http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/05/...at-hakeem-olajuwon/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002 If the player credits the Dream, not sure SVG could say it has not helped.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic coach Stan Van Gundy certainly isn't afraid to speak his mind, tossing out the zingers left and right Wednesday. Before his Magic crushed the Milwaukee Bucks, Van Gundy took a dig at the super-hyped Miami Heat and LeBron James, then he turned his sights on Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon afterward. Both were honest responses to questions he was asked. He doesn't use a filter like so many coaches in sports today. Political correctness doesn't stand in his way. Van Gundy was asked after the game about the improvement in the offensive game of center Dwight Howard, and his expanded shot selection this season. The question just referenced Howard's workout session this summer in Houston with Olajuwon, the former basketball great. "This isn't a knock on anybody, but Hakeem has gotten more credit for two hours than anyone I've ever seen,'' Van Gundy said with very little prompting. "I mean, they were in a gym for two hours, three hours, and all of a sudden every shot Dwight makes is because of Hakeem.'' Howard had 28 points Wednesday in a 97-87 victory over Milwaukee. He is averaging a career-high 21.4 points this season, confident enough to use a short jump shot instead of just bulling his way to the basket. "Dwight has done a lot of work, and I'm sure Hakeem gave him some advice, but that's just starting to annoy me." -- Stan Van Gundy Howard has given some of the credit to Olajuwon for giving him the confidence to expand his game. He also has worked closely for the past four years with Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing, another Hall of Fame center. Van Gundy believes that Ewing's role in Howard's development is overlooked sometimes. "There is not anybody alive who's turning somebody's game around in three hours,'' Van Gundy said. "Dwight has done a lot of work, and I'm sure Hakeem gave him some advice, but that's just starting to annoy me.'' Van Gundy also was asked Wednesday what he thought of the Heat's latest nickname -- The Heatles -- that James gave his team earlier this week. James was comparing his Heat to the long-ago iconic Beatles, who attracted large frenzied crowds whenever they performed. He said it after a string of Heat road victories that came before large, vocal and often-hostile crowds. James reasoned that the Heat -- and all the attention that they have garnered -- were good for the entire league. "They (Heat) are pretty impressed with themselves,'' Van Gundy said. "But we don't need Miami to get people to our arena.'' Van Gundy coached the Heat for 2 1/2 seasons, but he was replaced by team president Pat Riley, who took them to the 2006 NBA title. With the Magic, Van Gundy has done well against the Heat, and he was critical of all the hype this summer surrounding their restructuring that included the much-anticipated arrival of James and Chris Bosh. "The Heat aren't raising our attendance. Maybe some places (the Heat) makes fans turn out, but that's not the case here,'' Van Gundy said. "We're selling out no matter who we play. We've got good fans, and they turn out to see us. Our largest crowd was against New York and the Golden State game was about the same. There are some places where fans turn out to see the Lakers and Heat. That might be true in some places, but it's not true here."
