Howard Refuses to Play for SVG (Report)

[Lucky17]

Not completely unrelated: Would it be possible for Gerald Wallace to exercise his option for next year before this coming draft?

Wondering if Wallace plus top 3 pick plus filler for Dwight on draft night is a possible scenario.

[guava_wrench]

IF its true, wow
I've had some coaches I out & out hated but I would never give up on my teammates.  IF its true I wouldn't want howard on the celtics at all

Who is quitting on their team? Howard is out with a legitimate injury.

The question is, could/can he play through it if he wanted to?

You are assuming that he can't play on it, he wouldn't be the first player to milk an injury for a coach he hates.

Other people are assuming that he is quitting on his team and than going on rants against him.

The dude has played through the injury and was obviously in pain. He got it checked and they confirmed the herniated disc. Naturally, the team won't play him during the regular season if it might help him be effective in the playoffs. This is pretty standard for guys with injuries like that.

We have the OP jumping from a SVG quote to saying that Howard won't play in the playoffs due to not liking SVG, followed by people posting about how horrible a person Howard is. Why do people want so badly to impute bad intentions on players?

Howard could play with a leg in a cast if he wanted to, but it would be stupid to do in a regular season game and he probably would not be effective. Heck, he probably should not have played in the last game he played, yet he played through the pain.

[fairweatherfan]

Absolutely scummy behavior by Howard, I can understand not rushing back if his back is a serious issue but this?

From another angle I wonder why this was leaked out. To pressure him into playing for the playoffs? That's the only motivation I can think of from an Orlando team source, either than tor setting him up as the bad guy so they can trade him during the offseason without their fan base freaking out.

Yeah, what's getting lost in the initial reaction is how utterly dysfunctional the whole Orlando organization is.  It seems pretty clear that Howard has been pulling a lot of strings (or trying to) behind the scenes, and Orlando management has consistently been leaking things to the media to put pressure on him. 

So who knows what's actually happening, except that everybody involved would probably be better off in a different position.

[prov1ml34]

Too bad Orlando already used their one amnesty on one Gilbert Arenas....

It would be cutting their nose off to spite their face, but if I were the organization and hadn't used my amnesty yet,  I would seriously consider it. It would be a nice shot to his ego.

[guava_wrench]

Considering Howard was nice to Orlando by guaranteeing them another year, I actually have no problem with this. If he really things SVG is the problem, tell the team to ditch him.

When you decide you want to keep a superstar and he agrees to it despite your lack of leverage, it is implicit that you are going to give them working conditions they find acceptable. Howard gives his body up on the court for his team and is by far their best player. They should get a coach he feels he can work with.

I don't see how what is actually reported means that Howard will refuse to play in the playoffs if healthy enough. This seems to be more relevant for next year. The report states Van Gundy is preparing for the possibility that Howard misses the playoffs. The OP misrepresents the article by placing bold on SVG's statement.

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

That was the first parahraph in the article.  This is what is being reported by WKMG.  Maybe it was leaked to get him to play, but regardless it's being reported that Dwight called DeVos and said he's done until Van Gundy is gone.

Hearsay. When he is physically able to play and refuses to do so, I'll believe people's conclusions that he is actually on strike. When that happens, I will condemn him.

[Fafnir]

IF its true, wow
I've had some coaches I out & out hated but I would never give up on my teammates.  IF its true I wouldn't want howard on the celtics at all

Who is quitting on their team? Howard is out with a legitimate injury.

The question is, could/can he play through it if he wanted to?

You are assuming that he can't play on it, he wouldn't be the first player to milk an injury for a coach he hates.

Other people are assuming that he is quitting on his team and than going on rants against him.

You are making as big of an assumption as anyone else in this thread, unless you're actually Dwight's doctor.

[guava_wrench]

Too bad Orlando already used their one amnesty on one Gilbert Arenas....

It would be cutting their nose off to spite his face, but if I were the organization and hadn't used my amnesty yet,  I would seriously consider it. It would be a nice shot to his ego.

Better to use amnesty on SVG.

[jgod213]

IF its true, wow
I've had some coaches I out & out hated but I would never give up on my teammates.  IF its true I wouldn't want howard on the celtics at all

Who is quitting on their team? Howard is out with a legitimate injury.

The question is, could/can he play through it if he wanted to?

You are assuming that he can't play on it, he wouldn't be the first player to milk an injury for a coach he hates.

Other people are assuming that he is quitting on his team and than going on rants against him.

The dude has played through the injury and was obviously in pain. He got it checked and they confirmed the herniated disc. Naturally, the team won't play him during the regular season if it might help him be effective in the playoffs. This is pretty standard for guys with injuries like that.

We have the OP jumping from a SVG quote to saying that Howard won't play in the playoffs due to not liking SVG, followed by people posting about how horrible a person Howard is. Why do people want so badly to impute bad intentions on players?

Howard could play with a leg in a cast if he wanted to, but it would be stupid to do in a regular season game and he probably would not be effective. Heck, he probably should not have played in the last game he played, yet he played through the pain.

Haha I still don't get why you think this is me stating an opinion here?  The article, which ran on ESPN, excplicitly states Howard called DeVeos last Friday and told him directly that he will not play for Van Gundy.

That is not my perception of the sitution, that is the Report from WKMG.

[Fafnir]

Considering Howard was nice to Orlando by guaranteeing them another year, I actually have no problem with this. If he really things SVG is the problem, tell the team to ditch him.

When you decide you want to keep a superstar and he agrees to it despite your lack of leverage, it is implicit that you are going to give them working conditions they find acceptable. Howard gives his body up on the court for his team and is by far their best player. They should get a coach he feels he can work with.

I don't see how what is actually reported means that Howard will refuse to play in the playoffs if healthy enough. This seems to be more relevant for next year. The report states Van Gundy is preparing for the possibility that Howard misses the playoffs. The OP misrepresents the article by placing bold on SVG's statement.

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

That was the first parahraph in the article.  This is what is being reported by WKMG.  Maybe it was leaked to get him to play, but regardless it's being reported that Dwight called DeVos and said he's done until Van Gundy is gone.

Hearsay. When he is physically able to play and refuses to do so, I'll believe people's conclusions that he is actually on strike. When that happens, I will condemn him.

If you're going to break out legal terms, you only have hearsay to go by that he's physically unable to play.

When you're making as many assumptions as anyone else you shouldn't be casting stones.

[Fafnir]

Absolutely scummy behavior by Howard, I can understand not rushing back if his back is a serious issue but this?

From another angle I wonder why this was leaked out. To pressure him into playing for the playoffs? That's the only motivation I can think of from an Orlando team source, either than tor setting him up as the bad guy so they can trade him during the offseason without their fan base freaking out.

Yeah, what's getting lost in the initial reaction is how utterly dysfunctional the whole Orlando organization is.  It seems pretty clear that Howard has been pulling a lot of strings (or trying to) behind the scenes, and Orlando management has consistently been leaking things to the media to put pressure on him. 

So who knows what's actually happening, except that everybody involved would probably be better off in a different position.

Just an awful organization.

DeVeos is making me think that he's as bad as James Dolan at this point.

[Who]

I expect the call (if it happened) was about next season and not this season.

Which is fair enough in my book.

[CelticG1]

Why did he sign the extension? The Magic were playing really well at the time, it wasn't like Van Gundy was on the brink of losing his job because they were 3rd freaking place!!

Why would he sign if there was a chance of van gundy finishing out the last 20 games of the season?

And if Howard is injured and can't play why is he saying this stuff? Basically saying "I know the playoffs are a week away but if I het healthy, you need to just fire Stan and put in some other random coach or I will not play" - how could it go differently?

And fans of Orlando have turned on Howard already. From what I've seen the majority would rather keep Stan than dwight and I don't blame them

[2short]

IF its true, wow
I've had some coaches I out & out hated but I would never give up on my teammates.  IF its true I wouldn't want howard on the celtics at all

Who is quitting on their team? Howard is out with a legitimate injury.

The question is, could/can he play through it if he wanted to?

You are assuming that he can't play on it, he wouldn't be the first player to milk an injury for a coach he hates.

Other people are assuming that he is quitting on his team and than going on rants against him.

The dude has played through the injury and was obviously in pain. He got it checked and they confirmed the herniated disc. Naturally, the team won't play him during the regular season if it might help him be effective in the playoffs. This is pretty standard for guys with injuries like that.

We have the OP jumping from a SVG quote to saying that Howard won't play in the playoffs due to not liking SVG, followed by people posting about how horrible a person Howard is. Why do people want so badly to impute bad intentions on players?

Howard could play with a leg in a cast if he wanted to, but it would be stupid to do in a regular season game and he probably would not be effective. Heck, he probably should not have played in the last game he played, yet he played through the pain.

well you were quoting me so i'd like to point out that I typed IF twice in capitals
should i have done it in italics?

[Tai]

Considering Howard was nice to Orlando by guaranteeing them another year, I actually have no problem with this. If he really things SVG is the problem, tell the team to ditch him.

When you decide you want to keep a superstar and he agrees to it despite your lack of leverage, it is implicit that you are going to give them working conditions they find acceptable. Howard gives his body up on the court for his team and is by far their best player. They should get a coach he feels he can work with.

I don't see how what is actually reported means that Howard will refuse to play in the playoffs if healthy enough. This seems to be more relevant for next year. The report states Van Gundy is preparing for the possibility that Howard misses the playoffs. The OP misrepresents the article by placing bold on SVG's statement.

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

That was the first parahraph in the article.  This is what is being reported by WKMG.  Maybe it was leaked to get him to play, but regardless it's being reported that Dwight called DeVos and said he's done until Van Gundy is gone.

Hearsay. When he is physically able to play and refuses to do so, I'll believe people's conclusions that he is actually on strike. When that happens, I will condemn him.

If you're going to break out legal terms, you only have hearsay to go by that he's physically unable to play.

When you're making as many assumptions as anyone else you shouldn't be casting stones.

It still doesn't help Howard at all. If Stan Van Gundy gets fired now, the backlash will be enormous. People saying "fair enough" are essentially ok with Howard running the team. That's fine, but that doesn't make what Howard's doing OK, assuming the report's true.

[Tai]

And I do have to believe that Howard's being pressured to play, even if he truly shouldn't be out there. It just makes the Magic as an organization look like a complete and utter joke.