SCOTT JACOBS

The man with the million dollar smile and the multi million dollar contract sat on the podium, taking questions from reporters just minutes after a discouraging game five no show, in which his team’s season was on the line (but you would have never knew it by the way he played).  You could see his frustration, but you couldn’t tell if he was crushed.

Dwight Howard may be called Superman, but for much of these NBA Finals he was anything but.  And if Superman was selfless, Dwight came across as selfish the more and more this post-season progressed.

He had his flashes of greatness, moments that left you in awe, like his dominant game four performance in overtime against the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals where he simply torched Cleveland’s bigs for 10 points in OT, refusing to let the Magic lose.  His game for the ages performance in game six of that series, 40 points and 14 rebounds, knocked the Cavs right out of the post-season and clinched a finals berth for Orlando for the first time since 1995.

But just like 1995 the Magic lost in the Finals, and I know I may not be popular for this opinion, but I put much of it on Howard.  Unlike Howard who never seems to put it on himself.

Yes, he’s only 23, and yes, he didn’t even go to college, so he’s still relatively new to this whole “handling the pressure” thing, but if I had to give Howard a grade as a team leader, it wouldn’t be all that high.  What bothered me most is it was never anything he could have done better.  It was always someone else or the team.  The great ones take it upon themselves, but you never seemed to hear from Howard during this surprising playoff run that he would, “work harder” or “play smarter” or that his foul shooting “cost the team the game.”

For a player who has so much talent, and so much potential, it was somewhat disheartening to see that Howard still has a lot of growing up to do.  Even though he didn’t pick up a technical in the Finals, Howard needs to learn to control himself better.

As for the tendency to disappear when he doesn’t get involved early?  Well, let’s just say Shaq never did that.  Howard claims that he wants the ball in his hands, but oftentimes he doesn’t seem to do everything in his power to make that happen.  I know the Magic are a jump shot happy team, but Howard can’t let that style take him out of games, especially important ones like the NBA Finals.

Just imagine the story we’d be writing today if Howard had an offensive game.  Take away his baby hook and wide open dunks and Howard has no offensive game.  His athleticism has gotten him this far, but he’s going to have to expand his offensive capabilities if he wants to become an elite player.

There were some games were you couldn’t help but buy the hype that the future of big men had arrived.  But there were other games where the big man looked lost.

That’s the problem.  For a team with no great players, and many good ones, the Magic need consistency from Howard not just defensively, but offensively to make the leap from good team to title team (and Patrick Ewing, his big man coach, is one hell of a former player to learn from).  They need Howard to run to the post, out-muscle his defender for position, take the ball up strong, and establish a presence down low.  Against guys like Anderson Varajeo, Howard looked like a stud.  But against the stronger Lakers Howard had moments in the series where he looked flat out confused.

And his foul shooting, well we won’t even go there.

What Howard needs to do this offseason is develop a much more well rounded offensive game.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, but he needs to add an 8-10 foot jump shot.  He needs to learn better how to catch the ball in traffic and go up strong.  For such an imposing dunker, didn’t it seem like there were times where Howard played really small?

Howard’s dilemna is that he doesn’t have the body frame of a Shaq to push people around, or the shooting touch that Tim Duncan came into the league with basically right out of college.  Maybe Howard would have developed a jump shot had he gone to college, maybe not.  But if he wants to make that step, that transition to greatness he needs to take the bitterness that yesterday’s loss provoked and turn it into motivation.

He needs to hit the gym, and work his tail off to improve.  Guys like Kobe and Wade have a desire and a hunger to get better, and their work ethic backs that up.  For Howard to become great he has to want it.  Right now he’s a good player with a larger than life nickname.  You would think Howard wants to be more than that.

Behind those pearly white teeth and that muscular physique is a man that needs to grow up.  He needs to become a leader, to put the pressure on himself so that he can take it off his team-mates.  Howard has the talent, no one denies that.  But does he have the drive?  Does he have the selflessness?

The sky is the limit for Dwight.  But for Superman to really start to fly he has to take that next step.

The fate of a franchise’s fortunes for the next five years and beyond are riding on it.

Photo: Getty

SCOTT JACOBS

The Nike Puppets have gone to the witness protection program (pun intended) and Vitamin Water has replaced the Black Mamba and The King with Superman.  The Cavs called in sick, and so in place of the much anticipated (and overhyped to the point of nauseau) series that ABC and their sponsors had been pimping, we have in it’s place, Orlando versus Los Angeles.

Talk about opposites attracting.  If this series was a relationship it would be like a 40 year old cougar with a 20 year old kid.  Translation: the 40 year old has the experience (Lakers.), the history (14 titles), and the resume (an astonishing 30 NBA Finals appearances).  The 20 year old (Magic) is the new kid on the block, many argue they have no business being with the 40 year old, and that they don’t know what their doing.  Innuendos aside, the numbers are remarkable at first glance.

Franchise History Comparison

Championships: Lakers 14 Magic 0
Finals Appearances: Lakers 30 Magic 2
Playoff Appearances: Lakers 46 Magic 11
Hall of Famers... Well, you get the point…

Here’s our picks. 

Mitch Blatt

Lakers over Magic in 6 games

Why: The Lakers have the most firepower in the league, and they match up better against Dwight Howard than the Cavs. The Lakers have a taller team than the Magic, and they have four big men they can throw at Howard to get him in foul trouble. Howard already has five technicals, so he won’t be able to be too aggressive. Kobe really wants to prove that he can do without Shaq, but the Lakers don’t always show up, and if they don’t, Kobe might have to taste Shaq’s backside again.
MVP: Kobe Bryant — He finally proves that he can do without Shaq.

——————————–

Scott Jacobs

Magic over Lakers in 6 games

Why: Here’s a better question, “why not?”  Orlando is a big underdog (again) but they’re used to that, and they relish it.  Besides Howard, people have been asking, “who do the Magic have?”  Well, they’ve got a team, a collection of players who play together, always give their all, and they fight till the end (as evidenced by their numerous comebacks from seemingly insurmountable deficits).  They’ve got a center on the cusp of greatness, a forward who is a mismatch all over the court, three point gunners who are shooting the lights out, and a coach who is out to prove he is one of the most under-appreciated in the game.  Plus, we never know which Lakers team we’re going to get game to game, and L.A. can’t win this series with no-show performances.  Orlando is out to prove they belong, but here’s the big key.  Orlando will steal a game in L.A. and claim home court advantage.  Don’t underestimate having three home games in a row.  The Magic weren’t expected to be here, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not good enough to win it all.
MVP: Dwight Howard- If he stays out of foul trouble this kid is going to open a lot of eyes in the NBA’s showcase series

——————————–

Ash McDaniel

Lakers over Magic in 5 games

Why: I would like to give a little more credit to the Magic, but numbers speak for themselves. The Lakers faced easier teams in the playoffs–not to take anything away from the Nuggets–but the boys in L.A. didn’t have to go to seven games against the Celtics and face the NBA MVP LeBron James. I don’t know about you but I’d be damn tired by now. I would love to see a seven game series (and even six would be nice). But I fear that the Lakers will prove to be champions this year, Kobe will get his fourth, but at least the Magic will be able to say that they’ve been to the Finals and I see them coming back here again soon.
MVP:  Kobe Bryant

——————————–

Neil Dough

Lakers over Magic in 5 games

Why: Phil Jackson is a smarter coach than Mike Brown, and Los Angeles has more talent. The Lakers will feed the post early and often to try to get Dwight Howard in foul trouble, and when he does they will continue to go down low. LA has a more talented bench, and Kobe will be able to control the game with the ball in his hands, while Mr. Howard has to rely on the smalls to get him the ball.
MVP: Kobe Bryant will be this years finals MVP. He is playing tremendous 4th quarter basketball, and although it is extremely annoying to watch, he is getting on his teammates more than ever before. He is also playing with a huge chip on his shoulder…no Shaq, Jerry West said Lebron surpassed him, and this could be his last chance (because Lebron has surpassed him).

Photo: Getty