Dwight Howard's Technicals - What Pushes His Buttons? [Promoted FanPost]
Ed. note: OPP community member magicfaninTN has really outdone himself with this thorough examination of Dwight Howard's many technical fouls. As such, I've promoted it to the frontpage. - BQR
As a part of the lively discussion in the post, Off-Day Open Thread: Should the Orlando Magic Curb Their Complaining to Referees?, I started to wonder if there was a trend in Dwight's technical fouls. Do they hurt the team by taking Dwight out of his game? Do they lead to momentum swings for the other team? Are they linked to frustration with early foul trouble? Missed free throws? Repeated no-calls?
Technical foul situations do not make it into the boxscore. There is no single good place that I could find online that lists the technical foul information all in one place. So, I did the grunt work of cobbling the following tables together by using the boxscores at YahooSports, the play-by-play info at ESPN, and either the Associated Press or Orlando Pinstriped Post recaps. Remember, I didn't watch a lot of these games (and even if I did, that's a long time ago), so in a lot of cases I'm guessing the reason by looking through the events of the play-by-play. Feel free to offer corrections in the comments if you remember the game.
I didn't take the time to look up which of these techs have been rescinded, but since Dwight's official count is 15 (rather than the 17 I have listed), at least two were withdrawn by the NBA. I'm more interested in the situations that lead to them getting called in the first place.
Analysis follows the tables.
Techs #1-8 (click for full-size image)
Techs #9-17 (click for full-size image)
Initial Observations
- Dwight got these fouls facing 15 different teams.
- 10 called in wins. 7 called in losses.
- But in the wins, the game is almost always still in doubt/closely-contested at the time Dwight gets the tech.
- 4 called in 1st half. 13 called in 2nd half or overtime (9 in 3Q, 3 in 4Q, 1 in OT).
- No ejections. This shows that he can control it at some level.
- Dwight is an emotional and intense player; a competitor (despite what many on-air commentators say about his smile). Dwight is also very vocal with his responses to adversity. Strong? Yes. Strong and silent? Not so much.
- From my reading of the play-by-play, it seems the techs neither led to any significant/game-changing momentum swings nor put key points on the scoreboard for the opponent due to the technical free throws.
- In my opinion, by the time Dwight gets a T, he's already mentally off his game/out-of-sync. In some sense this question is a little chicken-and-the-eggish. Personally,I think Dwight gets frustrated and then gets the techs. But, I think previous bad/questionable calls are a part of what gets Dwight frustrated.
- If you work through the play-by-play, it seems that frustration builds up and then finally erupts from Dwight. Several things usually "go wrong" in a row. It appears to be the same kinds of things that frustrate you as a fan or if you've ever been on the court: missed field goals, missed free throws, a few perceived no-calls, not calling it the same way on both ends, lead slipping away, etc
Four frequent situations that seem to lead to technical fouls for Dwight:
A. Game is on the line or Orlando is losing. All of them except #9, 12 & 14 (where Orlando had sizeable leads). Dwight wants to win. Don't let the smile fool you.
(Some might say the Lakers game (tech #15) is an exception, too, since Orlando was up by 7 points, but that was the game that was so intense between Kobe and Matt Barnes. And, Barnes had already drawn the double-tech a few minutes earlier. Emotions were still hot and this was last year's Finals rematch...in the 3Q, the game is always still on the line against the Lakers.)
B. Dwight got in EARLY foul trouble and had to sit? Often though, he does not voice that frustration until the 2nd half when the whistle once again blows at him. Dwight wants to compete. Don't let the smile fool you.
- #2 - Just under 17 minutes of floor time for the game.
- #3 - Glued to the bench with fouls again. 2nd night in a row.
- #4 - First two fouls came in first 6:02 of 1Q.
- #9 - Sat almost 2/3 of 2nd quarter then comes in and nothing works.
- #14 - Two fouls in first 22 seconds of the game.
C. Dwight gets in LATE foul trouble and is in danger of disqualification. Usually combined with situation A--the game is on the line. Remember, more than 3/4 of Dwight's techs come in the 2nd half of contested games. Again, Dwight wants to compete. Don't let the smile fool you.
- #2 - PF #5 is an offensive foul. (Dwight eventually fouls out in this loss.)
- #13 - PF #5 in a very physical game .
- #16 - Losing to Bobcats at home. Gets offensive foul and PF#4.
- #17 - OT versus the Heat. Gets PF #5
D. Just tired of getting whacked by the opponent without getting a whistle. Probably all 17 could apply here, but among these five are some times that Howard drew the foul that preceded the tech, rather than committing the preceding personal foul.
- #5 - Seems to be complaining about a lack of a call after missed shots.
- #6 - Hard foul by Troy Murphy.
- #8 - [partially] If I recall correctly, Bosh and Bargs had been swinging hard.
- #11 - Fouled by Rudy Gay.
- #15 - No call on the layup?
Less-frequent situations:
E. Preening
#1 seemed to just be Dwight giving Speights a little trash talk. Really a waste considering the number of techs Dwight has racked up during the rest of the season.
Final Thoughts
It seems that perceived injustice in the calls and high intensity (especially when losing) are the situations in which Dwight opens his mouth and draws the technical foul. This is a concern for the playoffs where intensity will be super-high and the refs can too often make a mess of the game.
However, Dwight has shown that he can control himself; remember no ejections. Let's hope that the increased intensity also means that Dwight is more focused on keeping the emotional fire from burning out of control. He has to remember how much the team needs him on the floor. Work the refs. Maintain control.
This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.
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Comments
Might better have called the "Score/Reason" column in the chart"Score-Team in Lead-Situation"
oh well, you get the idea anyway.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
I think the flops are what get him the most.
Even if that’s not the actual call that he gets the T on, I think that frustrates him the most. When he gets pounded on one end without a call and then he’s backing someone in and they flop on the other end and he gets a foul called on him, that seems to really rile him up.
Either way, he needs to settle down before he costs us a game in the playoffs with this.
I hate Varejao.
Great write up. I think the original article that Ben Q. wrote should’ve been titled “Should Dwight Howard Curb His Complaining to Referees” since based on the feed back everyone was talking only about Howard. :) No one really talked about Matt Barnes…On a side note, I think Matt Barnes should keep doing what he’s doing. He gives the Magic edge! He’s someone that I would love to be on my team but hate to be on another team.
But seriously…I still think that if Howard is letting this affect his game then this is not a good thing for the Magic in the playoffs where the emotions are high. But then again as magicfaninTN pointed out, D12 showed some signs that he can still control emotions to avoid ejections. Let’s hope he maintains that during the playoffs…
Thanks, Ben, for the bump.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
And thanks to the rest of you for the rec's.
Appreciated.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
The one in game 24 vs. Indy was rescinded.
I can’t recall the other one that was rescinded. This is a great write-up and must have taken a lot of time and effort. I like the chicken and the egg reference. I think you’re right. We always look at it as Dwight is frustrated because he got a Tech. But, his frustration probab;y led to him getting the Technical. I think the refs are unjustly harder on Dwight than other prominent players (LBJ, Kobe, Durant). All fouls should be called the same, no matter which player is commiting the foul.
The other rescinded technical was #13 - game 52 against the Hornets
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Don't let the smile fool you.............Dwight will bust your ass at some point
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on Apr 6, 2010 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
FA SHO!!!!
"He is fast, but what I like about him is he looks like one of those track guys that actually knows how to run the ball and has good vision and patience. He is not just running at top speed. He knows when to use his speed, and he has some power and toughness, too.'' Barry Sanders about CJ2K
Dwight Howard >The Justice League of America
by Bonafidebrother on Apr 7, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Excellent work TN
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985......
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Kudos to magicfanTN
I know that the effort required to compile this information was far from trivial. Good job and thanks!
"Loose ball foul on whatever the hell his name is." - Joey Crawford calling a foul on Stojko Vrankovic
The only way to stop LeBron is Smith and Wesson, but even that's a double team.
by NC Magic Fan on Apr 6, 2010 4:55 PM EDT reply actions
You're partly to thank/blame.
It took a little time, but I was motivated after you replied to my initial questions in the other thread by saying:
….The stats you ask for a way beyond the ability of any poster on this board (except Ben Q. or E.)
I love a good challenge…..plus I got curious about the answers.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Apr 6, 2010 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks again to Ben Q. Rock. Would not have that link if he hadn't put this on the front page.
Nonetheless getting that link is a pretty cool feeling. :D
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Apr 6, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
They do affect his game. When he's frustrated, his free throw shooting and turnovers are affected
Dwight is averaging 4.2 turnovers in his usual minutes in games where he picks up a T. 71 in 17 games. Same minutes, no tech? 3.2 tpg. His turnovers increase by 31%, which add to his frustration over fouls. He gets emotional, and gets sloppy.
Free throw shooting? Same thing: .578 in games with a tech. No tech? .603. Again, a noticeable dropoff.
So does it hurt him? You tell me.
The real "Masters of Panic" are commenting on this blog.
There would be two questions that would arise from those numbers
First, is there actual causation, or merely coincidental correlation? I’m inclined to believe the two are related, but it’s possible there’s an underlying cause of both, or even no real correlation; statistically speaking, 17 games is still a small sample size.
Second, if there is causation, in which direction does the causation run? Is it the technical getting him upset, causing him to play sloppy, or does his sloppy play cause him to vocalize his frustration, leading to the technical? In other words, is the technical the cause, or the symptom?
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Great questions.
We’d need the game film to figure it out. I’m inclined to believe that Dwight just doesn’t play well when he isn’t cool and collected. The technical foul in the box score to me is a red flag: “Hi I’m Dwight and I got pissed off this game.” I think what you can take away from this is that it’s more than just a coincidental correlation. He needs a cool head in order to be most effective. A technical for Dwight, whether the cause or the symptom, means that he isn’t controlling his emotions the way he needs to in order to play his best basketball.
The real "Masters of Panic" are commenting on this blog.
Yeah, pretty much.
I’d wager a decent amount of money that there is a legit correlation between Dwight getting pissed off at the refs and most of his worst performances this year. Whether it’s TO’s from trying to force things on offense (charges, travels, not playing properly out of the double-team), not focusing on his free-throws, or forcing up awful shots while trying to draw a foul on the other end, dude does not play well when he’s frustrated.
Of course that same thing can be said for just about everyone.
I hate Varejao.
Question about the playoffs
First of all, great rightup, I’m sure it took a bit of effort so kudos for this. My question, since I’m reasonablly sure that the technicals follow them into the playoffs, shouldn’t Dwight intentionally get a technical in one of these last games, serve the suspension prior to the playoffs, rather than risk getting a suspension in the playoffs? Cause I’m pretty sure it’s alternating technicals after that(i.e. 18, 20, etc.) that gets you a one game suspension.
Everyone gets a clean slate. Technical #7 gets you a one game suspension in the playoffs
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Anyone know what will happen if he gets it on the last game of the season?
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I would think the suspension can only be served in the regular season, ie game 1 of the 2010-11 season, but I could be wrong.
NBA Championship or bust in '09-10!!!! GO MAGIC!!!!
This question has only been asked a kajillion bajillion times.
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
relax it's just a question... people have been asking if Hamlet is mad for centuries, yet we all know the answer.
The real "Masters of Panic" are commenting on this blog.
Only Hamlet's madness(or not) produces interesting discussion.
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
There is one thing missing from your excellent post: Is there any evidence that certain refs give Dwight techs more than others?
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Good question regarding certain refs. No noticable correlation afaik.
I started to include that data in the original table, but when I saw zero correlation between officiating crew and the techs, I let it go. But thanks for bringing it up, I forgot to include it in the post.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Apr 6, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I really only looked at about 1/2 of the techs, but it was so varied at that point that I stopped.
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Apr 6, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
it's a real paradox
Dwight “smiles too much”, but should he ever get his 16th technical ESPN will start blowing about how he’s not superstar material because he’s getting suspended for things like this.
No one debates whether or not Howard is a superstar
The real "Masters of Panic" are commenting on this blog.
Jon Barry, Kenny Smith & Reggie Miller may
"It can be done, you can just crush somebody"
Well, maybe 2nd place in MVP voting
The real "Masters of Panic" are commenting on this blog.
by ben_gleicher on Apr 7, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Tania Ganguli gets SVG's take.
Worth the read: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-magic-wizards-siderbar-0408-20100407-11,0,4306801.story
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
And Dwight's take on Ts
http://www.dwighthoward.com/blog/2010/04/09/no-t’s-for-me
"I've had people say, 'I don't need to check the [player statistics]. I've seen it with my eyes.' Well, I would also say your eyes lie to you sometimes, and some of the guys you may really like and think are really doing things, when you get deeper into it, aren't or vice versa." ~Stan Van Gundy
by magicfaninTN on Apr 9, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

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