Orlando Magic News & Notes: Dwight Howard Interviews, Pat Ewing Jr., How To Beat The Double Team

Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie got a chance to catch up with Magic Center Dwight Howard.

"Kelly Dwyer: I kind of want to get right to what bugs me the most – do you think those who are giving you the most criticism about your post game actually know how hard it is to be a post player in this league, in 2010? With the legal zone and, more or less, legal flopping?Dwight Howard: I think those guys have never really played basketball. I find it entertaining, very funny, that those who have never played the game are telling people that they can’t play it at a high level."

You can read the full transcript here.

CBS Sports also caught up with the big man.

"CBS: Are you guys motivated by people constantly discussing a certain other team in Florida who shall remain unnamed because it’s so early in the morning?DH: [Laughing] We understand that it’s gonna be there all year — they hype surrounding the Miami Heat. You know, the team that they have, they should have a lot of hype. But I’ve been on teams where we had a lot of great players and we didn’t win when it counted — so it’s not about who you have on a team in terms of stars and big names, it’s about how that team plays together and what they can accomplish as a team."

You can read that transcript here.

Rashard Lewis has learned some new moves in the post.

"QUESTION: What’s up JD? I have a question about Rashard Lewis playing the power forward position. I felt the reason it worked the year we went to the Finals was because Hedo Turkoglu was also 6-foot-10 and gave us a mismatch at small forward. Do you think the Magic would consider a more conventional lineup and use Ryan Anderson or Brandon Bass at the PF? — Jean FremontANSWER: After talking to Rashard lately, I can tell you that he worked out with legendary big man Hakeem Olajuwon this summer to come up with some more moves in the low post. Hakeem talked to Lewis about using his body more to attack small forwards when switched to him in the low post.Using Lewis at power forward the past three years was a stroke of genius by head coach Stan Van Gundy because it gave the Magic a tremendous 3-point threat and pulled other bigs away from the rim to give Howard more room to operate inside.But Lewis has been told this summer to be ready to play more at the small forward position."

You can read John Denton’s mailbag here.

Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook explains how the Magic beat double teams.

Magic ticket prices could be very high this season, depending on the opponent.

Patrick Ewing Jr., who played with Orlando’s summer league team and is the son of Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing, has signed with his dad’s former team – the New York Knicks.

Atlanta Hawks guard and 2009-2010 Sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford wants an extension or a trade.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger, a contributor on the Fansided Front Page, and co-host of CB Sports Radio from 5-7 pm week days (1420sports.com). Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Twitter to follow him daily. You can download the HTD app here).