2011-12 NBA Season: Why the Orlando Magic Should Keep Stan Van Gundy

In the midst of a losing streak for the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard has made it clear that he wants Stan Van Gundy fired. While Howard is the franchise player, the Magic have to just ignore his request in this instance, as much as they want to keep him. 

Dwight Howard is clearly unhappy in Orlando, and they should let him move on. First off, Howard is clearly not giving effort in games anymore. In fact, he has been treating every game like a joke and he doesn't seem to care if the Magic win or lose. Besides, the season is almost over, so there is no point in making a coaching change now.

Howard's demands for management have been distracting and Howard has devolved from a leader to a locker room cancer. Howard keeps saying that he wants to be on a winning team, but he has done nothing to make that a reality. Instead of confusing management with crazy demands, he should be playing hard on the court and inspiring his teammates. 

Van Gundy, on the other hand, has been doing anything he can to salvage his season. You can't really blame him for losing games when you look at the fact that he has a weak team led by someone who is not involved and clearly wants out. While it is true that often times, coaches don't make much of a difference, Van Gundy is a cut above most coaches. If say, the Clippers had found a way to hire Van Gundy, you can bet that they would probably be second or at least third in the Western Conference. 

Van Gundy is a more valuable piece to help a team build up than Howard will ever be. The truth is, Howard is only as good as his competition. Howard does not play with the intelligence, hustle or skill that most superstars do. However, he is technically the best center in the NBA because there is no one to physically challenge him. In my opinion, Andrew Bynum is already light years ahead of Howard in terms of his skill, and if he found a way to stay healthy, he would probably be the best center in the league. 

But both Howard and Bynum suffer from the same problem: they are immature. As a result of being treated so well by their management, they both feel entitled to everything. Not going to college and having immediate success in the NBA hasn't helped either.

In my opinion, attitude is not something that can be easily changed. It would take some life changing revelation to change Vince Carter's attitude towards hustling and actually trying to improve. In fact, that's probably a good comparison for Howard: the Vince Carter of centers. If someone more devoted than Howard comes along with comparable athleticism, then there's no doubt that Howard would no longer be the best center in the league.

Van Gundy's system works pretty well, he has shown that before by leading his team to the Finals, but it cannot succeed unless he has players who care about winning. Obviously, that is the flaw of every system. A coach has to have players who want to win, otherwise, there is no chance for success. Dwight Howard has not shown that he cares about winning, and probably never will care as much as he should to succeed. That is why the Magic are better off keeping Van Gundy and letting Howard go.