Orlando Magic: 4 Players Who Must Step Up in Dwight Howard's Absence

The loss of Dwight Howard for the remainder of the year has put the postseason burden squarely on the shoulders of the rest of the Magic, and if Orlando has any hope of an extended postseason run, its role players must step up.

Howard was averaging 20.6 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest, leaving a gaping hole on the stat sheet for the rest of the team to try and reproduce.

Unfortunately for the Magic, Howard is the only true center on their roster, meaning Glen Davis has been manning the middle since No. 12 went down. Davis has performed admirably but doesn't have the size to guard true centers in the NBA.

Daniel Orton, who Stan Van Gundy refused to play before Howard went down, has also been thrust into the spotlight and is actually receiving minutes now. 

Perhaps the biggest difference is just how bad the Magic defense has proven to be in the absence of Howard.

In order for the Magic to threaten their first round playoff opponent (probably the Indiana Pacers), they will have to shoot a high percentage from the three point line, and even that may not be enough.

Suffice it to say, most don't see the Magic getting out of the first round without a herculean team effort.

Here are four players who must step up to give the Magic any chance in the first round. 

Glen Davis

Glen Davis is the new starting center for the Magic, and after a season that saw him coming off the bench for limited time, Davis will now be getting a lot of minutes.

Davis will be expected to play around 33 minutes a game, up from his season average of 23 minutes. 

The Magic are likely to draw the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, meaning that Davis will be asked to guard 7'2" center Roy Hibbert.

Davis is 6'9" and will have to be physical with the lanky Hibbert. If Davis can't keep up then the Magic will be in a world of trouble.

If gone unchecked, Hibbert's length allows the Pacers to get second chance points off of offensive rebounds, putting even more pressure on the Magic offense to perform.

The Magic will be depending on Davis to rebound effectively, especially on the defensive end.

Davis has been playing very well in April, averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while managing to stay out of foul trouble.

"Big Baby" Davis will have the chance to prove to the NBA that he is worth the contract he signed with Orlando prior to the season.

Daniel Orton

Prior to the Howard injury, Daniel Orton was the quintessential bench warmer as he played just 12 minutes the entire season before the injury. 

Orton hasn't played a significant role on a basketball team since high school. He played at Kentucky for one year, playing just 13 minutes a game and scoring just over three points per contest. 

Now, the Magic now need Orton to shake the dust off. 

In the month of April, Orton has averaged fourteen minutes a game but hasn't produced much on a night-to-night basis. Since his minutes were extended, Orton has averaged just three points and three rebounds a game. 

Stan Van Gundy has been less then thrilled with Orton. 

After the Magic got scorched by the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Van Gundy said the following to reporters. 

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“Daniel gave us nothing,” Van Gundy said. “He went for every shot fake, he fouled every time. He didn’t even give us minutes that we needed to give our starters some rest. Our lack of depth was an absolute huge factor. Those guys ran out of gas at the end.”

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Van Gundy has proved this season more than ever that he won't sugarcoat any situation, and this brutally honest summation of Orton's performance was spot on. He looked lost on the court and it seemed like he hadn't played live basketball in a while. 

The Magic desperately need Orton to play decent and to stay on the court long enough to give Davis a rest. 

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Jameer Nelson

Jameer Nelson will need to be at his absolute best if the Magic hope to look like a contender in the first round of the playoffs.

The first thing Nelson must do is get healthy again after suffering a left calf contusion in the team's loss to the Denver Nuggets. 

Nelson has struggled with injuries during his career in Orlando, but the Magic cannot afford to lose their point guard for any period of time in the playoffs. 

Without Nelson, Chris Duhon would start at point guard and no Magic fan wants to see that happen anytime soon. 

The Magic need Nelson to get healthy and return to the form he flashed throughout the month of April, when he's averaged 15 points and almost seven assists per game.

The offense is at its best when the shifty Nelson is able to get into the lane to create open shots for the team's bevy of capable three-point shooters.

Nelson will also need to step up and be the leader in the locker room, which must be in some state of distress with the team's best player out for the year and a coach who doesn't mind airing dirty laundry with the national media.

Nelson will have to step up as a leader both on and off the court.

Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson has been sensational for the Magic this season, so it seems unfair to ask more of him.

With Howard's injury, Anderson is now the best active player on the roster.

Anderson, a prime candidate for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, has averaged 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, not to mention leading the league in three-pointers made. 

The team will need Anderson to be even more active on the boards to make up for the absence of Howard, who was leading the league in rebounds this season. 

Orlando will be depending on Anderson for a lot of scoring as well. 

The Magic defense appears to be a lost cause without Howard, meaning they will need to routinely score over 100 points a game to stand a chance. 

Anderson is the team's active leading scorer and he needs to become a true star for this team to succeed in the play-offs.