DWIGHT HOWARD FRACTURED STERNUM

[drsd]

yea, just like you predicted 38 wins. Oh, and yea, we had a real PF, but he got injured before last season. Then again, i'm sure that's Otis' fault too. So is global warming, the disappearance of honey bees everywhere, and the decline of Chevy Chase.

Wow, what a brainiac. Read your own words. He got injured BEFORE last season. So that means you don't replace him then the whole year? You overpay for a string bean SF and play hin at PF? Thats your answer? There have been several peopel concerned over the teams franchise player being out there all alone without a hint of an enforcer to watch his back. Sure Otis is a genius. This year we'll have Battie back, the guy we traded Drew Gooden and Verajao for.

It was assumed that after Lewis, Milicic would resign or that Battie would be healthy. GM Smith could not have predicted both events. But that Lewis slid to the 4 allowed Turkoglu to develop at the 3.

[lovehoops01]

I read a quote from Dwight in one of the stories on this. He said he knows exactly when it happened. He said it was in Game 2, that he got sandwiched between Maxiell and Afflolo and that's how he got hurt.

[drsd]

I read a quote from Dwight in one of the stories on this. He said he knows exactly when it happened. He said it was in Game 2, that he got sandwiched between Maxiell and Afflolo and that's how he got hurt.

This is what Howard did after injury:
Game 3: 20/12 on 8/13 shooting; Wallace and Maxiell 11 point combined on 4-17
Game 4: 8/12 on 3/12 shooting; McDyess 8/11 on 4-8
Game 5: 14/17 on 4/8 shooting; McDyess 16/11 on 6-9

In general, nothing screams that he was affected. But his FT shooting was poor and the injury could have played a role in some of those misses.

[craig01]

I totally dislike the fact that Howard is even playing.

The Olympics are not important to Howard's career growth at this time.

He really needs to be in Pete Newell's camp anyway..............

Maybe not, but a lot of these players feel like winning Olympic Gold is the most important thing they could accomplish in their careers, right up their with winning an NBA Championship (and I'm sure some would say that Gold is more important, I know I would). So if Dwight feels that way, all the power to him to play this summer. Plenty of players win an NBA Championship, very few win Olympic Gold.

Besides, it's not an injury he can really hurt over and over again, so I wouldn't be too worried about it.

I'm not worried about the sternum injury. I do worry about a more serious injury though. It's just not worth it in my eyes.

As far as the Olympics go, I'm not so sure that it is all about USA pride and Olympic Gold instead of marketability and endorsements. Not all, but definitely some.

Seeing Howard's difficulties at times offensively, his career growth would be better served by working on the deficiencies in his game. He's 22, and would still have numerous opportunities to partake in future Olympics.

However, he can only mature his game once, and putting it off will only defer his growth as a player.

JMO.

[ecuhus1981]

As an impartial Nets/Maverick fan, I say this to all Magic fans: PRAY that Dwight does not play in the Olympics this summer.

Someone on ESPN raised a really good point; if Howard plays, he risks re-injury, and not by freak accident. Every international bigman he faces is going to throw elbows/shoulders/kitchen appliances into his chest the whole time he's in China.

I am not saying treat Duh-wight with kid gloves, and I totally want to see USA demolish the competition. But don't waste his '08-'09 season over it. And I'd be willing to bet, you combine a re-fractured sternum with acute upper respiratory illness (from the Beijing air), and you've got Howard doing his best Tony Battie impression.