Does Dwight QQ too much?

• sleeper

  

  http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5137282
  
  First of all, the fouls for the most part are good calls, Dwight is not a very good defender. Yeah I know he won DPOY, but he's not the best defender in the league. Sure, he's leading the league in blocks and rebounds, but he gets that many blocks because he's way too aggressive on the contest. He needs to learn when to go for blocks instead of just being a big dummy, missing a clean block, and then crying to the refs afterwards.
  
  Second of all, he needs to stop crying period. It's getting worse than Kobe, Rasheed, and Duncan combined.
  
  Thoughts?
• devil1197

  Yeah, he has to learn how to stay out of foul trouble.
• Sage

  

  Sad thing is the Magic are winning in spite of his foul trouble. I keep saying it.... this Magic team is better than last year's Magic team. I realize people will be al like OMG LOOK AT THE HEDO/VINCE SWAP... but there's more too it than that.
• jpake1

  

  Dwight is very aggressive on that end, but has some learning to do. When he gets that IQ up, he'll be a grrreat defender.
• jpake1

  

  Random question; how many T's is he away from sitting out a playoff game. I thought I remembered him having a lot this year.
• fiver

  jpake1 wrote: Random question; how many T's is he away from sitting out a playoff game. I thought I remembered him having a lot this year.

  I believe he had 17, however two were rescinded, which leaves him at 15 I believe.
  
  Don't quote me but I think they start over in the playoffs. I could be wrong though.
• Sage

  

  Also, Sleeper, Dwight is a dominant defender. I know you honestly believe he sucks--but who would you put above him? Dwight is a game-changer on the defensive end.
  
  Sure, he has foul trouble at times, but a lot of them are pretty atrocious calls.
  
  .......
  
  As for the T's, they start over in the play-offs. I think 7 is the magic number? I could be wrong though on the number.
• jpake1

  

  You're right. It goes back to 0. They then get 6 free ones.
• j_crazy

  

  he's very talented. but whines like a bitch.
  
  how times have changed:
  
  about 2 years ago I said on JJ that I hated Dwight Howard and other than his attitude during games I had no reason as to why. EVERYONE went balls deep in telling me I was a DOUCHE and it lead to my 2nd JJ permaban.
• sleeper

  

  Sage wrote: Also, Sleeper, Dwight is a dominant defender. I know you honestly believe he sucks--but who would you put above him? Dwight is a game-changer on the defensive end.
  
  Sure, he has foul trouble at times, but a lot of them are pretty atrocious calls.
  
  .......
  
  As for the T's, they start over in the play-offs. I think 7 is the magic number? I could be wrong though on the number.

  I don't mind that he won, it's pretty hard to lead the league in both blocks and rebounds. Oh wait, no its not, he's 7 foot and can't do anything else(well besides dunk).
  
  As far as who's above him, who knows...Obviously I think Lebron is one of the best in the league on defense, but its pretty hard to separate one defender from another. Even steals is relatively useless, because chances are that player only leads the league in that by going for a steal every time, meaning they get burnt the other times.
  
  I'd put Gerald Wallace up there, basically the only player I've ever seen play decent 1 on 1 D with bron. Varejao is the most fundamentally sound defender in the league, but despite him being slow he's worthy of DPOY. No one really just flat out blows me away as being a great defender, but watching Dwight win DPOY is just a thorn in my side, and no doubt he'll probably win it again next year, because we all know its based on reputation rather than actual skill.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  No other player in the league comes close to changing a game by himself the way Howard does on the defensive end.
• Sonofanump

  Stan Van Jeremy is getting up there with the Ts.
• Speedofsand

  

  Magic are 23-3 since March 1.
  Is that good ?
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Speedofsand wrote: Magic are 23-3 since March 1.
  Is that good ?

  Umm, as far as I know their record is 0-0 right now.
• sleeper

  

  SQ_Crazies wrote: No other player in the league comes close to changing a game by himself the way Howard does on the defensive end.

  Really? Do you watch basketball? The guy is almost pure garbage on the defensive end. Doesn't move his feet, is always in a bad position, goes for shitty ass blocks, always has his hands slanted rather than straight up, etc..
  
  It's almost embarrassing that this guy is DPOY, he's a joke.
• hoops23

  

  I agree with Sleeper. Dwight is NOT a good strong side defender. Good centers can destroy him on that end. However, he's a GREAT shot blocker and very good weak side defender.
  
  Are the Magic better this year? I don't think so. They played a Charlotte team who has 0 game changers on the offensive end and Stephen Jackson was no where to be found. Charlotte was still in every game though, aside form Game 2.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Say what you want, he has flaws and I see everything you're saying. Thing is, I still don't see anyone in the league disrupt an entire team like he does. His position certainly has a lot to do with it--but just his presence alone in the paint makes him a great defender. You see guys miss lay ups they'd normally make, or take jumpers on plays they'd normally drive on, or take an awkward shot just out of respect of what they know he can do all the time. It's consistent as hell. And then he leads the league in 2 of the biggest 3 defensive stats.
  
  No one effects the game as much as Dwight on defense. Might be a few better defenders, but very few of them effect the entire team your facing the way he does. And none of the ones that do do it nearly as often.
• sleeper

  

  He can only have an effect on the game if he stays out of foul trouble. Players know when they drive he's going to try and block their shot, so I'm sure it has an effect, but that's also his greatest weakness. Teams know he will contest everything, and with the way the Magic play defense, Howard has to stop a lot of penetration, and that's when he gets in trouble.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  No kidding, being aggressive will get you in foul trouble sometimes--it's also what makes him an elite defender. But he certainly doesn't get into it EVERY game and some of that is his teammates. His teammates have to bail him out sometimes, they owe him that for his usual dominant play. If you get beat, sometimes just foul the guy so Dwight doesn't pick it up if he comes over to help. He could definitely stand to cut out the dumb ones and get his head right, but we'll see how he does down the road. The last thing anyone should do is underestimate Dwight Howard. You'd have to be a fool to do that.
• hoops23

  

  Howard has been in the league for quite some time now and I haven't seen the offensive improvement that he should be showing.
  
  People always try to compare him to Shaq. NO WAY IN HELL does he even come close to Shaq. I don't think Shaq would be held to single digits in an entire round during the postseason. Howard does the same move just about every time he gets the ball, Charlotte straight locked him down.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Yeah, he's no Shaq.
  
  Damn good player in his own right though, and still very young. But I agree, his offensive game hasn't improved as much as it should. I do think it has something to do with the system they run down there though.
• Footwedge

  LTrain23 wrote: Howard has been in the league for quite some time now and I haven't seen the offensive improvement that he should be showing.
  
  People always try to compare him to Shaq. NO WAY IN HELL does he even come close to Shaq. I don't think Shaq would be held to single digits in an entire round during the postseason. Howard does the same move just about every time he gets the ball, Charlotte straight locked him down.

  If you are talking about present day Shaq...then you cannot be serious. An old Shaq will not come close to outpointing Howard. He won't out board him either.
  
  Now if you want to compare both players when they were in their primes...well ya...you'd be spot on.
• hoops23

  

  Footwedge wrote:

  LTrain23 wrote: Howard has been in the league for quite some time now and I haven't seen the offensive improvement that he should be showing.
  
  People always try to compare him to Shaq. NO WAY IN HELL does he even come close to Shaq. I don't think Shaq would be held to single digits in an entire round during the postseason. Howard does the same move just about every time he gets the ball, Charlotte straight locked him down.

  If you are talking about present day Shaq...then you cannot be serious. An old Shaq will not come close to outpointing Howard. He won't out board him either.
  
  Now if you want to compare both players when they were in their primes...well ya...you'd be spot on.

  Well, what do you think I'm talking about?
  
  [HINT: It's obviously not present day Shaq]
  
  Though, what Shaq is doing at 38 is very impressive. I don't think Howard is able to have this same effectiveness at an old age. I think Howard is done by 33 or 34.. 35 at the latest.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  If he doesn't develop a better offensive game it may be before that. I think his legs will last that long, but if they don't, he'll have a hard time being effective as soon as they start to fade. If he lost 2 inches on his vert, his blocks probably get cut in half. Not nearly as intimidating.