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Odds & Ends: Howard, Draft, Hornets, Blazers

April 17th, 2012 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday afternoon links from around the NBA….

David Pingalore of Local 6 in Orlando, who reported earlier this month that Dwight Howard had asked the Magic to fire Stan Van Gundy, says Howard no longer wants to play for Van Gundy. This situation may end up working itself out: Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel argued yesterday that the Magic should shut down Howard for the rest of the year, and Van Gundy is unlikely to remain the team's coach for next season.
The latest mock draft from ESPN.com's Chad Ford has received plenty of feedback from NBA scouts and executives, Ford writes. Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie and Dion Waiters of Syracuse were among the players Ford's sources felt were ranked too low — the latest ESPN.com mock had them coming off the board at 19th and 23rd respectively.
North Carolina's John Henson has hired Jim Tanner as his agent, reports Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The junior forward announced in late March that he was entering the NBA draft.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld explores the direction of the Hornets now that the team is under new ownership.
Having been officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Trail Blazers now look like a good bet to score two lottery picks, as Mike Tokito of the Oregonian writes.

Southeast Notes: Howard, Mason, Crawford

April 16th, 2012 at 11:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

All five Southeast Division teams were in action tonight, and four of them won, including the Wizards, who stunned the Bulls. No such luck for the hapless Bobcats, however, as they lost their 17th straight. Here's the buzz around the Southeast:

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel proposes the Magic take the bold step of shutting down Dwight Howard for the rest of the season, playoffs included, to protect their best asset should they decide to trade him before his contract runs out after next season.
Roger Mason underwent surgery to repair a broken left index finger today, and the Wizards waived him. Mason says he could have returned in a week's time, but would prefer to give his finger a little more time to heal, as Michael Lee's blog for The Washington Post explains.
Jordan Crawford is the Wizards' leading scorer since the All-Star break, but he was disappointed the team benched him in favor of Nick Young earlier this season, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. With Young sent to the Clippers in a deadline deal, Crawford has a more positive opinion of what it's like to play in Washington despite the team's poor record, observes Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.

Odds & Ends: Magic, Randolph, Kings, Irving

April 15th, 2012 at 9:59pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Earlier this evening, an ESPN report (via the Associated Press) indicated that Stan Van Gundy is prepared to handle the rest of the season and playoffs without Dwight Howard. To make matter worse, forward Glen Davis hyper-extended his right knee today during the first quarter against the Cavaliers and did not return for the rest of the game. Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted that Davis is unsure about when he'll be able to play again this year, which currently leaves Daniel Orton as the only true big man on the Magic roster. It should be noted that if the Magic decide to find replacements for their big man rotation through free agency, the only playoff-eligible players at this point are those who have not already played in an NBA game this year. You can find tonight's other significant stories here:

Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the determining factor in Anthony Randolph's future with the Timberwolves will significantly hinge on his ability to remain consistent as the team finishes out the year. Randolph is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and even with his brilliant performance over the last three games, coach Rick Adelman feels that the jury is still out on whether he can be counted on for a full season.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that a Sacramento group including mayor Kevin Johnson is hinting at proposing new ownership for the Kings. The Maloof brothers had recently pulled out of a deal to finance a new arena with the city, much to the chagrin of the city members who are working hard to keep the team in Sacramento.
Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott will proceed with caution with regards to the health of Kyrie Irving, says Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Irving is recovering from a sprained right shoulder, and Scott would rather have him focused on being ready for off-season workouts than returning for the team's final weeks.
Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated examines the role of Chris Bosh as the key to Miami's playoff success.
Raymond Felton has likely seen his last minutes of the season with the Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Interim GM Chad Buchanan said that he and Felton agreed that this would be an opportune time to properly evaluate their other young guards, namely Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Haynes also wrote another article in which he asked Kings GM Geoff Petrie about being linked to the Blazers vacant GM position, to which Petrie replied: “That's something I can't really comment on. I have a job.”
Ten things you need to know about Derrick Favors, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post spoke with coach George Karl to reflect on how he has handled coaching while prioritizing his life during this season.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Bynum, Howard, Spurs, Wolves

April 13th, 2012 at 11:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a full day in the NBA, with a dozen games on the schedule and plenty of news coming out of the Board of Governors meetings in New York, including a new owner for the Hornets and turmoil in Sacramento. Here are a few links to round out an eventful Friday the 13th:

David Lee is likely out for the year with a groin strain and stress reaction, the Associated Press reports. The Warriors announced that team doctors have advised him to rest until he's healed. Golden State may put a fourth rookie, Mickell Gladness, in their depleted starting lineup, notes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fran Blinebury of NBA.com argues a change of scenery might have been best for Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, and speculates that the Lakers and Magic may regret not swapping their centers before the trade deadline this year.
Mike Monroe of the Express-News takes a look at how the Spurs are integrating midseason pickups Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson into their system.
The last days of the season will be critical for Wolves Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, Malcolm Lee and Wesley Johnson, whose futures are up in the air, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
The NBA expects to lose money this season on the heels of significant losses the last two years, but is projecting a profit for next season, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (hat tip to TNT's David Aldridge).

Southeast Notes: Howard, Richardson, Bobcats

April 13th, 2012 at 9:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back and will be missing some time, though there are conflicting reports as to how long he'll be out. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM reports Howard has been advised to rest for 10 to 15 days after getting a second opinion today in Los Angeles. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports that a team spokesman has told him there is no timetable, but his colleague Brian Schmitz says Howard will miss 14 to 16 days (Twitter links). That would put his return right around the start of the playoffs, though Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that there's "serious doubt" Howard will be ready in time. While drama and Dwight seem synonymous this season, let's check in with what else is stirring with the Magic and the rest of the Southeast Division:

Jason Richardson, who signed a four-year, $24MM deal in December, admitted to Schmitz that he's 6'4", not his listed height of 6'6". It's certainly not the first time a player has fudged his height, but because Richardson has been forced to play small forward with Hedo Turkoglu out, those missing two inches become a disadvantage for the Magic.
HoopsWorld's Derek Page takes a stab at figuring out how to fix the moribund Bobcats. He identifies center and small forward as the positions in need of the most help on a team with plenty of holes.
Hawks big man Ivan Johnson missed tonight's game against the Magic after the team sent him home for getting into a "verbal altercation" during Wednesday's game against the Celtics, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He's expected to rejoin the team Saturday, but the incident can't help Johnson, whose minimum-salary deal is not guaranteed for next season.

Howard Again Denies Asking For Coaching Change

April 13th, 2012 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Last Thursday, in arguably the most eventful shootaround of the season, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters that he was aware Dwight Howard has asked the team to fire him. Howard arrived at the media scrum, unaware of the comments his coach had just made, and denied ever making such a request. Despite Van Gundy having made his lack of job security public, Howard continues to insist he hasn't requested a coaching change, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Howard sat down with ESPN's Hannah Storm for a one-on-one interview, and a transcript of a portion of their conversation was released by ESPN. Asked by Storm if he ever asked for Van Gundy to be fired, Howard replied, "No, no. So when it was said, I was just like, in shock, I was in shock."

"I got a lot of negative press out of the whole situation," Howard said. "You know, ‘Coach killer, this or that.’ And it was just bizarre how the whole thing happened. You know, but I haven’t said anything this season — to anybody in management about, you know, you need to do this with Stan, or vice versa; they never said we’ll do this for you."

Howard did concede that he'd made requests of management in past seasons when he's been upset, but said "I’ve always come back and said I’ll do a better job, I’ll take more of a hit, I’ll lead better."

Whether or not Howard has a standing request with the Magic for a coaching change, it seems nearly certain that Van Gundy will be replaced after this season. The real question will be whether D12 will follow him out of town a year later, when his contract with Orlando expires.

Odds & Ends: Smith, Olympics, Anthony

April 11th, 2012 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Two of the nation's top high school prospects, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad, have been creating some buzz in the college basketball world regarding which schools they will commit to respectively for the 2012-13 season. While Muhammad announced that he will choose UCLA, Jeff Goodman of CBS tweets that Noel has chosen Kentucky over Syracuse and Georgetown. ESPN's Chad Ford provides a look at who could possibly headline the 2013 NBA Draft (Insider link), and Noel and Shabazz top the list. With that aside, we'll keep tabs of this evening's other noteworthy stories here:

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel took some time to shed some light on Magic guard Ishmael Smith after his standout performance against the Pistons on Monday. In a separate piece, Schmitz outlines the uphill battle Orlando faces as they look to clinch a playoff spot. Six of their last eight games are against above-.500 teams, and four of those games are on the road.
If Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade could have things their way, players on the USA basketball team would be compensated for their participation in the Olympics. While Allen sees it as a matter of opportunity cost, Wade focused more on the jersey sales and summer commitment aspect of it (Scott Gleeson of USA Today reports). According to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo responded to their comments, saying: "It’s never been discussed and it’s not even feasible in the reality of economics."
Jim Cavan of the New York Times examines the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after being moved to the power forward slot as well as the role it has played in the Knicks' recent success. If New York can hang onto a playoff spot and Amare Stoudemire is cleared to play, it will be interesting to see how Anthony will translate that success at the small forward position with Amare in the lineup.
The Kings team owners will make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in New York that the plan to finance a new arena in Sacramento needs more negotiating, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.
Gilbert Arenas tells J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today that he is happy to be out of the spotlight in Memphis as he looks to move forward from his troubled past.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Magic, Odom, Celtics

April 9th, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Its been a rocky few weeks in Orlando, but you wouldn’t know it by the result of tonight’s contest against the Pistons. The Magic blew out Detroit, 119-89, without the services of Dwight Howard. Here’s more on the Central Florida soap opera and other items from around the Association..

Magic senior vice president Pat Williams, who helped found the franchise in 1989, says that he believes that coach Stan Van Gundy and Howard can co-exist in Orlando, according to the Associated Press.
Adding Lamar Odom would make the Knicks instant title contenders in 2013, but there are a number of hurdles the club will have to clear in order to make that happen, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
In less than a month, the Celtics have gone from rebuilding mode to title contention, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Thomas Robinson would be a tremendous fit for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Texas A&M junior Khris Middleton announced that he will enter the draft, according to the AP. The small forward started 72 games in three seasons with the Aggies.

Magic GM Otis Smith’s Role Shrinking?

April 9th, 2012 at 10:06am CST by Chuck Myron

10:06am: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders whether Shaquille O'Neal's support for Dwight Howard is tied to his desire to become the next Magic GM. O'Neal is difficult to take seriously at times, Bianchi notes, but recalls the comments Orlando's original "Superman" had on Bianchi's radio show last week.

“I would love to be the general manager of the Orlando Magic,” O'Neal said. “(Magic CEO) Alex Martins, you’ve got my number. Call me!”

9:07am: After breaking down some second-tier free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports that Magic GM Otis Smith has been "removed from the process" with Dwight Howard, and that sources say Adonal Foyle, the Magic's director of player development, was in charge of the team's talks at the trade deadline. According to Kyler, Smith still would have to approve all transactions, but his role has been "radically scaled back."

Howard's front-office interaction comes almost exclusively with CEO Alex Martins, Kyler says. ESPN's Marc Stein wrote in his Weekend Dime that Magic executives look fondly upon Foyle and he's being groomed for a "future role of front office prominence." Kyler's report suggests he's already starting to take charge.

Just last week, we passed along a HoopsWorld report that Smith sat down with Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy, so it's clear Smith isn't completely disconnected from the team or its star player. If Kyler's report is true, though, it points to more turmoil in Orlando and greater power for Howard. While Smith, unlike Van Gundy, has not acknowledged that Howard has asked the team to fire him, reports have suggested D12 wants to be able to determine the fate of his GM as well. Regardless of who's said to be in charge, it increasingly appears as though Howard is by far the most powerful figure in Orlando.

GM Otis Smith On Van Gundy

April 7th, 2012 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters today, Magic GM Otis Smith commented on the conflict between Dwight Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy, particularly quashing the rumor that Dwight had asked him directly to fire Van Gundy.

The article also mentions Smith's assertion that Van Gundy would remain the coach for the rest of the season, but did not elaborate on whether or not Stan would remain with the organization beyond this year, adding:

"Don't have the answer for that," Smith said. "I don't have the answer to who's going to be on our roster, either."

Van Gundy conjured up a media storm on Thursday morning after publicly acknowledging that Howard had asked management to fire him. Earlier we reported that Van Gundy wants to stay and continue coaching the Magic.