Why Dwight Howard Should Take Blame for Orlando Magic's Lapses

After the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said, 

"

Our guys are satisfied that we came in with the third-best record in the East and the fifth-best record in the league. They’re satisfied with that. I don’t think there’s any push to be better or any push to be great. If there is, it doesn’t show up in games.

"

And that's where all the difference in the world lies between a great player and a good player. A team is led by its leaders.

When you look at the other elite players, their teams are focused on the championship. When you look at the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyae Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, the Dynamic Duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City or the MVP in Chicago, Derrick Rose, they have one thing in common—focus.

The great players lead great teams with great goals. If the Orlando Magic aren't focused, though, it can't be surprising to the NBA world. Their leader isn't focused. Dwight Howard is thinking about being traded or not being traded and as a result, so is the team. 

Ryan Anderson said of the trade talks, "It affects everybody." 

This is why it's hard to take it seriously when Dwight Howard talks about wanting to be the closer, or when he tells the teammates to give more commitment. It's hollow. 

Frankly, Howard wants from others what he is not willing to give to them and as a result, there's no focus on the team. There's no drive to be better. Who pushes to win "employee of the month" during a going-out-of-business sale?

The only question for the other members of the team is, who has it worse: the teammates who go with Howard, or the ones who remain after he's gone? Of course they are distracted. 

If this team lacks focus, it's for one reason: Dwight Howard. You can say, "It's not Howard's fault that he's going to be a free agent next year," which is true. You can say, "It's his fault that he's milked it for everything it's worth, though."

Howard's steady stream of mind changes and public statements and teams being added to and taken off the list makes it impossible for the rest of the team to focus on basketball, much less being more than the third-best team in the East. 

If there's a silver lining behind this cloud it's that March 15 is rapidly approaching. Once it's passed, the team will be able to move on, regardless of who is on it.