With the lockout over and the NBA back in full swing, one of most dominant stories in the first week of the season continues to be the future of Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard.
Sure, there are other headlines, like the new “lob-city” duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in Los Angeles, the poor starts of the Lakers and defending champion Mavericks, or Miami’s “Big Three” looking vastly improved- however what uniform Howard will be in by season’s end continues to be on the tips of everybody’s tongue.
Although we’re only two games into the young season, the Magic appear to be somewhat distracted by Superman’s uncertain future with the team.
Orlando has gotten off to a 1-1 start, getting blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder in its season opener, but followed it up with a win over the Houston Rockets Monday night.
In the Magic’s Christmas Day opener, the Thunder absolutely dismantled the Magic and limited Howard to just 11 points on four-of-12 shooting. Orlando seemed overmatched and overwhelmed by Oklahoma City, who limited the Magic to 37 percent shooting in the game.
Against the Rockets, the Magic played better, shooting 53 percent in the game, while limiting Houston to 43 percent from the field.
Howard also played better, scoring 21 points on nine-of-15 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks.
Although it’s still very early into the season, the Magic don’t appear equipped to compete with the NBA’s elite, as showcased in their loss to the Thunder. One of Howard’s primary complaints since he stated his trade demands earlier this year are that the Magic haven’t surrounded him with enough talent to contend for a ring.
And some early-season signs have shown the Magic probably aren’t going to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy this year.
Orlando was outscored 81-63 through the first three quarters in the loss to the Thunder and only made the score appear closer with a barrage of three-pointers late in the fourth quarter.
So, the Magic are still a team that relies too heavily on the three-point shot. They attempted 28 long shots against the Thunder, and were only able to convert eight of them.
The Magic shot better against the Rockets, converting 40 percent from beyond the arc- a large reason why they won the game, but Houston is an eighth-seeded team in the West at best.
“I think we have to be aggressive and not just run to the three-point line and shoot threes,” Howard said after the victory over the Rockets. “When guys got into a good rhythm, we got some easy buckets. Guys like Turk and J.J. were getting back doors for easy buckets. That way they can just have more confidence when they’re shooting the ball.”
When shooters like Hedo Turkoglu, J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson have off-nights, the Magic have trouble producing points. Sure, Howard and Jason Richardson provide solid offense, but they simply aren’t enough when the Magic’s shooters are off the mark.
Luckily, the Magic’s early-season slate is generous, with matchups against New Jersey, Charlotte, Toronto, Detroit and Washington over the next week to provide time to gel and improve as a team.
However, Orlando’s mid-January schedule will test the team’s mettle with contests against the Knicks, Lakers, Spurs and Celtics.
If the Magic continue to rely heavily on the three-ball, they will probably suffer a similar fate to the team that got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs last year.
From the early looks of it, there doesn’t appear to be any indication that this Magic team is any improved from last season.
And with the uncertainty of Dwight’s future in Orlando, this Magic team will have to overcome more than just poor three-point shooting.
