Howard to have season-ending surgery: ESPN.com reported on Thursday night that Magic center Dwight Howard will have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back on Friday, a move that will put an end to a forgettable season for the superstar. While his play on the court has been exemplary as always, Howard has been embroiled in a number of off-court controversies that have been major distractions. Reports surfaced Thursday that Howard told Magic ownership that he would refuse to play for coach Stan Van Gundy for the rest of the season, just weeks after it became public that Howard had told management to fire Van Gundy. "It hurts [emotionally]," Howard told ESPN's Chris Broussard. "That's the first thing -- it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I'm quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse." (Updated 04/19/2012)
Injury Report
Back - Probable for start of 2012-2013 season (Updated - 5/20/12)
Fantasy Analysis
Despite all of the distractions, Howard was on his away to one of the finest statistical seasons of his career, averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds -- a league-leading mark and a new career high on the glass. He also blocked 2.1 shots per game, and added career highs with 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. However, for the first time in his career, he dealt with serious injuries, and will end up missing 12 games total; the most Howard had missed because of injuries prior to this season was four. Howard is unlikely to participate in the 2012 Olympics this year, however, he should be fine for the start of the regular season next year. He should be targeted as a first-round selection on Draft Day. (Updated 04/19/2012).
05/24/2012 17:30 Magic to begin scheduling GM interviews Friday
The Orlando Magic will begin scheduling interviews for their general manager position Friday and hope to have an executive in place within three weeks, league sources told CBSSports.com.
05/24/2012 17:28 Report: The Magic are ready to trade Dwight Howard
According to a report, the Magic are ready to trade Dwight Howard and will entertain offers once next week's draft lottery results are in.
Dwight Howard is coming off another huge statistical year that resulted in the 25-year-old earning his third straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. After hitting a bit of a ceiling with his scoring over the last few seasons, Howard looked to establish himself more on the offensive end of the court and did so splendidly. The perennial All-Star spent countless hours in the gym working on post moves, which helped him average a career-best 22.9 points per game while shooting just under 60 percent from the floor (59.3). Despite his free-throw percentage once again being awful (59.6 percent), Howard finally showed some growth in his offensive game and more confidence in his jump shot, evidenced by his 13.4 shot attempts per game. That trend should continue moving forward as Howard continues to refine his game in the post and extend his range farther from the basket. He again was a machine on the glass, averaging 14.1 rebounds per contest -- second only to Kevin Love -- and posting 66 double-doubles. His poor free-throw percentage and constant foul trouble can be a bit irritating at times to Fantasy owners, but Howard's 2.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per contest more than make up the difference. As owners already know by now, there aren't too many players out there -- especially big men -- who can even come close to matching Howard's production. He is arguably one of the most dominant players in the league and without question should be the first center taken off the board on Draft Day next season, regardless of format. (Updated 8/23/11)
