http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8221563/steps-dwight-howard-take-prepare-trade-nba Chris Broussard has apparently become D12's PR guy. Be warned (IMO) much ****-riding in this article. Pretty sure this will be lumped into the mega D12 thread at some point but until then... Spoiler A road map for Dwight Howard Steps the Magic center can take to rehab his image -- and prepare for a trade Updated: August 1, 2012, 11:54 AM ET By Chris Broussard There are steps Howard needs to take to get back to his old, smiling self. Not long ago, Dwight Howard was viewed as one of the NBA's good guys. Always smiling, always fun-loving, always dominant, always a fan favorite. But for the past eight months, a torch has been put to Howard's favorable image. The trade requests, the clandestine meetings, the flip-flopping, the Stan Van Gundy fiasco, the media leaks, the unnecessary ruin he's put the Magic through. It hasn't all been Dwight's fault, of course. The 24/7 news cycle and the reporting of every new development (no matter how minor or irrelevant) have made the decision-making process for both Howard and the Magic a public nightmare. And the Van Gundy debacle certainly could have been avoided had there not been loose lips within Orlando's brain trust. Sure, Howard contributed to his embarrassment in that episode by feigning love for Van Gundy with his phony hug, but the truth is that if someone hadn't told Van Gundy things Howard had shared in confidence (that he wanted his coach fired), this sordid summer affair might not be taking place. People have wondered why in the world Howard waived his opt-out clause in March only to ask to be traded again less than two months later. Well, he did it because when he "opted in," he sincerely wanted to give Orlando a chance to keep him. He thought the Magic had a shot at going deep in the playoffs, and he figured he'd give them the summertime and the early part of next season to make moves that could make the team even better. If he liked what he saw, he'd stay. If he didn't, he'd be able to honestly say he gave the franchise a chance but moved on to a better situation. All his talk of loyalty at that press conference following his decision to opt in wasn't just for show. But when Van Gundy outed Howard by telling the media a Magic executive had told him his All-Star center wanted him fired, Howard lost all trust and confidence in the organization. Other issues have developed since then, but that is what truly soured Howard on returning to the Magic. So now Howard and the Magic are in the middle of this tug-of-war that is making both sides look bad. Howard looks like a spoiled, indecisive brat, and the Magic look like a clueless mom-and-pop operation in a sea full of well-oiled Fortune 500 corporations. Still, in the court of public opinion, Orlando is viewed as the victim. That leaves Howard with the unenviable job of restoring his image, restoring it back to what it should be. Because know this, for all his waffling and untoward shenanigans, Howard is still a good guy. He's still got a good heart. And he still can fix this situation. I understand why he wants to leave the Magic, especially after all that has taken place. I understand why he wanted to go to the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers. Heck, I hope he's traded to Brooklyn, just because it would give the NBA one more monster team full of drama in a super-sexy market (look at how fun the Heat have made things). The Lakers are a top contender now that they have Steve Nash, so they don't even need Howard to be in the title mix. But if D-12 does go to L.A., there would be drama, intrigue, incredible basketball and a team more than capable of challenging the Heat for the NBA championship. No one would begrudge him for wanting to leave Orlando for a team with a better shot at winning a title. So Howard doesn't have to sign a long-term contract extension with Orlando to pad his image. All he needs to do is be professional and treat the Magic organization with respect. He should call the team owner, Rich DeVos, and apologize for the confusion he's created, for any missteps he's made. Howard should tell him how hurt and embarrassed he was over the leak to Van Gundy, and that he thinks a clean break is probably best for both sides, especially since his Magic teammates are as sick of this mess as everyone else. If the Magic continue to hold onto him for the next month or so, Howard should return to Orlando and rehab under the team's supervision. He should get to know new GM Rob Hennigan and new coach Jacque Vaughn. He should prepare for next season as if he'll be playing in Orlando, and when the organization asks him if he'll consider signing a long-term extension, he can still decline -- he just needs to do it respectfully. Howard doesn't even have to reiterate that he wants to be traded. If he refuses to sign the extension, the Magic will make sure to trade him. And when potential trade partners ask the Magic if Howard will re-sign with them, that's when he can repeat that his preferred destinations are the Nets, Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Howard has a better chance of getting the trade he wants by acting professionally and by patching things up with the Magic than he does by strong-arming them. It will also go a long way toward restoring his image, and then he can take care of the rest on the court. Playing well and winning will erase all the disdain some feel toward Howard right now. After all, fans love a winner, especially one who's smiling, always fun-loving and always dominant.
Chris Broussard: Captain Kiss-Ass. Someone needs to write up an article, "How ESPN Can Get Some Creditability with their NBA 'Insiders'". Step 1. Don't hire All-Stars' jock-sniffers.
"And the Van Gundy debacle certainly could have been avoided had there not been loose lips within Orlando's brain trust." No, the "Van Gundy debacle" certainly could have been avoided if Dwight would have shut up and played basketball instead of donning high-heels and playing diva. You brought it on yourself. Then you lied about it. Revisionist history trying to point the finger at a "loose lip" in the organization. Nope. You said it and you didn't own up to it.
Jesus MF'ing Christ. Broussard (and the rest of the ESPN talking heads) should just go ahead and say out loud what they're all thinking: Reduce the NBA to just 5 teams (New York, Brooklyn, LA Lakers, Boston, Miami) and make the rest preseason fodder. (And perhaps rename all the other teams to the "[insert city name here] Generals.") Hilarious that Broussard wouldn't even mention the Rockets. He probably projectile vomits out of pure disdain if anyone says the word "Houston" to him. Heck, he probably gets explosive diarrhea if he sets foot in a city outside of New York, Boston, LA, and Miami.
Man, someone should be checking bank accounts of this so called journalists because I think some money is being exchanged under the table. Broussard has got to be getting paid or getting some sort of promises for him to keep riding D12's jock like he has all this time.
