im not you
Banned
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- May 29, 2009
In a basketball sense, Howard said the biggest adjustment he wants to make to his game is a "mental" one to help him improve his free-throw shooting. Howard made 59.2 percent of his foul shots during the regular season and only 51.9 percent in the playoffs.
"I target it every offseason," Howard said. "It's all mental. That's why I said that my biggest area of growth would be mentally. I think that's the area that I have to just really focus on this summer — just being mentally tough — because I can get out here in practice and there's nobody out there and make 200 free throws and then get in the game and not do the same thing. So, it's all mental. Once I get over that, that mental block, then I think I'll be a lot better."
Some help might come from former Houston Rockets all-star Hakeem Olajuwon, who spoke with Howard during the Eastern Conference finals. Olajuwon has made himself available to NBAplayers in recent years; he even spent some time last summer working with Kobe Bryant to help Bryant to develop his low-post game.
"In the next couple of weeks, we will see each other," Howard said of Olajuwon. "I just can't wait to go up there. He's a great guy. He had a lot of great things to say. I'm just looking forward to having the chance to work with him."
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Howard made big strides as a leader during the last three games of the Eastern Conference finals. Van Gundy also liked that Howard's repertoire on offense widened during the regular season.
"As far as where his improvement goes from here, I think it becomes more gradual," Van Gundy said. "The one thing that stands out, of course, and he's working very hard on it, is the free-throw shooting. I think that alone would change the way he got played and everything else. He'll continue to work at that."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-magic-dwight-howard-20100531,0,4937090.story
"I target it every offseason," Howard said. "It's all mental. That's why I said that my biggest area of growth would be mentally. I think that's the area that I have to just really focus on this summer — just being mentally tough — because I can get out here in practice and there's nobody out there and make 200 free throws and then get in the game and not do the same thing. So, it's all mental. Once I get over that, that mental block, then I think I'll be a lot better."
Some help might come from former Houston Rockets all-star Hakeem Olajuwon, who spoke with Howard during the Eastern Conference finals. Olajuwon has made himself available to NBAplayers in recent years; he even spent some time last summer working with Kobe Bryant to help Bryant to develop his low-post game.
"In the next couple of weeks, we will see each other," Howard said of Olajuwon. "I just can't wait to go up there. He's a great guy. He had a lot of great things to say. I'm just looking forward to having the chance to work with him."
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Howard made big strides as a leader during the last three games of the Eastern Conference finals. Van Gundy also liked that Howard's repertoire on offense widened during the regular season.
"As far as where his improvement goes from here, I think it becomes more gradual," Van Gundy said. "The one thing that stands out, of course, and he's working very hard on it, is the free-throw shooting. I think that alone would change the way he got played and everything else. He'll continue to work at that."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-magic-dwight-howard-20100531,0,4937090.story
