The Magic need some magic!

A big name in NBA trade talks this season has been Dwight Howard. This has been the story of the season, topping the Chris Paul debate. Where will Dwight land? Can the Magic make a run in the playoffs with Dwight on the roster? The Magic have almost the same roster when they were in the finals, why aren't they playing like they once did? After analyzing the entire team, these questions are easily answered.

After C Dwight Howard lead the Magic to the championship in the 2008-2009 season, it looks like the team is slowly trending downhill. F Hedo Turkuglo's best days are way behind him. PG Jameer Nelson has been in-and-out of the lineup with injuries, and F Rashard Lewis is no longer with the squad, now a member of the Wizards playing with the young star, John Wall. So that leaves the Magic with Dwight Howard. Somehow the Magic still have a 20-12 record so far, and most of the credit must go to Dwight averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds a game.

What most people don't see though is the improving production from F Ryan Anderson, averaging 16.3 ppg, along with 7.3 rpg. Many people still think the Magic are one of the elite teams in the NBA still. When I talk about the teams that could win the finals this year, such as Miami, Chicago, Oklahoma City, and possibly even the San Antonio Spurs(yes people the spurs are the hottest team in the league right now), they ask me what about Orlando? I ask them if they are joking, because there is no way in my mind this team has a shot to even get past the second round in the playoffs.

Look at their lineup: PG Nelson/Duhon, SG Jason Richardson, SF Hedo Turkuglo, PF Ryan Anderson, C Dwight Howard. Not too bad on paper right? What happens when you put a team like this up against the heat, with Lebron and D-Wade? Who on that lineup can defend either one of those guys. The correct answer would be nobody. The same would go for the Bulls PG Derrick Rose, SF Luol Deng, and OKC's F Kevin Durant, and PG Russell Westbrook.

Don't get me wrong Dwight Howard is one of the best player in the NBA right now (my favorite player actually.) We all know Dwight wants a championship ring more than anything, just like Lebron does, and as we all remember, Lebron lead his below average Cleveland squad to the finalswithout much help. Can Dwight do the same? The answer is no, he doesn't control the ball and take all of the shots for his team, after all he is a center.

This leads to the question everybody asks; so does Dwight Howard want out of Orlando, and if so where would he go? At the beginning of the NBA season, he made it clear he wanted out and wanted to go to either Dallas, either LA team, New Jersey, or Chicago. So which one will he go to? I say none of the above. I think he will be in a Magic uniform through the rest of the season, and will re-access the situation come next off-season. If I had to guess where he will land next year, I would bet he will be in a Magic uniform again next season. I believe all of the trade talk involving Dwight is over-dramatic, and over-hyped.

- New NBA Writer E.J.