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The Dwight Howard Situation

All season long, the name the NBA world has heard the most is the name of Dwight Howard. Will he stay in Orlando or will he go? Every day the media asked Howard, his teammates, his coaches and even his Mother what he should do and everyone has an opinion, yet here we are nearing the deadline and Howard is still a member of the Orlando Magic. That is, after Howard told the media last night he prefers to stay in Orlando to finish out the season and that leaves the Magic only one option.

Trade the man now. He will walk and he will leave you with nothing if you don’t trade him now, Orlando Magic.

Howard made it clear long ago he would leave if given the option, so the Magic should have been constantly on the hunt for an acceptable trade partner since that time. Most reports indicate that they did just that because, if the men in suits upstairs are doing their jobs correctly, they understand no player is bigger than the team, the franchise. If the best deal on the table is the consistently reported deal with New Jersey, so be it, but they should not look to accommodate Howard unless that is the case.

Make the calls to every NBA team for their final offers. Decide which offer is the best for the future of your franchise and pull the trigger. The Magic have requested Howard either commit to them long-term or they will trade him by the deadline. For possibly the first time, Orlando is handling the situation correctly.

Carmelo Wanted Out…Now D’Antoni is Gone.

There is a lot of frustration in New York right now and rightfully so. The mix of Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin has not found the way to gel on the basketball court and the losses are piling up and, to add to the drama, the losses began at a higher clip with Anthony returned from injury. It is now at the point that Anthony reportedly told some he wanted out, although the truth is he would much rather stay in New York and have others leave.

The number one person Anthony would like to find a job elsewhere is his head coach Mike D’Antoni and it is time for the Knicks to grant that wish. While not all of the Knicks problems fall on the shoulders of the coach, this is a franchise that gave up a lot to acquire Anthony last year. Giving up on this mix of players without giving them a true training camp together and a normal off-season is not the right call, but if the team doesn’t respond to their current coach anymore, it is time to go out and find a new one.

If the Knicks part ways with D’Antoni, go out and find a new coach, tinker with their bench by bringing in the right players to fit around their core, go through an entire training camp with a system much more suited to their roster and they are still the same lackluster, underachieving team next season, then address a trade of Carmelo Anthony. Until that time, trading away Carmelo Anthony is the wrong move for the New York Knicks, even if reports are true of discussions between the Knicks and Magic for Dwight Howard. He won’t stay there and the Knicks shouldn’t even be thinking of going that direction.

Now that D’Antoni has resigned as the Knicks head coach today, keep the team together, make your minor adjustments and give them next season together with a new coach. Rightfully so, the Knicks are not impressed with their play, but parting ways with D’Antoni was the right call.

The Trade That Actually Happened

The Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors actually made a trade yesterday, but it has been under the radar because of the Dwight Howard talk and the rest of the rumored deals. The Milwaukee Bucks sent former number one pick Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown.

This is a good deal immediately for the Bucks. While most enjoyed Bogut during his time in Milwaukee, his durability is a huge concern. By trading him to a team who wanted him, they were able to add the number nine scorer in the NBA in Ellis, a promising young post player in Udoh and, well, the contract of Brown. Teaming Ellis with Brandon Jennings—if he remains in Milwaukee after the deadline—will be quite entertaining and gives them a solid, but small, backcourt for years.

On the other hand, this is a tough move for the Golden State Warriors. They are taking a gamble on Bogut’s health, which is a big gamble. Yes, Stephen Jackson has thrived with the Warriors before, but the main cog in the trade is Bogut. How will he fit with Golden State’s system? How much will Mark Jackson have to change his system? Is he experienced enough as a coach to do so? Obviously, Jackson must feel confident enough in his abilities to adapt, but only time will tell.