Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Dwight Howard
by Evan Dunlap on Jun 6, 2011 8:00 AM EDT
in Evaluations
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PrintOrlando Magic center Dwight Howard has blocked more shots and grabbed more rebounds than he did last season. He's shot a higher percentage from the field and the free throw line. He's committed fewer turnovers and won more playoff games, too.
Yet Dwight Howard has never played better ball than he did in 2010/11. Because Dwight Howard has never scored so brilliantly. And though basketball is a complex game of which scoring is only a part, his improved offense marked an important step in his development.
| Dwight Howard | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. 12 | ||
| Center | ||
| Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | Blocks Per Game |
| 22.9 | 14.1 | 2.4 |
| Points Per 36 | Rebounds Per 36 | Blocks Per 36 |
| 21.9 | 13.5 | 2.3 |
| PER | Rebound Rate | Block Rate |
| 26.0 | 21.8 | 4.9 |
| FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
| 59.3 | 0.0 | 59.6 |
| eFG% | TS% | |
| 59.3 | 61.6 | |
All statistics in this table from Howard's player page at basketball-reference. Career-best statistics highlighted in gold; career-worst statistics highlighted in silver. | ||
Howard added 2.9 points to his per-36-minute scoring average while seeing just a 1.4 percent drop in True Shooting. In so doing, he became the league's most efficient 20-point-per-game scorer. Overall, he ranked 11th in scoring and second in field-goal percentage. Also, he won his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award.
Let us now distill the paragraph above: the Magic got elite offense from the league's top defender. Within three years, if not sooner, some folks will look back on this season and wonder how Howard didn't win the MVP award in a landslide.
Orlando ranked 3rd in the league in defensive efficiency, surrendering 101.8 points per 100 possessions. You'll note that figure represents the slightest of improvements over the 2009 NBA Finalist squad, which led the league with a defensive efficiency of 101.9. In addition to Howard, that team featured above-average defenders Rafer Alston, Mickael Pietrus, and Courtney Lee on the wing, and tremendous efforts from all parties. This Magic team, which won 11 fewer playoff games, and has no defenders of note in its rotation.
He can get better. But as it is, he's well on his way as establishing himself among the game's all-time great centers, with the 2010/11 season serving as his best. For now.
| Grade: A+ |
|---|
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The only player on the Magic roster worth keeping.
"Generally, when I draw the play, it's just who's going where. Maybe I have not made it clear enough that we would like the ball to go in the basket."
by AB's triple double on Jun 6, 2011 8:56 AM EDT reply actions
AGENT ZERO! JK, JK, I'll go drown myself
Cock my 40 glock and my partna just bought a replica
Now Asians sayin they don’t keep no cash in they register
We run from red & blue lights to get that green
But whoever got that white is winnin like Charlie Sheen
Anderson, Redick... Yes... Bass, not so much.
There’s a lot more growing potential in Anderson…
But there’s NO CONTEST in regard to Howard; he simply grew to be the Hero we all envisioned him to be. In the end, in that blasted series with Atlanta, he grew in stature to unparallel heights. He overcame his darkest weaknesses, his poor free-throw shooting… and turned it into his strength! Not even his worse critics could deny his greatness… There are no words to describe…
It’s a shimmering light of unparallel brightness; not even O’Neil can match it…
Which makes me all the more sad…
For if we, the Orlando community as a whole, and the Magic Ownership-Management in particular… if we cannot find a way to KEEP this bright star AND build a TEAM around him to win at least ONE championship; then truly… we don’t deserve him… and if we don’t deserve to have ONE great player; then, we don’t deserve to have a an NBA Franchise!
Very few teams get a second chance at greatness; this is OUR time… a unique moment with historic proportions for the Orlando Magic. If we fail in acting upon such opportunity; we’ll likely not have another for decades… if ever.
We better make sure we are WORTHY…
I agree, TEAM ONE ONE ARE INDEED WORTHY!
Cock my 40 glock and my partna just bought a replica
Now Asians sayin they don’t keep no cash in they register
We run from red & blue lights to get that green
But whoever got that white is winnin like Charlie Sheen
by 4QB on Jun 7, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn't be phased if any of those 3 got traded.
They had solid regular seasons, but where huge disappointments in the playoffs. Much like the whole team, minus Dwight.
"Generally, when I draw the play, it's just who's going where. Maybe I have not made it clear enough that we would like the ball to go in the basket."
by AB's triple double on Jun 6, 2011 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder if there's an alternative NBA MVP award out there somewhere
in which the votes reflect…you know… logic. The current standard is for fanboys—I’ve heard more cogent arguments for senior year prom queen.
The Fielding Bible Award of the MLB comes to mind as an example.
by hnic14 on Jun 6, 2011 10:07 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for "I've heard more cogent arguments for senior prom queen."
Never been afraid to say what's on my mind at any given time of day. Renegade.
Evan: "David Polega. Banned."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
Howard was robbed, plain and simple. Rose is a PG that led his team to a great record.
But if you go by stats.. -Screw that, Howard should’ve been MVP!
It was amazing to watch him all year.
And that first playoff game against the Hawks…Lord, have mercy!
I can’t wait to see what he’s pulled out of his pocket next year because I have no doubt he’s going to keep getting better. Hopefully he’ll just keep getting better in a Magic uniform.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
Hired shooting coach to travel with him all summer and work on FT's.
I watched him before warmups of game 5 this year, he drilled 7 threes in a row (dead on swishes) from the right corner. Last three were fallaways with Q’s hand up in his face. I know this is dumb, because it’s warmups and because I don’t want Dwight shooting 3s, but to be able to knock that shot down, with a nice stroke and nice result, consistently means you are improving as a shooter.
Never been afraid to say what's on my mind at any given time of day. Renegade.
Evan: "David Polega. Banned."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
Dear Oits,
Please get me some help. Oh, never mind. I’ll talk to RDV myself.
Sincerely,
Dwight Howard
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
FIRE OTIS SMITH
is that what I’m reading
Get out of my House!
by ECFIVESTER on Jun 6, 2011 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Howard has a good shot to win it next year
unless Blake Griffin can lead his team to the playoffs. As he’s the next media darling, maybe even more so than Rose. He just couldn’t have won it last year because it would have really made it look like a joke.
Get out of my House!
A+ is too low of a grade for Dwight
We should create a new letter to start the alphabet, and give him that letter. He’s in another universe from the rest of the team.
I can't wait to see him play next year
I read somewhere(either here or OS) that he is hiring a shooting coach to work with him on his FT shooting. That alone made me happy. But then in the same article it said that he was gonna be spending multiple weeks with Hakeem to work on his footwork and his finishing abilities. I’m looking forward to Dwight taking his game even further and how much he can help the Magic this year
and he did it all with only 13 shots a game
i know he takes a lota trips to the foul line, but 13 field goal attempts?
that shouldve been the basis why dwight is mvp
look how efficient he is, not to mention how valuable he is. derrick rose my ass, can’t do half the things dwight does.
I'm a guy
Yah, I mean Dwight's awesome at driving into the paint and scoring
or dishing it out for an assist when he can’t. Dwight’s awesome at finding a guy for the open shot. Dwight hits his shots from range too. He makes his free-throws.
Sarcasm aside, it’s not at all hard to see why Rose won people over this year. Of course Dwight’s better but a lot of people view him by what he can’t* do, whereas not applying that same rigorous criticism to Rose.
"(Dwight) Howard averages 23 points and 14 rebounds per game and is the defensive basketball equivalent of a guy carrying a bazooka during laser tag. No one wants to play with that kid."-Matt Moore
In 78 games this season...
…D12 scored at least 20 points in 51 of those games, including 16+ games over 30 points. In only two games did he fail to score in double digits.
In 68 of 78 games, Dwight grabbed at least 10 rebounds, including 8 games of 20+ rebounds.
In 73 of 78 games, he blocked at least one shot, including 29 games of at least 3 blocks.
He only fouled out of 4 of 78 games, and had 66 double-doubles.
Too many MVP voters ignored Howard’s historic statistical season, which no one had ever accomplished before until Dwight this season.
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 Stanley Cup Champions
Chicago White Sox... 2005 World Series Champions
Orlando Magic... 1995 and 2009 Eastern Conference Champions
by Mike from Illinois on Jun 7, 2011 1:22 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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