Thank You, Dwight Howard: Part II

Playoff coverage has become ridiculous. Obviously, each game carries urgent weight, but the way the storyline and analysis swing so wildly after each outcome is overblown. Heroes become eternal chokers and vice versa in the span of two games. Shouldn't we at least wait four games before writing the tombstone on someone's career?

To wit, the treatment of the Magic's star center, Dwight Howard. After his team blew a 14-point lead in Game 5 against the Celtics three weeks ago, he was taking heaps of criticism for not carrying his team as a superstar should. (Howard didn't help his cause by complaining about his coach and teammates during the postgame press conference.) So much for that scorn, though. Since then, he delivered a masterful performance in the next game, the Magic won the series and, over the weekend, defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals. His overall statistics for the 2009 playoffs: 21.7 points per game and 15.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers are generally unassailable to me.

Howard, who's only 23 years old, really could be a transformational player in NBA history. His combination of sheer power and nimble athleticism are astonishing for a man who is 7 feet tall, weighs 265 pounds and has deltoids that are thicker than my waist. Last week, against the Cavaliers, their (and the NBA's) star player, guard LeBron James, was racing down court and stopped short to shoot a three-pointer. Howard was galloping after James, caught up, leapt past James and yet was still able to pivot his body so he turned to block James' shot. Truly incredible body power and control. (Ridiculously, Howard was called for a foul.)

Howard's offensive game is crude and reliant on his ability to overpower defenders rather than deftly beat them. But even then, it's like nothing my generation has seen from NBA centers, who have always been lumbering, even when they were elegant low-post players such as Hakeem Olajuwon. Howard moves like someone half his size, which has many unimaginable implications that are very exciting. And he's always smiling and clearly having fun, making millions of dollars playing a game. How can you beat that?

Magic beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.