Dwight Howard wants Stan van Gundy out

[Venti Quattro]

Report: Dwight Howard wants Stan van Gundy fired (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/18294135/report-dwight-howard-wants-stan-van-gundy-fired)

It looked like everything was behind them, for at least another year. When Dwight Howard waived his early termination option, it finally appeared the Magic could go play some basketball completely distraction free.

Nope. According to WKMG Local 6 Sports Director Dave Pingalore, Howard wants Stan Van Gundy fired.

Pingalore's Magic sources confirm that Howard continues to convey to team owners that he wants a change in the coaching staff.

There was an ESPN.com report before the trade deadline that Howard told the Magic to fire Van Gundy. Both parties denied that rumor.

But as one league source told Pingalore, firing Van Gundy will not come as a surprise to people that work in the NBA and that it would come from the direction of Howard.

The league source did say this is pretty much a done deal based on Howard's demands, and the Magic are already putting pieces together to make a decision after the season.

However, one Magic player who did not want his named used said that there is still is a possibility that Van Gundy could return.

“(I) do not think Stan leaving is a done deal yet,” said the player.If you recall, this isn't the first time this has come up and Van Gundy explicity and very humorously said he doesn't care about being fired. He said then it's the process of being fired that's bad because that normally includes a lot of losing. So if he were fired over something like this, he wouldn't care.

Van Gundy has never had an issue holding back his thoughts which is maybe one reason the team, including Howard, reportedly want a change. He hammers on players. There was even a report last season that Van Gundy agreed to tone it down a little bit at Howard's request.

But as was the case with the Howard trade saga, the Magic need to do some housekeeping. They have way too many leaks, way too many holes in their ship. Too many people talk. They need to keep this stuff in house, in private and handle it outside of media reports. Because now, Van Gundy is going to be asked about this, he'll talk about it and round and round it goes.

The Magic were granted a reprieve from the governor with Howard. And now both he, and the team, need to take advantage of that and just shut up and play ball.

Damn... is Dwight staying at Orlando going to be at the cost of the entire Orlando Magic franchise and fan base? :wow

[djohn2oo8]

wat a puss

[Giuseppe]

Not a peep. Uh, uh.

We started down this path with Media's blessing.

Let us proceed...

[JamStone]

They can hire Spoelstra after Pat Riley fires him in June.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Non-issue. It's just a coach.

[HarlemHeat37]

Howard is easily the most annoying player in the NBA, at this point, I have no idea how anybody could possibly rank Lebron or Kobe above him, tbh..

[Giuseppe]

I have no idea how anybody could possibly rank Lebron or Kobe above him, tbh..

...assholeishness. Nothing more.

[TimmehC]

SVG confirms the report. (http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/4/5/2927939/stan-van-gundy-fired-dwight-howard-magic/in/2691969)

:lol Orlando

[DeadlyDynasty]

Good news for the magic

[Mel_13]

Video from this morning of SVG and Howard. Especially awkward moment around the 3 minute mark:

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2012/04/05/040512svghowardfiredreportsm4v-2057675

[Trill Clinton]

smh@management for ratting dwight out to van gundy. I hope he strings them along all off season then signs with somebody else.

[Crytek]

You can see (and hear) how much Stan dislikes bullshitting....and then Dwight comes in, wraps up Stan, trying his damage-control skillz, basically bullshitting them all. Stan gets the heck out of it. Howard is upset his demands got leaked, lol, yet plays over it.

But hey, Championship! You can get it if you really want.

[djohn2oo8]

lol Dwight.

[Giuseppe]

lol Dwight.

Are we still on for tomorrow night?

[djohn2oo8]

Are we still on for tomorrow night?

Yeah.

[Giuseppe]

Yeah.

Okay. But, remember if I lose my week doesn't start until Monday at Noon. I have to sit next to the old lady next week as she does the income tax. I haven't a choice. I either sit, or, for a change she'll abuse me.

[Technique]

I don't blame Dwight. When a head coach and the teams star dont get along or it just isnt working, someones gotta go. I never liked van gundy to begin with

[Donkeybong]

howard is such a douche to the media.

[djohn2oo8]

I don't blame Dwight. When a head coach and the teams star dont get along or it just isnt working, someones gotta go. I never liked van gundy to begin with

Most of it is caused by Dwight's constant whining.

[gambit1990]

Video from this morning of SVG and Howard. Especially awkward moment around the 3 minute mark:

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2012/04/05/040512svghowardfiredreportsm4v-2057675

i watched about a minute of it... then skipped to the 3 minute mark... haha, i just saw howard with his arm around van gundy and it was awkward enough for me to immediately stop watching.

[lefty]

Magic Johnson fired Westhead


Nothing new here

[Venti Quattro]

LeBron looks like a saint compared to Dwight tbh.

[Killakobe81]

I think SVG is a good coach ... but cant forget Shaq calling him the "king of panic" :lol

Maybe he just doesnt get along with dominant big men with limited post moves ...

[Red Hawk #21]

Video from this morning of SVG and Howard. Especially awkward moment around the 3 minute mark:

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2012/04/05/040512svghowardfiredreportsm4v-2057675

:wow:wow wtf??

[Red Hawk #21]

Dwight Howard is a Cancer tbfh, I've lost so much respect for this guy.

[Killakobe81]

reality is If this is true Howard doesnt have the balls like Magic, to say hey either him or me ...
Dwight did that shit behind closed doors ...

[Venti Quattro]

@HowardBeckNYT (https://twitter.com/#!/HowardBeckNYT/status/187935886883823617) Absolutely surreal: Dwight comes out and denies reports that he wants SVG fired, though SVG himself just said it on record moments earlier

Jesus Christ, this guy makes The Decision a stroke of genius

[BUMP]

:lmao at Dwight immediately denying he wanted Van Gundy fired literally a minute after Van Gundy said otherwise in the exact same spot. One of the weirder series of interviews I've ever seen

They should've just had them both there at the same time tbh

[LkrFan]

What a bitch. Glad this immature fuck is not a Laker.

[lefty]

reality is If this is true Howard doesnt have the balls like Magic, to say hey either him or me ...
Dwight did that shit behind closed doors ...

I think its better to do it behind closed doors

Magic threw his coach under the bus in public; you don't do that

[pass1st]

Dwight with the keys to the Magic franchise, it's going to be a funny off-season.

[DMC]

Damn, Howard should join DWill tbh, both had their coaches fired, but DWills was a fucking shame because it happened to a HOFer.

[shyne]

The bottom line is the players in this era of the NBA are the biggest cunts in all of sports.

[Nathan89]

What a bitch. Glad this immature fuck is not a Laker.

Bynum is so mature.

[BlairForceDejuan]

What a bitch. Glad this immature fuck is not a Laker.

LOL, because he'd fit right in?

[Giuseppe]

What a bitch. Glad this immature fuck is not a Laker.

Just remember (EVERYBODY) it was your old Dad here that swore against this turdhound. I was called everything but a wife beater then. And look whats happened in the interim. I was proven right.

[Seventyniner]

What's next? Howard wants to be coach, president, and GM too?

[Giuseppe]

What's next? Howard wants to be coach, president, and GM too?

By Monday Media will hand out the marching orders & talking points and we'll know.

[Meta World PoS]

Dwight Howard is a Cancer tbfh, I've lost so much respect for this guy.

+1

Howard is a spoiled prick. I wouldn't want that PoS on my team EVER.

Screw that pretender SVG, your better than that clown. What an FN joke...dude is a festering boil on the ass of that franchise.

Nothing worse than a pretender. That prick proclaims to be a "good guy", but the jig is up with this douche. Howard's house of cards is coming down.

Love that Stan walked out and left the douche in front of the media.

Lol @ Snaq, Kenny, and Chuck for putting this on SVG...Stan didn't do a damn thing wrong.

As much as Parker endured with Pop in the past, and he didn't cower. Dwight COWARD is a pu$$y!!

7 feet tall with gnat balls.

[The Franchise]

The bottom line is the players in this era of the NBA are the biggest cunts in all of sports.

Pretty much.

[HarlemHeat37]

Agree with DMC, Williams and Howard would be perfect for one another..they have both taken many games off, this season..they have thrown their coaches under their bus, they have spent the last 2 seasons complaining, during games, all game, tbh..

[Giuseppe]

Agree with DMC, Williams and Howard would be perfect for one another..they have both taken many games off, this season..they have thrown their coaches under their bus, they have spent the last 2 seasons complaining, during games, all game, tbh..

Your Jackson & Diaw threw their coaches under the bus. Didn't seem to matter to Pop. He opened his arms to them tootsweet.

Clean your own fuckin' house, asshole.

[Meta World PoS]

The bottom line is the players in this era of the NBA are the biggest cunts in all of sports.

Not all are, thankfully. Thank you Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, Al Jefferson etc, for having class and dignity...it is a shame that the media pumps up the pricks like Coward, Vajinum, Carmella and the rest of the overrated asses in the league.

[Meta World PoS]

Your Jackson & Diaw threw their coaches under the bus. Didn't seem to matter to Pop. He opened his arms to them tootsweet.

Clean your own fuckin' house, asshole.

You are such an ignorant fuk. You have the IQ of a fuk'n broom handle...actually, I take that back, and apologize to broom handles for putting them on your level.

[Giuseppe]

You are such an ignorant fuk. You have the IQ of a fuk'n broom handle...actually, I take that back, and apologize to broom handles for putting them on your level.

You can dish it. You just can't take it.

Tougheth lucketh.

[The Franchise]

Your Jackson & Diaw threw their coaches under the bus. Didn't seem to matter to Pop. He opened his arms to them tootsweet.

Clean your own fuckin' house, asshole.

The flaw in your logic is that neither of those players are truly capable of getting their coaches fired by doing so. Who would even care if they tried?

[Giuseppe]

The flaw in your logic is that neither of those players are truly capable of getting their coaches fired by doing so. Who would even care if they tried?

They (Jackson & Diaw) quit on those coaches, because they didn't want to play there no more. Pop stepped right in and rewarded them.

You think that's okay?

[lefty]

They (Jackson & Diaw) quit on those coaches, because they didn't want to play there no more. Pop stepped right in and rewarded them.

You think that's okay?

Yup

[Giuseppe]

Yup

That's because your bread is getting buttered. You wouldn't like it if the shoe were on the other foot.

[The Franchise]

They (Jackson & Diaw) quit on those coacit hes, because they didn't want to play there no more. Pop stepped right in and rewarded them.

You think that's okay?

As a coach trying to win, hell yes. It's business. As long as they perform when they are called upon I wouldn't really care if they were pieces of shyte individuals. I'm not saying they didn't dog it on the court with their former teams(they did) but, at this point in their careers, neither would be very effective in taking an either he goes or I go attitude to management.

[diego]

I think SVG is a good coach ... but cant forget Shaq calling him the "king of panic" :lol

Maybe he just doesnt get along with dominant big men with limited post moves ...

are you really trying to imply that Shaq had limited post moves? what are you suggesting that shaq couldn't do in the post?

[Killakobe81]

are you really trying to imply that Shaq had limited post moves? what are you suggesting that shaq couldn't do in the post?

he had a good jump hook and a great baseline spin Ok drop step.

Yes i am saying Shaq's post moves were limited ...of course he shits on every center in the game today but Shaq didnt have the post moves of: Tim, Hakeem, Kareem, Zbo heck you could argue even though he travels a third of the time, ...Bynum has better footwork.

What Shaq had was good (not great) post moves but the most impressive size/speed ration in NBA history. He was a big man that was so quick and powerful he dominated even with his limited post game.

[Trill Clinton]

Co-sign Shaq and Barkley on this

zF7ukAn4KPQ&feature=player_embedded#!

[Giuseppe]

Co-sign Shaq and Barkley on this

Though Barkley had no problem quittin' whilst here.

[Trill Clinton]

lol damn just read this on another board. smh@dwight

http://technorati.com/sports/article/porn-star-mary-carey-says-dwight/

[Trill Clinton]

Though Barkley had no problem quittin' whilst here.
That's neither here nor there.

[Killakobe81]

Though Barkley had no problem quittin' whilst here.

Im with Cully ... I agree with them, but it's funny to have those 2 speak on it ...

Shaq helped get both Del Harris and SVG fired ... :lol
and as Cully said Chuck quit on the suns and the Rox ...Pippen even called him fat for the latter ... :lmao

Glass houses ...

[Brazil]

The magic is a such a freaking mess right now :lol

[ginobili's bald spot]

Im with Cully ... I agree with them, but it's funny to have those 2 speak on it ...

Shaq helped get both Del Harris and SVG fired ... :lol
and as Cully said Chuck quit on the suns and the Rox ...Pippen even called him fat for the latter ... :lmao

Glass houses ...

tbf Del Harris got himself fired by being a shit coach, not being able to win with a future dynasty roster and benching young Kobe.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Let me start this by saying I'm absolutely NOT a SVG fan. That being said, I love his response to Dwight's attempt to push him under the bus. He pulled Dwight under with him by showing what a complete douche he is away from the media. He has made it impossible for both himself AND Dwight to remain in Orlando. :lol He's fired ASAP, and why would Dwight stay where the front office leaks his treachery? They need to fire SVG tomorrow, and quietly field offers over the summer for Dwight, and pull the trigger before training camp. DeVos should also burn his front office to the ground. It's a completely dysfunctional organization.

[Venti Quattro]

They got fucking blown out by New York tonight. SVG is gone in a week, tops.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

They got fucking blown out by New York tonight. SVG is gone in a week, tops.

TNT crew openly questioning if he'll be on the flight to Philly for Saturday's game...

[Xevious]

The stars of this league are the biggest bitches. Just look how happy George Karl has been since Melo left town.

SVG is gone, and I'm sure he's okay with that right now. Get out now and start fresh somewhere else. The Magic are about to spiral down the toilet.

[TDMVPDPOY]

d12 pullin a deron wililams, i can see it...

[Muser]

He's a pretty shitty coach and they have one of the most retarded GM's in the NBA so can't blame Howard for wanting him out. Don't understand why he'd commit to the magic again only to fuck it up in the next few weeks.

[Venti Quattro]

Yeah I don't get that too. He had a chance to be traded two weeks ago.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

The stars of this league are the biggest bitches. Just look how happy George Karl has been since Melo left town.

SVG is gone, and I'm sure he's okay with that right now. Get out now and start fresh somewhere else. The Magic are about to spiral down the toilet.

This happens when you pimp and market players who haven't won shit. Entitlement, I think they call it.

[Giuseppe]

This happens when you pimp and market players who haven't won shit. Entitlement, I think they call it.

More of a dollar & dime. And Media runs it for them. When Magic ran Westhead everybody gasped and waited for the condemnation to proceed. There was no money in conscience for Media. There was no condemnation. Just a conspirarcy of silence, then a {{{muddying of the waters}}}. That's how we run this country now. Hussein Obama shits on the sidewalk on Monday, his people run out and clean it up short thereafter with Media witnessing the event. Tuesday morning before dawn they run back out and place it exactly where it was on Monday, claiming they never removed it. But, the people who saw it leave are still gladdened that it's gone.

[djohn2oo8]

lol damn just read this on another board. smh@dwight

http://technorati.com/sports/article/porn-star-mary-carey-says-dwight/
Lol first he loses out on her to Chris Kirkpatrick, shows up to his house and pulls his pants down in front of her? :lmao

[Muser]

:lmao chasing porn stars round with a bible.

[Malice]

Just another reason I'm grateful for a franchise like the spurs, coach pop, and Timmy the definition of a franchise player. Proving once again skill alone does not define a "franchise player ".

[Venti Quattro]

Just another reason I'm grateful for a franchise like the spurs, coach pop, and Timmy the definition of a franchise player. Proving once again skill alone does not define a "franchise player ".

:cry class matters too

And we all know that Spurs=class

[HarlemHeat37]

While I agree that there are probably more pussy "stars" in today's league, I don't know why people are forgetting that it happened almost as frequently, with stars of previous eras..

Kobe has done it more than anybody in NBA history..

Shaq has been accused of this type of behavior, on numerous occasions..

Charles Barkley had many run-ins with management..

Scottie Pippen had his infamous moment, during clutch time of a key game..

Magic Johnson was known for this, as was Kareem..

This isn't a new phenomenon, tbh..for every Tim Duncan, KG, Lebron and Wade(all players that have never called our their management or teammates), there's always a Magic, Kareem, Kobe, Shaq, Howard, etc..

[Giuseppe]

Just another reason I'm grateful for a franchise like the spurs, coach pop, and Timmy the definition of a franchise player. Proving once again skill alone does not define a "franchise player".

Perhaps that's Yimmy's tramp stamp.

[Giuseppe]

This isn't a new phenomenon, tbh..for every Tim Duncan, KG, Lebron and Wade(all players that have never called our their management or teammates), there's always a Magic, Kareem, Kobe, Shaq, Howard, etc..

...a Rodman, Jackson & Diaw, etc...

[Fabbs]

He's a pretty shitty coach and they have one of the most retarded GM's in the NBA so can't blame Howard for wanting him out. Don't understand why he'd commit to the magic again only to fuck it up in the next few weeks.
Exactly. So he wants to get Van Grunty fired. So what, Van Grunty sucks. His teams can't close a lead to save their life. The losses to WWE in the Finals the most glaring.

Wish Howard would have said "yes i said i wanted him replaced and whoever the snitch is, whatever".

[LkrFan]

Bynum is so mature.

Bynum's not afraid of the moment. Nor is he afraid of following Shaq's legacy. D12 is. LINK (http://www.nypost.com/ipadredirect/;jsessionid=CC64673183756C5D1774B95EFAE4B936)

Hell, Bynum is playing (and THRIVING) in "Shaq's shadow". Bynum is playing with the pressure of expected championships - virtually by being a Laker - every night he suits up.

D12 wants people to like him. He wants to have fun. Bynum ain't like that.

[LkrFan]

Just remember (EVERYBODY) it was your old Dad here that swore against this turdhound. I was called everything but a wife beater then. And look whats happened in the interim. I was proven right.

Shoulder to shoulder! :toast

[Troll Assassin]

Bynum's not afraid of the moment.
His knees are.

[Troll Assassin]

Guess Orlando is the Titantic and Dwight is the iceberg.

[LkrFan]

His knees are.

Clever. Why didn't I think of that? :downspin:

[Venti Quattro]

sPlTCdxzO5g

[namlook]

Video from this morning of SVG and Howard. Especially awkward moment around the 3 minute mark:

http://www.nba.com/magic/video/2012/04/05/040512svghowardfiredreportsm4v-2057675

Damn that is awkward as hell. Dwight trying to pretend like it's not true and Van Gundy saying management told him it was true. Ouch.

Bynum is immature but this is much more poisonous behavior. If you want a coach out you can't handle it like this. Howard has now alienated himself from his teammates who liked Van Gundy and has now guaranteed his team has no chance to win anything now without lots of roster moves. You can't win with this kind of internal conflict and resentment among teammates.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Someone who agrees with me...

Dwight gotta go... (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ian_thomsen/04/06/dwight.howard/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_wr_a3)

[Venti Quattro]

But who's going to take him after all of these shit that he put Orlando through?

[Wild Cobra Kai]

But who's going to take him after all of these shit that he put Orlando through?

:lol There are easily 20 absolutely stupid GMs holding NBA jobs at any given point in time.

[Muser]

But who's going to take him after all of these shit that he put Orlando through?

Shit I'd take him on the Spurs.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Shit I'd take him on the Spurs.

Dwight Howard is the very definition of "not over himself yet". :lol

[Venti Quattro]

Stan Van Gundy's coaching options (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story?page=PERDiem-120406&_slug_=nba-orlando-magic-coach-stan-van-gundy-next-gig)
If SVG is fired, these teams could be interested in him

Let's call it the beginning of the end.

By now most of you have seen the video, an epic setup in which Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy left star center Dwight Howard to confront his own duplicity.

Howard, as we've learned, has asked management on multiple occasions to fire Van Gundy, even while the franchise center has tried to play Mr. Nice Guy to the public. (Fair question to wonder: How much of this devious behavior has been Howard and how much has been the people around Howard?)

And now that this fact is public, we know how this movie ends. Howard's reputation may take a hit, but superstars have been backstabbing coaches for eons. The only difference here is that Howard is doing it to a coach who has been extremely effective, even while Howard himself has been coasting all season and recently re-halved his non-efforts. Unfortunately for Van Gundy, even fantastic coaches are more easily replaced than superstar centers. If Howard is going to stay in Orlando, we can safely presume Van Gundy won't.

Which gives rise to the obvious question: Then what?

If and when the Magic and Van Gundy decide to part ways, he won't lack for options. In fact, he'll immediately become one of the league's hottest coaching candidates. Van Gundy is one of nine active coaches to take a team to the NBA Finals (if we still consider Phil Jackson active). He has never had a losing season and boasts gaudy career winning percentages of .644 overall and .573 in playoff games. He's had some help, obviously, as Shaquille O'Neal (with the Heat) and Dwight Howard were his two centers, but even this season he's managed to keep the Magic on a winning track despite all the behind-the-scenes issues with Howard.

While Van Gundy may decide to take it easy for a year if he's out of a job, he would have his pick this offseason from several jobs that are either already open or will possibly become open.

So where might he end up? Let's sort through the candidates:

The favorites

ESPN or TNT: If I had to put one leader in the clubhouse, it would be the television networks. Van Gundy is hands-down the best coach interview in the league, delivering humorous, irreverent monologues on a variety of subjects, and his brother Jeff has enjoyed his career in broadcasting so much that he seems in no rush to return to coaching. Additionally, it's been common for high-profile coaches to chill out in the booth for a while and recharge their batteries before returning to the league.

L.A. Clippers: If Van Gundy could stomach working for owner Donald Sterling (word of advice, Stan: Get all your money paid up front), this would be a great gig because Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are the franchise centerpieces. We don't know how long Paul will stick around, but Griffin probably isn't going anywhere after he signs a max extension, and Van Gundy would add the credibility that might persuade both players to stay.

Additionally, he'd fix what most ails them. Van Gundy's teams have always played great defense even when he hasn't had particularly great defensive talent on his roster, so he'd likely repair a struggling Clippers defense that has been their weak link this season.

Vinny Del Negro still has this job, but his contract expires after the season and he has been rumored to be on thin ice. L.A. has won seven of eight to keep the dogs at bay, but he probably needs to win two playoff rounds to get another contract.

Washington: Several pieces are in place that may make this an attractive gig. The Wizards have really suffered in the area of player development the past few years, and they badly need a capable teacher to tighten up all the loose ends in the games of players like John Wall and Jordan Crawford. It's not clear whether Wizards owner Ted Leonsis would pay Van Gundy's going rate, but if he's going to dive right back into coaching, this is the one currently open gig that seems most promising, with Randy Wittman considered just an interim coach.

The possibles

Portland: The Blazers are talking big about using their cap space and draft picks to reload for next season, and they have been willing to spend on coaching candidates in the past -- that's how they lured Nate McMillan from Seattle. Van Gundy's penchant for speaking frankly may not sit well with owner Paul Allen's shadow government in Seattle, however, and in recent years the Blazers have shied away from spending the kind of money that it would take to get Van Gundy to come.

Additionally, the Blazers are without a general manager right now, and timing may get in the way. They appear to be dithering on hiring a permanent GM, and by the time they get one Van Gundy may already have been off the market for a long time.

New York: Here's a really good gig with a team that's willing to spend money and has several good players in their primes, and obviously there's a family connection, as well, since Jeff Van Gundy once coached the Knicks. From Stan's perspective, this one seems really alluring. So why don't I rate it as more likely? I just can't imagine that the team's overlords at MSG will assent to hiring Van Gundy because there's no way he'd put up with the Knicks' secrecy policy and other assorted PR shenanigans.

Charlotte: If the Bobcats win the lottery, Van Gundy would have to be intrigued by the possibility of coaching an Anthony Davis-Bismack Biyombo frontcourt and turning the Bobcats into a defensive monster. Given their financial woes, though, it's unclear whether the Bobcats would meet Van Gundy's asking price. Additionally, he'll likely have chances to take over better teams than this one.

The unlikelies

Philadelphia, Sacramento and Atlanta: All three of these teams have a decent but hardly imposing collection of talent, and more importantly all three have coaches that are under contract for at least one more season. (In Atlanta's case, it's a team option for coach Larry Drew.) And each of the three has questions about whether the team's pockets are deep enough to afford a coach like Van Gundy.

But they all bear mentioning, as I'm not sure any of the three is fully committed to its current head coach. Keeping to his historical calendar, Philly's Doug Collins is in the midst of driving everybody crazy with his nitpicking, and the team's play has slipped noticeably. Sacramento hired Keith Smart as kind of an "interim plus-one" and has already pursued Van Gundy once. And while Drew has done an excellent job with an injury-riddled Hawks team, Atlanta has seemed reluctant to commit to anything long term while the team's sale is pending.

New Jersey/Brooklyn: Two big problems here. First, obviously, Avery Johnson still has the job and may be keeping it, even though the Nets have basically abandoned the idea of playing defense under him. Second, and more problematic, is the Nets' aspiration to be Dwight Howard's next destination, which obviously would take a big hit if they hired Van Gundy.

There's still material at the beyond what I pasted but it's irrelevant to the thread and topic at hand.

[Troll Assassin]

Dwight's still not gonna stay.

[TimmehC]

But who's going to take him after all of these shit that he put Orlando through?

The Nets. It's much easier to take him when you're his preferred destination.

[Troll Assassin]

The Nets. It's much easier to take him when you're his preferred destination.

Yup, being the King of Brooklyn, rival the Knicks, build your legacy there.

[ElNono]

http://i40.tinypic.com/o5t85z.jpg

[Spurtacus]

Howard is after all the honies impregnating all he can find. Ron Jeremy is his competition. Only natural animalistic instinct to want to rid of your competition.

[TDMVPDPOY]

dunno how u can take this guy serious when his busy smiling in front of the camera everytime.....fck mate, if you put as much time into ur game as you do smiling, you might be a better player

[Venti Quattro]

Dwight Howard down on coach? (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7832334/report-orlando-magic-dwight-howard-says-play-stan-van-gundy)

Magic center Dwight Howard has called team owner Rich DeVos to tell him that he won't play for coach Stan Van Gundy anymore, WKMG in Orlando is reporting.

Howard missed his sixth straight game with a back injury Wednesday against the Celtics, and Van Gundy has already said that he is preparing for his big man to miss the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Howard is still upset that Van Gundy publicly said this month that Howard asked management to have him fired, sources told WKMG. According to the report, the 86-year-old DeVos took Howard's call in his suite at the Amway Center sometime during Friday's game against the Hawks.

Uncertainty has dogged the Magic for quite some time. Howard asked management for a trade in the preseason, but after months of speculation he signed a waiver of the opt-out clause in his contract, meaning that he would remain under contract to Orlando at least through next season.
What a bitch.

[Killakobe81]

Well his folks are denying it, but there is a lot of "smoke" coming out of Orlando (not a media giant by any means) for there to be no fire.

Has there ever been a Magic fan on here? Real one, not a troll? Would love to get an honest to goodness Magic fan to to get a sense of what the fan base is feeling and whom they believe ...

[lurker]

Well his folks are denying it, but there is a lot of "smoke" coming out of Orlando (not a media giant by any means) for there to be no fire.

Has there ever been a Magic fan on here? Real one, not a troll? Would love to get an honest to goodness Magic fan to to get a sense of what the fan base is feeling and whom they believe ...
http://truebluenation.com/forum/index.php?/forum/21-orlando-magic-forum/

[VBM]

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w103/emorypurdy/NotPasssig2ndedit1.gif

wtf :lol

[Cane]

Not a fan of either Dwight or SVG, but tbh both Dwight and SVG are primadonnas.

Stan's pulled a move that would impress Paul Westphal and Dan Gilbert..this shit has been crazy but inevitable I suppose:

http://www.redsarmy.com/.a/6a01156f2c3287970c0133edeee50e970b-450wi