The New York Knicks led by two points at the end of the fourth quarter and had effectively shut out Jett Howard for the entire second half. But they knew the player they needed to fear on the game’s final possession.
They knew exactly the threat a player like Howard could pose as they sought their first win.
With 7.2 seconds to play, the Magic tried to inbound the ball, as the Knicks switched every screen. It was all meant to set up Howard for a quick elevator to the top of the key and assumedly the game-winning basket.
The whole gravity of the court shifted with his every movement. It being Summer League, the Magic could not quite execute the play well enough to get him the shot. But the intention was clear.
Nobody wanted overtime and the Magic wanted to design a play for their best shooter.
So the play coming out of the timeout was much simpler. They would start Howard in the backcourt and give him a running start to get into his shot. Howard did not hit the shot that would win the game. He got to his spot with two players around him, created the space and hoisted toward the rim.
It hit off the backboard and off the rim right to the streaking Anthony Black to finish it and force overtime.
Jett Howard has displayed the shooting prowess and skill this Orlando Magic team has been desperately seeking as much of his Summer League play looks transferrable to the regular season.
But the notice was served. It was served throughout a 22-point, 8-for-17 shooting performance. It has been served throughout a Summer League where every time Howard seems to get himself involved he provides the exact kind of shooting and gravity the Magic have been missing.
"“Honestly I just felt like I got the ball a lot,” Howard said after Wednesday’s loss to the New York Knicks. “It gave me the confidence when I came out early striking. I just kept it rolling.“Sometimes I feel like viewers have to sit there and watch and I can’t do too much talking. It’s up to them. I feel like I’m a Swiss Army knife and I can do whatever they want me to do.”"
Howard has certainly had to push aside the doubts about his selection at No. 11. It is easy to see from his Summer League run what his potential can be. He is a bigger 6-foot-8 forward who can hit shots off the dribble, create some space off the dribble and play with the length and athleticism the Magic are seeking.
If you take out all the pre-conceived notions and mock drafts, it is easy to see why the Magic targeted Howard. His shooting prowess is evident, but it is the way he gets those shots and the attention that shot-making creates that makes him such a valuable player.
In Summer League, Howard is averaging 13.3 points per game, shooting 15 for 39 from the field overall and 8 for 20 on 3-pointers. There are the normal inefficiencies that come from a rookie feeling his way through the Summer League embedded in that. And certainly, the Magic have seen some of his weaknesses as an off-the-dribble attacker.
Like any rookie, the game still seems fast for him.
What happened Wednesday is that it seemed to slow down and all the potential and shooting talent came to the front.
Wednesday’s game really put everything on display. The Magic could see Howard as a spot-up shooter. They could see him shoot on the move — watch how he quickly lines his feet up to get into his jump. They could see him attack the basket and hit step-back threes.
He moves so quickly into his shot, his presence on the floor and just the littlest of space creates some gravity.
"“He shot the ball well. Four made from threes, hit the huge one in overtime,” Magic Summer League coach Dylan Murphy said after Wednesday’s game. “I thought he played well. He’s learning and growing. every opportunity he is out there, he has gotten better and better.”"
That is the kind of shooting Orlando needs and it was evident with how the Knicks focused on defending him in the second half. New York was much more attentive in the team’s switching scheme and trying to keep the ball out of Howard’s hands. He often found several players around him.
The nature of Summer League makes it hard to draw too many conclusions. This is not the same kind of attention he would likely receive in an NBA game. The Magic would also have other players who could take advantage of that kind of attention — Quinndary Weatherspoon still scored 17 points despite his seven turnovers in the game.
Summer League is about discovering weaknesses in these players too. And the Magic have found some of Howard’s limitations too.
Howard’s biggest weakness has been his attacking off the dribble and that is something this Summer League team has had to ask him to do. But he has shown enough skill off the dribble to set up his shot as defenders blow by or to be a secondary attacker. It is something he can clearly improve upon and grow with.
The concern in any Summer League is that a player is trying to do too much. Howard has perhaps worked too much off the dribble, but it has never felt like he has imposed himself too much onto the game. So many of his best moments — so many moments from Wednesday’s game especially — are easily replicable when he gets to the main roster.
Still, the Magic drafted Howard for his shooting. That is the most important skill he brings to the team. And it is the skill that he has shown the most at Summer League. The skill that seems like it will most easily translate.
And he has shown that in Summer League throughout his three games. It is the exact skill this Magic team needs so desperately.