Howard Cleared To Practice With Team USA; Upset re: Dooling

magicfan4life05 · Post #1 » by **magicfan4life05** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:51 pm

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.d ... rentPage=0

By John Denton

FLORIDA TODAY

ORLANDO _ Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard said he feels no lingering effects from the slightly fractured sternum he suffered in the playoffs and he expects to be fully healthy next week when he reports to training camp for Team USA’s basketball team.

Howard, 22, opens training camp with Team USA July 21 in Las Vegas in preparation for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Howard suffered the sternum injury in Game 2 of the Magic’s second-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, but never missed any time on the court. The extent of the injury wasn’t discovered until after the Magic were eliminated 4-1 by the Pistons.

``I’ve been cleared to play,’’ Howard said Tuesday. ``I’ve been working out and trying to get my (muscles) back. I can practice, I’m good to go.

``It bothered me a lot. I tried to play through the pain in the playoffs and I really didn’t know anything about it until after the playoffs. I just tried to play through it. I got sandwiched, my shoulders went in and it popped. It wasn’t a good feeling, but I’m happy to be healed.’’

Howard will be joined on Team USA by Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade and Deron Williams. Tyson Chandler, the only other 7-footer on the roster, was named an alternate and will train with the team in Las Vegas next week.

Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski is the head coach, while New York’s Mike D’Antoni, Portland’s Nate McMillan and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim are the assistants.

Team USA will train in Las Vegas July 21-25. It will face the Canadian National Team on July 25 in the State Farm USA Basketball Challenge in Las Vegas.

Team USA will then travel to China to play two exhibition games in Macao, China, and two more games in Shanghai, China. Team USA will face Turkey (July 31) and Lithuania (Aug. 1). In Shanghai, Team USA will play Russia (Aug. 3) and Australia (Aug. 5).

Team USA’s basketball squad will arrive in Beijing on Aug. 6, and preliminary play will begin on Aug. 10. USA will face host China on Aug. 10 in its first Olympic game. Game 2 will be on Aug. 12 against African champion, Angola. One of the marquee games of the event will be Aug. 16 when Team USA faces FIBA World Champion Spain.

While he’s delighted about the Magic’s additions of free agent guards Mickael Pietrus and Anthony Johnson and the drafting of Courtney Lee, Howard isn’t too happy about the loss of Keyon Dooling. The Magic refused to meet Dooling demand for a $3.5 million, multi-year contract. He made a pitch to Magic GM Otis Smith on Dooling’s behalf, but was unsuccessful.

``I’m really hurt about it because Keyon is not only a great person on the court, but he’s an even better person off it,’’ Howard said. ``Just being around him he’s a great person. It hurts seeing that he’s not going to be here and we’re not going to have that presence in the locker room. I have to step up some more (in the locker room), be more vocal and take up for his loss.’’

theTHIEF · Post #2 » by **theTHIEF** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:53 pm

wow, Howard has no pull huh?

magicfanatic23 · Post #3 » by **magicfanatic23** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:58 pm

theTHIEF wrote:wow, Howard has no pull huh?

I guess not. Very interesting.

MitchellUK · Post #4 » by **MitchellUK** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:00 pm

theTHIEF wrote:wow, Howard has no pull huh?

I don't mind that. I'm bummed that Keyon is gone, too, but I am glad that Otis isn't let Dwight dictate the roster to him.

laVal03 · Post #5 » by **laVal03** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:06 pm

Howard should have went to Shard before Otis. Shard can afford to pick up the difference between what Otis wanted to pay and what Keyon wanted

it was a joke btw

magicfanatic23 · Post #6 » by **magicfanatic23** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:08 pm

laVal03 wrote:Howard should have went to Shard before Otis. Shard can afford to pick up the difference between what Otis wanted to pay and what Keyon wanted

it was a joke btw

Haha too bad it doesn't work that way lol.

EasternMagic · Post #7 » by **EasternMagic** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:12 pm

Howard will be fine when we are dominating next year with this roster

mhectorgato · Post #8 » by **mhectorgato** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:12 pm

I have to step up some more (in the locker room), be more vocal and take up for his loss.

MagicFan149 · Post #9 » by **MagicFan149** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:26 pm

mhectorgato wrote:
I have to step up some more (in the locker room), be more vocal and take up for his loss.

hector that is exactly what i liked about the article... knowing that dwight sees where he can help team even more than out on the floor is awesome... next year is going to be special

TheRevTy · Post #10 » by **TheRevTy** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:34 pm

Hey Dwight, what if we get your old high school buddy on the team with you? Yeah? That make everything better? Sweet, catch you later, stay safe.

Love,
Otis

magicfan4life05 · Post #11 » by **magicfan4life05** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:36 pm

Some guy is on 1080 espn radio talking about the magic now

Tony Mejias from probball.com?

Sounds like he doesn't know much tho....

TheRevTy · Post #12 » by **TheRevTy** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:43 pm

magicfan4life05 · Post #13 » by **magicfan4life05** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:45 pm

nothing much basically said magic "fiscally hands are tied" with Dooling which isn't true, they want to avoid the tax, he's saying they don't much anything to offer, dooling is upset but nothing he can do b/c, he wants to stay in FL

and then says pietrus needs to understand he's the 5th option and he's here for defense...sounds like some here know more than him

EasternMagic · Post #14 » by **EasternMagic** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:19 pm

He's probably just a magic hater like many of the media

Post #15 » by **Devin 1L** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:21 pm

magicfan4life05 wrote:nothing much basically said magic "fiscally hands are tied" with Dooling which isn't true, they want to avoid the tax, he's saying they don't much anything to offer, dooling is upset but nothing he can do b/c, he wants to stay in FL

and then says pietrus needs to understand he's the 5th option and he's here for defense...sounds like some here know more than him

I didn't hear it, but if that's what he said about Pietrus, I agree.

Post #16 » by **SOUL** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:29 pm

TheRevTy wrote:Hey Dwight, what if we get your old high school buddy on the team with you? Yeah? That make everything better? Sweet, catch you later, stay safe.

Love,
Otis

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/2008 ... ljr101.jpg

magicfan4life05 · Post #17 » by **magicfan4life05** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:30 pm

Yeah I actually agreed with that too, I made a mistake tho, the reason I said "sounds like some here know more than him" was because of other weird comments he made about nba and the magic...but that comment about pietrus is indeed correct, but other comments about the magic not being able to offer more to dooling is not right

Optimus_Steel · Post #18 » by **Optimus_Steel** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:52 pm

magicfan4life05 wrote:Some guy is on 1080 espn radio talking about the magic now

Tony Mejias from probball.com?

Sounds like he doesn't know much tho....

Tony Mejia is a UCF grad and he has gone to alot of Magic games in the past, dont know about recently though. He is not a hater, he just seems unbiased.

magicfan4life05 · Post #19 » by **magicfan4life05** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:56 pm

thanks for the info prorl

Optimus_Steel · Post #20 » by **Optimus_Steel** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:55 pm

If you guys want to see Dwight's press conference go to orlandosentinel.com

His guns look just as riped as they did last season, which is interesting since he wasnt working out much due to the injury.