Remember the inspired story idea of a New York tabloid editor in a meeting to find yet another follow-up anlgle to the death of 39-year-old actor John Garfield:
“John Garfield still dead.”
OK, Dwight Howard is still in Orlando.
No, that’s not the same thing as being dead, even if it seemed tame to Shaquille O’Neal and doesn’t seem to do much for Howard, who keeps telling the Magic the same thing he tells everyone (except possibly the Nets and Mavericks), that he won’t commit to staying.
Actually, O’Neal wanted to stay in Orlando, where he had just built a mansion he would return to every summer while playing for the Lakers.
That made him the Magic’s to lose — which they proceeded to do, starting with a low-ball, four-year offer, per the wishes of owner Rich DeVos in far-off Grand Rapids, Mich., who pointed out they would have to give Penny Hardaway, whom ownership doted on, as much as Shaq in a year.
DeVos, the Amway magnate who wrote a book called “Compassionate Capitalism” and had a mission statement embossed on the team’s stationery, said he didn’t want to buy Shaq but to win his heart.
Next thing you know, the Lakers had dumped enough players to offer $118 million… which the Magic merely matched, rather than beat, noting its current value was higher with more money up front and no Florida income tax.
Unfortunately, they weren’t dealing with a tax attorney but a large young man with fragile feelings.
Magic officials insist they won’t make the same mistake — by which they mean letting Howard walk without getting something.
It helps to know which mistake not to repeat. The big one was bungling negotiations with Shaq, who wanted to be there, in the name of being high-minded.
The same woolly, diffused Michigan-centric decision-making process is still in place, so how can it be a surprise they’re in this fix again?
Hanging onto Howard until June wouldn’t be a mistake, even if the press will be disappointed at putting itself through warmups only to find there’s no game.
Given Dwight’s impact, there’s no reason not to go to the end to keep him.
If they can’t, letting him walk and taking the cap room probably turns them around faster than taking $19 million worth of players not named Derrick, Bron, DWade, Durantula, Blake, CP3, DWill or even Kyrie.
If they have any other moves up their sleeves, now’s the time to whip them out.
It would have been nice to build on the Magic’s 2009 NBA Finalists, rather than bring in Vince Carter, let Hedo Turkoglu go because he wanted too much, then bring Hedo back making more than he asked them for.
Live and learn, in case fate drops yet another seven-foot superstar in their lap.
| RANK | TEAM | THE RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 | BULLS (35-9) |
LAST WEEK: 3-1 D(ej)a Bulls: A funny thing happened on the way to the NBA’s best record again. With Rip, who has played 16 games, out for a month with shoulder injury, they need shooting guard to take pressure off Rose, who shot 46.1% before break but is at 41.5% this month. |
1 |
| 2 | THUNDER (32-10) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Is there a great team in the West? Would you settle for a very precocious, talented young one with a great record? |
2 |
| 3 | HEAT (31-10) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Back-to-back horror show: Team that won 19 of 22 splits its last six, including Tuesday’s loss in Orlando, heading into Wednesday’s game in Chicago. |
3 |
| 4 | MAGIC (28-15) |
LAST WEEK: 3-2 Streaking at just the right time, as teammate-dangling “team leader” Dwight gets 29-18 in win in Chicago and 24-25 in win over Heat, while again declining extension. Nevertheless, 5-1 run should tip balance, unless management just flips a coin. |
7 |
| 5 | SPURS (27-13) |
LAST WEEK: 2-1 Maybe they should try embalming him: Since returning from broken finger, Manu has left with oblique muscle strain, returned, left once more with pulled hip flexor. |
4 |
| 6 | LAKERS (26-16) |
LAST WEEK: 3-1 Pretty it ain’t: Win over Miami ends hysteria that could prompt Pau trade, before they blow double-figure leads in losses in Detroit and Washington, starting hysteria anew, before wins over Boston, Memphis chill everyone. |
8 |
| 7 | GRIZZLIES (24-17) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Question: Will they be better than 24-17 team they were with no 20-point scorer when Zach’s back? Bigger question: Is Zach ever coming back with knee still sore, three weeks after hoped-for return date. |
5 |
| 8 | PACERS (24-16) |
LAST WEEK: 1-2 Not that they depend on defense but Hibbert (49.8%), David West at 45.9% and Jeff Foster (50% in 141 minutes all season) only ones on roster shooting over 45%. |
10 |
| 9 | SIXERS (25-17) |
LAST WEEK: 3-0 How low can they go? Not that low, apparently, as win in New York ends notion of Knicks as a rival, caps 3-0 run after three-week 7-11 swoon. Unfortunately, next three are at Indy, vs. Heat, at Chicago. |
13 |
| 10 | NUGGETS (24-19) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Nene scores 20 for fourth time this season as they win sixth of eight but better make it happen now: Four more left on this nine-game homestand… before finishing with 12 of their last 18 on the road. |
9 |
| 11 | HAWKS (24-18) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 They deserve credit for hanging in without Horford but they must be getting tired of tearing out of the gate, as in this season’s 16-6 start, then playing .500 (actually .400 this season) the rest of the way. |
6 |
| 12 | CLIPPERS (23-17) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 There’s no place like home, or there didn’t used to be: Win at SA makes them 10-8 for 18-game stretch in which 14 were on road, before losses to Warriors, Celtics at Staples. |
11 |
| 13 | MAVERICKS (24-20) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 Still the hot insider’s tab to wind up with D12 and DWill… so let’s see if Mark Cuban tries to move Shawn Marion, the key to creating two near-max slots. |
12 |
| 14 | CELTICS (22-19) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Franchise for sale, or at least its individual parts, from gallant Big Three to Rondo, whom they always seem to be shopping, can never cash in on a point who can shoot like CP3 or Westbrook, after which they always seem to be protesting he’s not that much of a pain. |
14 |
| 15 | ROCKETS (23-20) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Whoever Chandler Parsons is (6-9 small forward from Florida whom they got with No. 38 pick in 2011 draft), he’s averaging 14 points and shooting 65% as a starter this month.. |
15 |
| 16 | WOLVES (22-21) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Ricky Rubio was 18-13 as starter–in three-guard lineup with two of them shooting below 40% (including him) plus Love and Pekovic–before blowing out knee and ending his rookie season and theirs, too. |
16 |
| 17 | BLAZERS (20-22) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 Nate McMillan teams aren’t known for rolling over but Blazers have just lost six of eight, by margins of 17, 18, 12 12, 14, 9. |
17 |
| 18 | JAZZ (20-21) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Meet Lakers of the Northwest Division: Young Jazz is still exceding expectations, at least until it hits the state line: 15-6 at home, 5-15 on the road. |
19 |
| 19 | SUNS (19-22) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Congratulations: After six seasons presiding over departures of both Colangelos, D’Antoni, Amare, Marion, Joe Johnson, et al., owner Bob Sarver has kept bottom from falling out in last two. Unfortunately, you don’t get anything for that. |
18 |
| 20 | WARRIORS (18-22) |
LAST WEEK: 2-1 Huh? Warriors solve their problem at center next season… well, maybe for half of next season… dealing Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. |
21 |
| 21 | BUCKS (18-24) |
LAST WEEK: 3-1 Era ends as Bogut leaves but he’s left so often, they’ll barely notice. Now with Monta, Jennings, they’ve got the most explosive backcourt in entire frozen tundra…. By the way, look who’s tied for No. 8 in East. |
22 |
| 22 | KNICKS (18-24) |
LAST WEEK: 0-4 Cure for Linsanity: Stiff dose of Melo: 0-6 swoon drops recent Time Magazine cover guy’s record as starter to 10-10. Next: Time cover on Melo, who’s 12-20 in his starts, the Grinch of recent Gotham-gone-wild-feel-good Cinderella story/hype. |
20 |
| 23 | CAVALIERS (16-24) |
LAST WEEK: 3-1 East race comes looking for them, too, as they win three in row with Byron Scott fave Alonzo Gee, a little tank who can shoot, averaging 12.8, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals as starter this month, shooting 38% on threes. |
23 |
| 24 | PISTONS (15-27) |
LAST WEEK: 2-1 No, even East race does’t go down this far… Remember Charlie Villanueva, who pioneered Twitter use in NBA dressing rooms? 2009 free agent signee plays first three minutes this season, coming back from ankle sprain. In bad news, he has one more guaranteed season at $8.1 mill. |
24 |
| 25 | NETS (14-29) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 If Knicks really want to get even with Melo, what if they offer him to Nets for DWill, a Mike D’Antoni fave? Remember when Melo was looking for leverage, noting he was born in Brooklyn? |
25 |
| 26 | KINGS (14-28) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Who is Tyreke Evans these days? From 20 points a game and 45.8% as a rookie sensation to 17.8 and 41% in hobbled second season to 17.0 and 42% in this one. |
26 |
| 27 | RAPTORS (14-28) |
LAST WEEK: 2-2 Bargnani finally back, scores 19 in win at Cleveland for their fourth win in last eight. Team thinking about shutting him down again before he ruins a perfectly good lottery slot. |
29 |
| 28 | HORNETS (10-32) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 Eric Gordon has knee scoped which should end season, if not Hornets career. Remember Rasheed Wallace averaging 20 in his one-game career in Atlanta? EG’s at 21 for his two games here. |
27 |
| 29 | WIZARDS (9-32) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 Charlotte has NBA’s worst differential at -13 a game but that figures. Second-worst is Wizards’ -8.5, almost two points worse than next lowest Sacramento at 6.6. With Wizards’ talent, that took some doing. |
28 |
| 30 | BOBCATS (6-34) |
LAST WEEK: 1-3 One Mike got right: Raw as he is, 6-7 1/2 center Bismack Biyombo shows why Bobcats took him at No. 7, averaging 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this month. |
30 |