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MagicMadness
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Howard's best days to come
Topic Started: Sep 4 2007, 05:07 PM (343 Views)
MAGICMANEVAN
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/bask...ball_magic_util
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If Dwight Howard doesn't become the best center in the NBA -- maybe the world -- over the next couple of years, Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy is going to be more surprised than anyone.

Van Gundy, during a breakfast with some season ticket holders last week, could have soft-peddled expectations for this season, talked about centers taking a long time to mature, even hid behind the typical sports wait-and-see approach when a new coach arrives.

But he didn't.

He believes the Magic will be good -- much improved -- immediately. And he believes Howard, 21, is well on his way to becoming the NBA's next great player. He has the talent, and Van Gundy clearly put the onus on the center and his new coach.

"I don't think there are more than one to two guys in the league who are as strong as Dwight is," Van Gundy said. "And I don't think there is a big guy in the league even close to his level of quickness."

Howard averaged a team-high 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds last season, but his production declined as the season progressed. The change from Grant Hill to Rashard Lewis as the Magic's second option should make a dramatic difference. And so should Van Gundy's plan to run more and be less predictable.

"To utilize him better, we have to put him on the move. He should be getting two or three baskets just in transition, another two or three from offensive rebounds," he said. "And when he gets to the level of Tim Duncan, where he can consistently hit that bank shot, good luck to the rest of the league."

When Duncan was 21, he was finishing his senior year at Wake Forest, preparing for the NBA draft, just beginning his journey toward becoming one of the NBA's all-time greatest players.

It's where Van Gundy believes Howard, too, will be one day soon.
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zuppafly
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Drafting Marbury + Foyle = Championship. \o/

"To utilize him better, we have to put him on the move. He should be getting two or three baskets just in transition, another two or three from offensive rebounds," he said. "And when he gets to the level of Tim Duncan, where he can consistently hit that bank shot, good luck to the rest of the league."


Great to read, now lets hope it becomes true very soon.
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iceveins333
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Rocks blocking shots on guys with dreadlocks
hopefully SVG will let howard expand his offensive game instead of turning him into shaq like b hill did, and having a real big man coach and not a bum who was a career garbage man showing dwight how to get some real skills on the offensive end will help out a lot

and hopefully he improves his ft shooting to 70%, he was alright in the fiba tournament but he needs to step it up, its time to become a superstar for dwight
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Ben Q Rock
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