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After a bitter Game 5 loss on Tuesday night, Magic all-star center Dwight Howard questioned Coach Stan Van Gundy's strategy and why he got only 10 shot attempts, making five.

“I would just say it’s tough to win all season when you play inside-out with people who got you off to a good season. I think I’m capable of scoring in the post," Howard said after the Magic blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 92-88. "I don’t’ want to say it’s all about offense. But when you have a dominant player, let him be dominant.”

Howard spoke out for really the first time in his five-year career, questioning a coach. He intimated that Van Gundy should have stuck with a certain group in the fourth quarter. He wasn't specific.

“The coaches have to recognize what’s working on the floor. Stick to it. Even if it’s half your starters on the floor. Not just the guys you have put the most trust in. You have to have trust in everybody," Howard said.

"We moved the ball, we ran, got easy shots, and our coach has to recognize when he was a certain group out there and they are getting the job done and we have to leave those guys on the floor. We are going to make mistakes, but I think you have to go with what works."

Link: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports ... -game.html


Calling out a coach? Not a smart thing to do...I can understand his frustration, SVG is a joke of a coach but still...

And I don`t mind if they go to him more. I don`t think he can score on Perkins. Howard is a horrible offensive player, one of the worst in the league, and Perk is a great defender...

LMAO that Howard thinks he has a post game. He is great a few feet from the hoop when he can dunk. Beyond, he makes Perk look like Kevin McHale!

And not smart to call out your coach, especially when said coach has the mental toughness of a teenage girl...

Well it's clear no one likes playing for Stan Van Gundy and now that they're going to lose this series the time is ripe to throw him under the tires.

Not that I blame Dwight. If I was him I'd love to get, I don't know, Reggie Theus on the sidelines.

Still, this coming after Game 5 just shows where the Magic's heads are. They've already conceded the series. I wouldn't be surprised if this only goes six games now.

spf211 wrote:Well it's clear no one likes playing for Stan Van Gundy and now that they're going to lose this series the time is ripe to throw him under the tires.

Not that I blame Dwight. If I was him I'd love to get, I don't know, Reggie Theus on the sidelines.

Still, this coming after Game 5 just shows where the Magic's heads are. They've already conceded the series. I wouldn't be surprised if this only goes six games now.

I called it after game 4, C's in 6. If they weren't mentally whipped after game 4, they certainly are now. One of the weakest (mentally/emotionally) teams I've seen in a while...

If the Magic do get a real coach they'll be an even tougher out. They've certainly got plenty of talent in place and have been good on defense, but seem to lack a winning mentality. If they're on a roll watch out, but if you get them on the ropes they're likely to crumble.

Bad-Thoma wrote:If the Magic do get a real coach they'll be an even tougher out. They've certainly got plenty of talent in place and have been good on defense, but seem to lack a winning mentality. If they're on a roll watch out, but if you get them on the ropes they're likely to crumble.

Like I've said, SVG has the mental makeup of a teenage girl...the guy PANICS in tough spots, yet has the gall to run his mouth as much as he does...

I can't agree with you guys.

I think SVG is a good coach who has to deal with players who have a different approach to this game.
SVG is a defensive coach who has make serious strides this season transforming an easy-going team into a better than average defensive squad. But his roster is still full of not so great defenders.
In fact I think SVG has make his team overachive.

Dwight Howard is not a great basketball player. He has so many serious flaws that he can't take full advantage of his out-of-this-world physical skills. No post game beyond the dunk. No FT range. Not a good passer. And so on.... I never undertood why Magic hired Pat Ewing as Howard's coach. Ewing was a jumpshooter and Howard has no range.

But the worst part is that he thinks he is a dominant post player!!! He is clearly worse than media and poor Howard himself thinks he is. And if he is not aware of his flaws, he is hardly going to solve them.

other than dunks what did Howard make last night? I'm not sure he hit one fg that wasn't a dunk. If I were the coach and I saw that shooting performance I wouldn't be inspired to give him the ball all the time. Perk has done a nice job putting his body on howard

Red2 wrote:other than dunks what did Howard make last night? I'm not sure he hit one fg that wasn't a dunk. If I were the coach and I saw that shooting performance I wouldn't be inspired to give him the ball all the time. Perk has done a nice job putting his body on howard

No kidding...he's starting to sound like Bynum...at least Dwight can play D!

Don't take that stan! Bench his ass for game 6.

What a good way to influence kids.

Celtics_Champs wrote:Don't take that stan! Bench his ass for game 6.

Actually, Stan, don't bench him! He did nothing during the fourth quarter of game 5, if I remember.

Athanacropolis wrote:

Celtics_Champs wrote:Don't take that stan! Bench his ass for game 6.

Actually, Stan, don't bench him! He did nothing during the fourth quarter of game 5, if I remember.

His play in crunch time shares its name with another famous big who came up small when it mattered most...WILT!

I think the flip side is that the Magic wings players made some really really bad plays down the stretch and in Turkoglu's case he has done it a lot sort of living off of last years reputation, so I can see how Dwight is angry. Stan's press conference sort of cemented to me on of the problems with the Magic. He insinuated that Turkoglu and Rafer should have gotten foul calls on their final drives, which is ridiculous as they both took horrible shots against good defense. It reflected the attitude of the Magic last night in that they kept waiting for something/someone to bail them out.

UGA Hayes wrote:I think the flip side is that the Magic wings players made some really really bad plays down the stretch and in Turkoglu's case he has done it a lot sort of living off of last years reputation, so I can see how Dwight is angry. Stan's press conference sort of cemented to me on of the problems with the Magic. He insinuated that Turkoglu and Rafer should have gotten foul calls on their final drives, which is ridiculous as they both took horrible shots against good defense. It reflected the attitude of the Magic last night in that they kept waiting for something/someone to bail them out.

They fit in with the majority of American society ca. 2009, then, don't they!

I love to see the other team fighting with each other. That brings warmth to my cold heart.LOL.

Celts in 6!!

We want Howard in the game. Gortat has absolutely killed us. Dwight is a better roaming shot blocker, but Gortat is more gifted offensively and possibly even a better 1-on-1 defender. The magic do lose the amazing offensive rebounding of Howard with Gortat in the game, but for the most part we've done a good job of keeping Orlando limited to 1 shot opportunity.

MyInsatiableOne wrote:LMAO that Howard thinks he has a post game. He is great a few feet from the hoop when he can dunk. Beyond, he makes Perk look like Kevin McHale!

And not smart to call out your coach, especially when said coach has the mental toughness of a teenage girl...

LMAO at the "teenage girl"

Not only does he not have an inside game, he has Shaqitis. If they throw him the ball in the paint at the end of the game you foul him immediately and put him at the line. He can't pass it out and he has no moves. So all he can do is back you down and slam it over you. Push him to the baseline, take the charge, make him shoot a jumper or foul him if he gets close.

The Magic shouldn't go to Howard one on one, but the dude was wide open in the paint in the 4th on pick and rolls with either Ray or Rondo covering him. Perk kept switching on the picks, which worked really well because the Magic never passed it to Howard.

CeltsfaninDC wrote:

MyInsatiableOne wrote:LMAO that Howard thinks he has a post game. He is great a few feet from the hoop when he can dunk. Beyond, he makes Perk look like Kevin McHale!

And not smart to call out your coach, especially when said coach has the mental toughness of a teenage girl...

LMAO at the "teenage girl"

Not only does he not have an inside game, he has Shaqitis. If they throw him the ball in the paint at the end of the game you foul him immediately and put him at the line. He can't pass it out and he has no moves. So all he can do is back you down and slam it over you. Push him to the baseline, take the charge, make him shoot a jumper or foul him if he gets close.

"Teenage girl" because he freaks out and panics in tight situations "OMG OMG!!!"

And agree on Dwight...