more after Howard faces Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett tonight at Amway Arena.

 

"I told him that I thought his defensive effort on Jermaine O'Neal, from top to bottom, might have been his best in two years," Hill said of the clamps Howard put on the Indiana Pacers star Friday night. "He was fantastic."

 

Lately, Howard has had to focus more attention on the other side of the ball, as evident by the curious increase in his blocked shots -- 15 in the past three games.

 

Why is defense defining Howard now and not dunks?

 

The Magic have subtlety taken the focus off him on offense -- the area of his game that needs the most evolution. Howard has the ability to help the club win in the playoffs, but the Magic can't put the load on him to get them there right now.

 

Hill said the Magic are "spreading the ball around" more, adding, "When we do go to Dwight, it makes it a little bit easier. You can't always load up on him. Spreading the ball doesn't allow them [defensive players] to load up on him."

 

But this sudden sea change also might be because Howard is struggling with turnovers -- he leads the NBA in miscues with 281 -- and has been ice cold at the free-throw line (60 percent). Possessions and potential points are often lost.

 

And in a playoff chase, every possession is magnified.

 

The Magic have to work around his struggles.

 

Turnovers and free-throw misses are a killer combination for a team that has taken the fewest shots in the league with a deliberate style predicated on feeding Howard the ball.

 

The Magic turn over the ball more than any team in the NBA and are third from the bottom in free-throw shooting. They are, not surprisingly, next-to-last in points scored.

 

Howard took 10 shots in a victory against the Pacers -- the first time he had recorded double-digit attempts in six games.

 

The statistic is deceiving because he gets fouled frequently, erasing the attempts. But that introduces the other problem: Once Howard makes repeated trips to the line, he recreates memories of a young Shaquille O'Neal.

 

In 10 games before the Magic faced Indiana, Howard averaged 7.2 free throws per game, but he hit just 44 percent on 44 of 96 shooting.

 

Twice in that span, he missed nine free throws in a game and once he misfired eight times. The Magic lost all three games -- by 24, 11 and seven points. While his troubles didn't terribly affect those outcomes, the Magic lost two games by three points when he missed nine free throws in each game.

 

But against the Pacers, he managed to get to the line only four times, making two. The Magic wound up shooting 35-of-45 at the stripe and won by eight.

 

Then there's the turnovers.

 

Howard committed seven against the Pacers, following up two games in which he had six turnovers in each outing. He averages a team-leading 3.9 per game.

 

Trying to avoid the occasional double-team, Howard concedes that he sometimes gets himself in predicaments he can't escape, especially along the crowded baseline, where, "I get pushed out of bounds."

 

Opponents have seized on his weakness, realizing he must work his way closer to the basket because he has yet to develop a jump-shot or Tim Duncan-like bank-shot.

 

At times, Howard finds himself under the basket too far, leaving himself no angles for shots. He'll then turn it over trying to throw the ball back out.

 

It's all part of the learning process, said Hill, who witnessed a young Shaq face similar obstacles.

 

Brian Schmitz can be reached at bschmitz@orlandosentinel.com.

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/...story?coll=orl-magic

[jack daniel 999 27]

Orlando Magic Coach Brian Hill heaped praise on his all-star center, Dwight Howard, at Saturday's practice.

 

Hill raved about Howard's. . . . defense. He'd love to rave more after Howard faces Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett tonight at Amway Arena.

 

"I told him that I thought his defensive effort on Jermaine O'Neal, from top to bottom, might have been his best in two years," Hill said of the clamps Howard put on the Indiana Pacers star Friday night. "He was fantastic."

 

Lately, Howard has had to focus more attention on the other side of the ball, as evident by the curious increase in his blocked shots -- 15 in the past three games.

 

Why is defense defining Howard now and not dunks?

 

The Magic have subtlety taken the focus off him on offense -- the area of his game that needs the most evolution. Howard has the ability to help the club win in the playoffs, but the Magic can't put the load on him to get them there right now.

 

Hill said the Magic are "spreading the ball around" more, adding, "When we do go to Dwight, it makes it a little bit easier. You can't always load up on him. Spreading the ball doesn't allow them [defensive players] to load up on him."

 

But this sudden sea change also might be because Howard is struggling with turnovers -- he leads the NBA in miscues with 281 -- and has been ice cold at the free-throw line (60 percent). Possessions and potential points are often lost.

 

And in a playoff chase, every possession is magnified.

 

The Magic have to work around his struggles.

 

Turnovers and free-throw misses are a killer combination for a team that has taken the fewest shots in the league with a deliberate style predicated on feeding Howard the ball.

 

The Magic turn over the ball more than any team in the NBA and are third from the bottom in free-throw shooting. They are, not surprisingly, next-to-last in points scored.

 

Howard took 10 shots in a victory against the Pacers -- the first time he had recorded double-digit attempts in six games.

 

The statistic is deceiving because he gets fouled frequently, erasing the attempts. But that introduces the other problem: Once Howard makes repeated trips to the line, he recreates memories of a young Shaquille O'Neal.

 

In 10 games before the Magic faced Indiana, Howard averaged 7.2 free throws per game, but he hit just 44 percent on 44 of 96 shooting.

 

Twice in that span, he missed nine free throws in a game and once he misfired eight times. The Magic lost all three games -- by 24, 11 and seven points. While his troubles didn't terribly affect those outcomes, the Magic lost two games by three points when he missed nine free throws in each game.

 

But against the Pacers, he managed to get to the line only four times, making two. The Magic wound up shooting 35-of-45 at the stripe and won by eight.

 

Then there's the turnovers.

 

Howard committed seven against the Pacers, following up two games in which he had six turnovers in each outing. He averages a team-leading 3.9 per game.

 

Trying to avoid the occasional double-team, Howard concedes that he sometimes gets himself in predicaments he can't escape, especially along the crowded baseline, where, "I get pushed out of bounds."

 

Opponents have seized on his weakness, realizing he must work his way closer to the basket because he has yet to develop a jump-shot or Tim Duncan-like bank-shot.

 

At times, Howard finds himself under the basket too far, leaving himself no angles for shots. He'll then turn it over trying to throw the ball back out.

 

It's all part of the learning process, said Hill, who witnessed a young Shaq face similar obstacles.

 

Brian Schmitz can be reached at bschmitz@orlandosentinel.com.

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/...story?coll=orl-magic

[Nyce_1 311]

wow, it only took "That Coach" 73 games to see this when it took our board 30.

[Emory889 353]

He's a little special...