Orlando Magic Update: The Dwight Howard Experience Coming to a Town Near You
Orlando “The City Beautiful” is known for its theme parks and roller coasters. There is a new ride in town and it figures to be open until March 15th.
The thrills and spills that the Dwight Howard experience rival that of any ride at Universal or the Mouse House.
The thrill officially began on Sunday night where Dwight looked uninterested while scoring five points and pulling down six rebounds.
This could have been due to the long lay-off and a lack of practice, but it appeared at times that he had checked out. Dwight was not the only one to blame, as the Heat outscored the Magic 22-0 on fast break points.
On the heels of that embarrassing 33 point loss to the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic bounced back on Wednesday night to play some inspired basketball.
I had to watch the game twice to make sure that I saw what I thought I saw.
I admittedly have never scrutinized a player as much as I have Dwight Howard.
I observed his body language, effort and facial expressions. I even watched to see if he was cheering on his teammates while he was on the bench. Everything checked out and he was as engaged as ever.
Dwight may be a really good actor, but it appears to me that he has not officially left the building.
He made a Big Man effort in the first half of the game, corralling in rebounds and misdirecting shots in the paint, but despite his effort, the Magic trailed by 14 after two quarters.
Led in the second half by Dwight and a surging Glen Davis, the Magic looked as though they actually wanted to beat the Heat.
Davis showed the leadership and spark that the Magic have been desperately searching for. Qualities Otis Smith thought that he might have gotten from Vince Carter or Gilbert Arenas.
I know this was a preseason game, but I saw some legitimate excitement in the crowd and more importantly on the court from the pinstriped ones.
Granted, Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon routinely displayed their limited point guard skills and Justin Harper and DeAndre Liggins looked like rookies. But, all in all, the Magic looked like a team that could make some noise in the East.
Perhaps Dwight’s threat of leaving has motivated the team. Maybe that’s what he wanted from the beginning.
By asking for new players to play with, was he really calling out the current ones to step up? Only time will tell.
It’s going to be a heck of a ride. My question is, will this ride be magical or tragical?
