[Dexter]

If Dwight Howard was an 80-85% FT shooter, would the Magic be an elite team that could contend for an NBA title?

I personally still think they would need 1 more star player at the 1,2 or 3 who can play off Howard - His game has really evolved, and he is the most dominant low post presence in the game currently.

Shaq needed Kobe , so i still think Howard would need a sidekick although maybe being an elite free throw shooter is enough for these rare dominant big men to carry a team to a championship?

[Pauulzcappin]

Not the way the Magic are built. They would need an elite point guard. Enough good shooters though.

[smarotta09]

not even a sidekick..just someone decently fast haha.. the magic are all so slow.. someone who can threaten to go to the hole off the pick and roll.. jameer nelson just aint cuttin it .. the 3 point shooting is great with redick, anderson, turk

[smarotta09]

put rondo on that team, they win the east

[demens]

If Dwight Howard was an 80-85% FT shooter, would the Magic be an elite team that could contend for an NBA title?

I personally still think they would need 1 more star player at the 1,2 or 3 who can play off Howard - His game has really evolved, and he is the most dominant low post presence in the game currently.

Shaq needed Kobe , so i still think Howard would need a sidekick although maybe being an elite free throw shooter is enough for these rare dominant big men to carry a team to a championship?

I disagree with you not most of the point about Howard. He was dominant for a quoter and that was it.

I think he hasn't evolved much at all, just some simple basic improvements a player makes as they get more years in the nba. Howard is still a fairly incompetent offensive player and is strictly dependent on his athleticism. So him being a better ft shooter would not elevate the Magic to title contention. It would be a major addition to his game, dont get me wrong. As an 80% ft shooter, Magic would be way more willing to give him the ball late in games so his offensive stats would surely improve. Plus i think if he could actually shoot the ball from the ilne, he would be able to add a mid range jumper to his game as well, and that would make him into a completely different player.

So he is like Shaq in many ways and i do think that like Shaq he needs a true elite player as a sidekick. Shaq was more dominant offensively, but as critical as i was about Dwight as an offensive weapon he is indeed a dominant defensive player. I would welcome him on my team any day.

Seems kind of funny when one of the guys posting in this thread has Deron in his avatar))). That would be a title contending combo type sidekick.

[RL75]

It's amazing how bad he is at free throws. He has progressively gotten worse throughout his career. As a rookie he was 67%. The rest of his career he's been at 59% and this year he has dropped all the way to 49. His form is just awful.

[Dexter]

I disagree with you not most of the point about Howard. He was dominant for a quoter and that was it.

I think he hasn't evolved much at all, just some simple basic improvements a player makes as they get more years in the nba. Howard is still a fairly incompetent offensive player and is strictly dependent on his athleticism.

im not clear on what you're saying about dominant for a quarter...of what?

when he first came into the league he could basically do nothing but dunk - now he actually has touch near the basket.

[demens]

im not clear on what you're saying about dominant for a quarter...of what?

when he first came into the league he could basically do nothing but dunk - now he actually has touch near the basket.

You made this thread around the 3rd qtr when Dwight was unstoppable. I thought that was the inspiration for it.

All he could do when he came to the league is dunk and all he is really good at today is dunking. Has he evolved since the 19 year old freak athlete and added 1 or 2 post moves? Sure. That touch near the basket still looks damn ugly to me, like the backboard is going to break from one of those hook shots.

I was never a fan of Shaq either, dont like these guys who's talent is being big and strong and who's skill is having long arms and jumping high. Dwight Howard is not an NBA player if he is 6'5 imo. Even as a defensive specialist who he would not hack it imo. The better ones, the ones that stick around usually have 1 offensive weapon in their arsenal which is typically a 3 point shot.

[Dexter]

nah...just coincidence.....i was flipping the game on and off.

[lunchbawks]

if i was any other team in the NBA i would be going after h oward right now. still young, great defender and monster on the glass. there is only one dwight howard in the nba you have to foul him in the paint. chances are he stays in florida or else something would be released by now right??

[demens]

if i was any other team in the NBA i would be going after h oward right now. still young, great defender and monster on the glass. there is only one dwight howard in the nba you have to foul him in the paint. chances are he stays in florida or else something would be released by now right??

Not right, chances of his staying in Florida are pretty slim. And it'd make no sense for any other team to go after him since his agent made it clear he is only interested in playing for 4 (2 really) teams next year.

[Pauulzcappin]

lunchie, if he tests free agency he'll probably be gone. I don't think anyone would like to stay.

[Pauulzcappin]

Not right, chances of his staying in Florida are pretty slim. And it'd make no sense for any other team to go after him since his agent made it clear he is only interested in playing for 4 (2 really) teams next year.

Didn't know that, which teams?

[demens]

Didn't know that, which teams?

NJ, Dallas, Orlando, LAL. In that order.

Doesn't look to great for Orlando. And apparently Kobe has told Dwight that he will be a 2nd or 3rd option in LA until Kobe retires and play the "Tyson Chandler" role for the team. Dwight wants to be THE MAN, not Kobes bitch. Sounds outrageous to me that Kobe would say something like that, but from what i remember it came from a legit source and you never know with Kobe.

[lunchbawks]

dwill and howard would make clockwork out of nba. i hope he goes to NJ

[Pauulzcappin]

That's considering only if he gets traded? I think he would rather team up with Deron on Dallas who already has a solid base other than going to the Nets.

Lakers have absolutely no shot at getting Howard on the trade market. If he becomes a free agent and they trade Bynum for a quality PG (let's say Kyle Lowry and some pick) then it'd be the perfect fit.

[kobstopa]

Lakers had their chance at preseason when the Magics asked for either Gosal/Bynum or Bynum/Odom; a 2 for 1
they didnt pull the trigger

[jjlwar]

I'm killin my Fantasy League thaks to WarriorDH12

[demens]

LAL can, if they offer both Pau and Bynum. But they wont unless Howard is guaranteed to sign the extension which from reports he is not all that willing to do.

[suicidekings]

If Howard could put down 80%+ of his FTAs, he would be a top 5 player in the league. His game has definitely evolved a great deal in the last 3 years or so. That being said, that's unlikely to happen and even an improvement to the low 70s would be a dramatic addition to his game. Orlando is toast though, with no moves made in last year's free agency period. The gap between where they need to be and where they are is just to large. Howard will leave, and the toxic environment makes it an unappealing place for anyone with real options to play. This will be their last season as a contender for a while, followed by Dwight's departure at the trade deadline (most likely) and 2+ years of the team rebuilding.

[lunchbawks]

Fts aren't that important magic always end up in the bonus, Howard opens up all his team for wide open shots.. def a top 5 player

[texhooper]

i would say to a degree i agree with you dex, if you were fishing for a "yes" in your first question. because i would take either gasol brother over howard (preferable mark because of his size). they have more weapons in their arsenal in the post, they can PASS very effectively and have great floor vision even in the post (instead of slowly wondering how they're going to get to the hole). and if they have nothing, they know how to get fouled and hit free throws. i think what you do around any of these guys is the make or break factor, but i think it's easier to build around a "soft" skilled big man than a big, strong, completely ungraceful big man.