Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis is well-respected by Dwight Howard (Michael Hickey, US Presswire)

Let’s assume for a moment that the Orlando Magic indeed have reached out to the Golden State Warriors in recent days to try and acquire Monta Ellis, as has been reported.

What does that mean for the Magic’s chances for retaining Howard long-term?

It could mean everything. It could mean nothing.

Here is what we know for sure: Magic officials planned to speak with Howard, either formally or informally, on or about March 1 to see if there is any chance he would remain long-term. Magic CEO Alex Martins has communicated with Howard for months now, ever since Martins took over for Bob Vander Weide and inherited a situation that had reached a crisis point.

It would be a great achievement for the Magic — akin to a comeback from 25 points down in the fourth quarter — if Howard has told Martins that he will stay long-term if the team acquires certain players. It also would be a big comeback if Howard has told Martins that he will not opt out of his contract this summer and remain for at least the 2012-13 season if the team acquires certain players.

Howard did indicate publicly during All-Star weekend that he had not made up his mind about his future.

Right now, we just don’t know what, if anything, Howard has told the team.

It’s possible — if the Ellis rumor is accurate — that the Magic simply are going for a Hail Mary. Maybe they have not received any assurances from Howard, but they know that Howard publicly has said that he would love to play with Ellis (and with Stephen Jackson, Anthony Morrow, Chris Paul and Deron Williams). Having Ellis could help the Magic’s chances to re-sign Howard this summer.

The same goes for the Steve Nash rumors. If the Magic make a serious play for Nash, the team simply could be going all-in to win a title now for 85-year-old owner Rich DeVos and then hope a nice playoff run makes Howard consider not opting out this offseason.

Indeed, it will be difficult for the Magic to acquire either Ellis or Nash. The Magic might not have the assets the Warriors need. And Nash has said he will not ask for a trade.

Howard probably will continue to keep mum for at least the next couple of weeks.

He has been criticized over the last two months for saying the Magic did not follow his personnel suggestions. All you have to do is connect the dots. Since Howard was making personnel suggestions, he clearly was not satisfied with the composition of the roster and was, as General Manager Otis Smth has said, indirectly throwing at least one player “under the bus.”

All indications over the last few weeks were that Howard was hell-bent on testing free agency this upcoming summer and that he even would have been happy to agree with a new team to a four-year deal at 4.5 percent annual raises that included an opt-out after three seasons.

Right now, I would advise Magic fans not to jump to any conclusions just yet.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

The rumored deal would also involve forward Hedo Turkoglu and point guard Jameer Nelson going to the Lakers, and the Raptors sending point guard Jose Calderon to Orlando. What Toronto would get in return is not known.

The Magic, by many accounts, will not trade Howard before the March 15 deadline, with the intention of trying to convince him to stay in Orlando. In order to do that, they’d have to surround Howard with a team he believes can compete for a title. To that end, Real GM reports, Magic general manager Otis Smith will make an aggressive bid to acquire point guard Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns.

As always, we recommend putting some salt on all these rumors.

– This article originally appeared on SportingNews.com

Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be looking to screen Avery Bradley when the Magic face the Celtics tonight (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel)

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley bedeviled the Orlando Magic when the Celtics humiliated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night. Bradley applied pressure whenever Jameer Nelson brought the ball up the court and prevented the Magic from getting into their offense.

But Bradley better keep his head on a swivel tonight, because his former teammate, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, will be waiting to screen him.

“I’ve never seen a point guard dominate the game like that in a way to get us out of our offense and get some key steals,” Davis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today.

“So he’ll be seeing me today.”

Davis meant it only half-jokingly.

The Magic need to give Nelson some space to operate if Bradley attempts to apply the same kind of pressure, and screens by Davis could help get some distance between Nelson and Bradley.

“Avery is a great player,” Davis said later. “He most definitely is. His defensive game is unbelievable, the way he approaches the game defensively and the way he attacks. I’ve seen it. It’s just about him getting on the court and doing what he has to do.”

When the Magic acquired Davis in December, both General Manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy said Davis was one of the NBA’s best screeners.

Davis will have yet another opportunity to prove that tonight.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be looking to screen Avery Bradley when the Magic face the Celtics tonight (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel)

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley bedeviled the Orlando Magic when the Celtics humiliated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night. Bradley applied pressure whenever Jameer Nelson brought the ball up the court and prevented the Magic from getting into their offense.

But Bradley better keep his head on a swivel tonight, because his former teammate, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, will be waiting to screen him.

“I’ve never seen a point guard dominate the game like that in a way to get us out of our offense and get some key steals,” Davis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today.

“So he’ll be seeing me today.”

Davis meant it only half-jokingly.

The Magic need to give Nelson some space to operate if Bradley attempts to apply the same kind of pressure, and screens by Davis could help get some distance between Nelson and Bradley.

“Avery is a great player,” Davis said later. “He most definitely is. His defensive game is unbelievable, the way he approaches the game defensively and the way he attacks. I’ve seen it. It’s just about him getting on the court and doing what he has to do.”

When the Magic acquired Davis in December, both General Manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy said Davis was one of the NBA’s best screeners.

Davis will have yet another opportunity to prove that tonight.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be looking to screen Avery Bradley when the Magic face the Celtics tonight (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel)

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley bedeviled the Orlando Magic when the Celtics humiliated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night. Bradley applied pressure whenever Jameer Nelson brought the ball up the court and prevented the Magic from getting into their offense.

But Bradley better keep his head on a swivel tonight, because his former teammate, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, will be waiting to screen him.

“I’ve never seen a point guard dominate the game like that in a way to get us out of our offense and get some key steals,” Davis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today.

“So he’ll be seeing me today.”

Davis meant it only half-jokingly.

The Magic need to give Nelson some space to operate if Bradley attempts to apply the same kind of pressure, and screens by Davis could help get some distance between Nelson and Bradley.

“Avery is a great player,” Davis said later. “He most definitely is. His defensive game is unbelievable, the way he approaches the game defensively and the way he attacks. I’ve seen it. It’s just about him getting on the court and doing what he has to do.”

When the Magic acquired Davis in December, both General Manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy said Davis was one of the NBA’s best screeners.

Davis will have yet another opportunity to prove that tonight.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

INDIANAPOLIS — Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith indicated Tuesday that it is unlikely the team will extend the contract of power forward Ryan Anderson before Wednesday night’s 11:59 EST deadline to do so for members of the 2008 draft class.

Anderson is on course to become a restricted free agent in July, and the Magic would have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Anderson could sign with another team.

“The fact of the matter is that there are very few guys that get extended contracts like that coming off rookie deals,” Smith said before the Magic faced the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“We like Ryan. We’d like to keep him on our team. Quite honestly, we still have the right of first refusal because he’d be a restricted free agent. It could backfire, and we could have to pay more. But that’s the risk we’ve chosen to take.”

Smith acknowledged that Dwight Howard’s unsettled situation did factor into the team’s decision because the team does not know what its roster will look like in the months and years ahead. Not extending Anderson’s contract helps maintain some flexibility.

Anderson said before tipoff that he wasn’t worried about the situation and that he hadn’t thought much about a possible extension.

“I love it here [with the Magic],” Anderson said. “I want to play here for a long time. But this is my last year of my deal, so there’s still after the season [to get something done], and we’ll see what happens there. But it’s something that’s out of my control.

“Right now, there’s just so much going on with our team,” he also said. “It’s not really something that I know is on the forefront of Otis’ mind. It’s understandable just because we’ve got a lot going on right now.”

That said, this has been a breakout season for the 23-year-old Anderson.

He entered Tuesday averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Still stings

The Magic’s 87-56 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday night still bothered Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy late Tuesday afternoon.

“When you go to a game like that and you, as a coach, can’t find any answers, yeah, it’s going to eat at you for a long time,” Van Gundy said.

“Even after tonight’s game that one will eat at me. It will eat at me probably in July, August, September, the year 2013, ’14, ’15.”

Davis: still adjusting

Power forward Glen Davis’ first month and a half with the Magic has been filled with peaks and valleys. For every game in which he provided high-energy hustle plays, there seemed to be a game in which he lost his dirty-work focus and placed too much emphasis on scoring.

It appears that Davis still has plenty of adjusting left to do.

After the Magic lost to the Celtics, Davis indicated that he still is finding his way, and that he would prefer to be in Orlando’s starting lineup.

He was asked if playing for the Magic is a better fit for him than playing for the Celtics.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “I don’t know yet. I’m in the same situation I was here: coming off the bench. So, the only thing I know is that I got paid a little bit more money.”

He laughed a bit.

“It’s a process,” he continued. “It’s a system that I’ve got to get used to, and I don’t know. I don’t know. I know what I’m supposed to do, but I don’t know yet. I’m still searching.”

Layups

• Super Bowl XLVI already has taken a toll on the Magic. Due to construction work related to the big game, it took one of the team’s two buses about 40 minutes Tuesday to travel perhaps eight blocks from the team’s downtown Indianapolis hotel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

• The Magic are scheduled to play in Indianapolis again on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl. And because there are no hotel rooms available, the Magic will travel to Indianapolis on the day of the game and return to Florida immediately afterward.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

INDIANAPOLIS — Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith indicated Tuesday that it is unlikely the team will extend the contract of power forward Ryan Anderson before Wednesday night’s 11:59 EST deadline to do so for members of the 2008 draft class.

Anderson is on course to become a restricted free agent in July, and the Magic would have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Anderson could sign with another team.

“The fact of the matter is that there are very few guys that get extended contracts like that coming off rookie deals,” Smith said before the Magic faced the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“We like Ryan. We’d like to keep him on our team. Quite honestly, we still have the right of first refusal because he’d be a restricted free agent. It could backfire, and we could have to pay more. But that’s the risk we’ve chosen to take.”

Smith acknowledged that Dwight Howard’s unsettled situation did factor into the team’s decision because the team does not know what its roster will look like in the months and years ahead. Not extending Anderson’s contract helps maintain some flexibility.

Anderson said before tipoff that he wasn’t worried about the situation and that he hadn’t thought much about a possible extension.

“I love it here [with the Magic],” Anderson said. “I want to play here for a long time. But this is my last year of my deal, so there’s still after the season [to get something done], and we’ll see what happens there. But it’s something that’s out of my control.

“Right now, there’s just so much going on with our team,” he also said. “It’s not really something that I know is on the forefront of Otis’ mind. It’s understandable just because we’ve got a lot going on right now.”

That said, this has been a breakout season for the 23-year-old Anderson.

He entered Tuesday averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Still stings

The Magic’s 87-56 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday night still bothered Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy late Tuesday afternoon.

“When you go to a game like that and you, as a coach, can’t find any answers, yeah, it’s going to eat at you for a long time,” Van Gundy said.

“Even after tonight’s game that one will eat at me. It will eat at me probably in July, August, September, the year 2013, ’14, ’15.”

Davis: still adjusting

Power forward Glen Davis’ first month and a half with the Magic has been filled with peaks and valleys. For every game in which he provided high-energy hustle plays, there seemed to be a game in which he lost his dirty-work focus and placed too much emphasis on scoring.

It appears that Davis still has plenty of adjusting left to do.

After the Magic lost to the Celtics, Davis indicated that he still is finding his way, and that he would prefer to be in Orlando’s starting lineup.

He was asked if playing for the Magic is a better fit for him than playing for the Celtics.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “I don’t know yet. I’m in the same situation I was here: coming off the bench. So, the only thing I know is that I got paid a little bit more money.”

He laughed a bit.

“It’s a process,” he continued. “It’s a system that I’ve got to get used to, and I don’t know. I don’t know. I know what I’m supposed to do, but I don’t know yet. I’m still searching.”

Layups

• Super Bowl XLVI already has taken a toll on the Magic. Due to construction work related to the big game, it took one of the team’s two buses about 40 minutes Tuesday to travel perhaps eight blocks from the team’s downtown Indianapolis hotel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

• The Magic are scheduled to play in Indianapolis again on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl. And because there are no hotel rooms available, the Magic will travel to Indianapolis on the day of the game and return to Florida immediately afterward.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

Only a year and a half has passed since the Orlando Magic made a crucial decision about J.J. Redick. The team chose to retain Redick by matching the three-year, $19 million offer sheet Redick had signed from the Chicago Bulls as a restricted free agent.

It’s tough to believe, but the Magic have another contract-related decision to make about Redick within the next six months.

It was not disclosed at the time — the team does release details about player contracts — but the Magic essentially hold a team option for the final year of his deal, the 2012-13 season. In the highly unlikely event the Magic waive him before July 8, Redick would not be owed any of the roughly $6 million he is due for that season, and he would become an unrestricted free agent.

“It’s not even on my mind,” Redick answered when asked about his status for next season.

“I haven’t even discussed it with [General Manager] Otis [Smith]. My agent, I don’t even think, has discussed it with Otis. My assumption is that this organization has some decisions to make with Dwight [Howard], and that will take precedence, and whatever they decide, they’ll have until July 7th to do it.”

Team options and player options are relatively common in the NBA, and it would seem that retaining Redick for 2012-13 would be a no-brainer unless he is traded before then.

The franchise has shown a willingness to spend heavily on payroll in recent years.

Last month, it committed $26 million over four years to acquire big man Glen Davis in a sign-and-trade deal. Also last month, the Magic re-signed shooting guard Jason Richardson to a four-year deal worth about $25 million.

Is it conceivable that the Magic would want to shed salary — including Redick’s — to free up cap space to make a run at a free agent next summer? Possible, but the team also would have to make a series of other moves, too.

Then again, with Howard wanting a trade, the Magic’s roster could look much different three months from now, let alone six months from now.

Redick, 27, recently has enhanced his value to the Magic and, potentially, to other teams before the March 15 trade deadline.

He is averaging 13.8 points per game off the bench and is shooting 50.9 percent from the field. It’s early, but so far, he has outplayed Richardson on the offensive end of the court.

If nothing else, Redick has proven he has recovered fully from offseason surgery to repair two abdominal tears in his lower abdomen.

Redick made it clear what he hopes will happen in 2012-13.

He wants to stay with the Magic.

“I’d love to be back,” he said.

Travel change

A Magic official said the team has received permission from the league office to make unusual travel arrangements for its game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 4.

After the Magic play the Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando on Friday, Feb. 3, the Magic will not fly immediately to Indianapolis, as the league typically would require.

The reason: There are no hotel rooms available in Indianapolis, because Super Bowl XLVI will be played there on Feb. 5.

Team officials did tried to secure rooms, but their attempts failed.

So the Magic are planning to hold a walkthrough in Orlando on the day of the game and then fly to Indianapolis sometime early in the afternoon. The Magic will return to Central Florida immediately after the game ends.

Layups

• The Washington Wizards, who will play the Magic on Wednesday, practiced on the Magic’s practice court at Amway Center on Tuesday afternoon.

• Wednesday’s game against Washington might not be entirely pleasant for Howard. Wizards coach Flip Saunders said: “The biggest thing when you play against great players [is] somehow you want to try to make them uncomfortable playing and do whatever you can to make them uncomfortable where they just don’t get into a great rhythm.”

• Monday night, Saunders was ejected early in the first quarter of Washington’s 100-92 loss to the Boston Celtics. Saunders was incensed that a foul wasn’t called when a Celtics player fell on Rashard Lewis. Afterward, a lot of Wizards players said they appreciated Saunders for sticking up for them. “As I’ve told players, you’re pretty much a family as a team,” Saunders said Tuesday. “So anytime you’re in that kind of a situation and you see someone that is not being treated fairly by someone, you have to back him. As a coach, I’m going to back my players. I’m not saying I want to get thrown out of every game in order to do that.”

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.

Quentin Richardson

Small forward

Age: 31

Years with Magic/NBA: 1/11.

2010-11 regular-season stats: 57 G, 16.8 mpg, .341 fg%, .288 3p%, .750 ft%, 4.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.7 apg

2010-11 advanced regular-season stats#: .454 ts%, .424 efg%, 10.9 trb%, 97 oftg, 103 drtg

2011 postseason stats: 6 G, 16.3 mpg, .533 fg%, .500 3p%, 1.000 ft%, 3.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.3 apg

2011 advanced postseason stats: .724 ts%, .700 efg%, 9.1 trb%, 137 oftg, 103 drtg

Contract status: Signed through 2013-14, including a player option for the 2013-14 season

Praise: Richardson is a gritty player who embraces the opportunity to guard an opponent’s best wing scorer. Richardson also seems to be good for team chemistry. Even when he wasn’t in the Magic’s regular rotation, he still was the most vocal, most supportive player on the team’s bench.

Your vote: Grade Quentin Richardson’s season with the Orlando Magic

Constructive criticism: Richardson essentially replaced Matt Barnes on the Magic roster. Orlando chose not to offer Barnes a contract after Barnes opted-out of the final year of his deal and instead signed Richardson, who was billed as Barnes’ equal on defense and as a better 3-point shooter. But although Richardson had some good games on defense, he never quite established himself as a true defensive stopper for the Magic. Also, Richardson slumped badly from 3-point range. He entered the season as a career 35.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc, but with Orlando, he posted a career-worst 28.8 shooting percentage from 3-point range. That wasn’t good enough for the Magic’s four-out, one-in offense. That said, Richardson went 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in the playoffs.

2010-11 grade*: C

The future: In 2011-12, the Magic will need more from Richardson, particularly on defense. It will be difficult for Richardson to crack the starting lineup as long as fellow small forward Hedo Turkoglu is on the roster. Richardson can play shooting guard, but he’s more of a small forward. That said, if the Magic don’t re-sign Jason Richardson, it’s possible that Quentin Richardson will see some more time at the 2.

*All advanced statistics come from Basketball-Reference.com. Here’s what they mean:

ts%: True shooting percentage, a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws.

efg%: Effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.

trb%: Total rebound percentage, an estimate of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor.

oftg: Offensive rating, an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.

drtg: Defensive rating, an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions.

*grades evaluate how a person did in his expected role.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.

Jason Richardson

Shooting guard

Age: 30

Years with Magic/NBA: 1/10.

2010-11 regular-season stats (w/Orlando only): 55 G, 34.9 mpg, .433 fg%, .384 3p%, .701 ft%, 13.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg

2010-11 advanced regular-season stats (w/Orlando only)#: .543 ts%, .528 efg%, 6.7 trb%, 109 oftg, 103 drtg

2011 postseason stats: 5 G, 30.6 mpg, .333 fg%, .320 3p%, 1.000 ft%, 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.2 apg

2011 advanced postseason stats: .459 ts%, .412 efg%, 7.8 trb%, 104 oftg, 102 drtg

Contract status: Unrestricted free agent

Praise: Richardson came over from the Phoenix Suns in the mid-December deal that also brought Earl Clark and Hedo Turkoglu to the Magic in exchange for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first-round pick and cash. Richardson finished the regular season as the team’s second-leading scorer. He was a good 3-point shooter, though he wasn’t as accurate as he had been earlier in the season with the Suns. He also embraced the opportunity to take critical shots at the ends of games. The highlight of his Magic tenure arguably occurred on Jan. 19, when he converted a crucial four-point play with 17.0 seconds left in regulation against the Philadelphia 76ers; the Magic won that game in overtime 99-98.

Your vote: Grade Jason Richardson’s season with the Orlando Magic

Constructive criticism: The Magic hoped that Richardson could be a consistent go-to guy and occupy the role that Vince Carter never fully filled. And while Richardson was consistent, he didn’t shoot as well as he did earlier in the season with the Suns. He also didn’t drive to the hoop much and attempted only 1.6 free throws per game — too few attempts for a player with his athletic skills. Richardson also was average at best on defense, though he had some nights in which he excelled. Richardson had a disappointing playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. He was ejected late in Game 3 for an altercation with Zaza Pachulia. Although Pachulia escalated the confrontation with several head butts, Richardson could have exercised more restraint before then. Unltimately, Richardson was suspended for Game 4, which the Magic also lost. Then, in the hours before Game 5, he stepped on some glass at home and needed seven stitches to close a nasty gash on the bottom of his left foot. He played well that night, but he was limited significantly in the series-ending defeat in Game 6.

2010-11 grade*: B-.

The future: Richardson has said he would like to return to the Magic, and the Magic probably would like to have him back at the right price. But much will depend on the new collective bargaining agreement. It’s unlikely the Magic would sign him to a long deal, especially if the team attempts to create cap space for a run at 2012 free agents Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

*All advanced statistics come from Basketball-Reference.com. Here’s what they mean:

ts%: True shooting percentage, a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws.

efg%: Effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.

trb%: Total rebound percentage, an estimate of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor.

oftg: Offensive rating, an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.

drtg: Defensive rating, an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions.

*grades evaluate how a person did in his expected role.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.

DWIGHT HOWARD

Center

Age: 25

Years with Magic/NBA: 7/7.

2010-11 regular-season stats: 78 G, 37.6 mpg, .593 fg%, .000 3p%, .596 ft%, 14.1 rpg, 22.9 ppg

2010-11 advanced regular-season stats*: .616 ts%, .593 efg%, 21.8 trb%, 113 oftg, 94 drtg

2011 postseason stats: 43.0 mpg, .630 fg%, .000 3p%, .682 ft%, 15.5 rpg, 27.0 ppg

2011 advanced postseason stats: .677 ts%, .630 efg%, 21.4 trb%, 113 oftg, 96 drtg

Contract status: Signed through 2012-13 season, with early termination option after 2011-12 season.

Praise: Howard’s diversified offensive game was the talk of training camp, and his hard work in the offseason helped him produce the best offensive season of his career. He led all centers with 22.9 points per game while constantly facing double teams and being forced to carry an offense that lacked another consistent threat. On the other end of the court, Howard played as dominantly as ever on his way to a third consecutive defensive player of the year award. Howard is the best offensive and defensive center in the NBA, and that’s only mildly debatable.

Your vote: Grade Dwight Howard’s season in Orlando

Constructive criticism: Howard says his free-throw shooting is a focus point during his private practices, but the results aren’t there. His free-throw percentage (59.2) was below 60 percent for the sixth consecutive season. With more consistent free-throw shooting, he could be one of the most dominant offensive forces in the NBA. And Howard’s constant jabbering at officials led to a league-high 18 technical fouls, resulting in two separate one-game suspensions.

2010-11 grade*: A

The future: Howard will likely reject the Magic’s proposed two-year extension and exercise his early termination option after the 2011-12 season. Howard says he loves Orlando, but he believes it’s in his best interest – both financially and basketball-wise – to evaluate his options next summer. Magic GM Otis Smith says he doesn’t plan to trade Howard, so it’s on Smith to improve the roster around Howard and make the Magic a title contender again.

# All advanced statistics come from Basketball-Reference.com. Here’s what they mean:

ts%: True shooting percentage, a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws.

efg%: Effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for the fact that a 3-point field goal is worth one more point than a 2-point field goal.

trb%: Total rebound percentage, an estimate of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor.

oftg: Offensive rating, an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.

drtg: Defensive rating, an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions.

*grades evaluate how a person did in his expected role.

zmccann@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

For three weeks, the Orlando Sentinel is going through the Orlando Magic alphabetically, evaluating players, as well as coach Stan Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith, and assigning them grades for 2010-11.

RYAN ANDERSON

Power Forward

Age: 23

Years with Magic/NBA: 2/3.

2010-11 regular-season stats: 64 G, 22.3 mpg, .430 fg%, .393 3p%, .812 ft%, 5.5 rpg, 10.6 ppg

2010-11 advanced regular-season stats: .591 ts%, .558 efg%, 14.5 trb%, 122 oftg, 101 drtg

2011 postseason stats: 24.5 mpg, .267 fg%, .300 3p%, 1.000 ft%, 4.5 rpg, 4.7 ppg

2011 advanced postseason stats: .429 ts%, .367 efg%, 10.9 trb%, 109 oftg, 101 drtg

Contract status: Signed through 2011-12.

Praise: Anderson received consistent minutes for the first time in his career this season, and he blossomed into one of the Magic’s most efficient offensive players. He was second on the Magic with 17.2 points per 36 minutes and the team scored 122 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor, the highest offensive rating of any Magic player. Anderson’s three-point shooting range and selflessness make him a nice fit into the Magic’s offensive system. And Magic coach Stan Van Gundy called Anderson the team’s second-best rebounder, a claim backed up by the numbers.

Constructive criticism: While Anderson will never be an elite defender, he must improve on that side of the ball. Some opponents specifically targeted Anderson in isolation and post-up situations this season, and he was sometimes too slow on defensive rotations. Progression on the defensive end is the way he can earn more minutes. Anderson’s offensive game could use more diversity, as he almost exclusively attempted three-pointers and put-back layups. Despite being a 6-foot-10 power forward, Anderson doesn’t possess a post-game, and that’s somewhere he can get better.

2010-11 grade*: B

The future: Because of his youth and potential, Anderson possesses more trade value than perhaps any other Magic player. The Magic would like to keep him, though. They liked him coming out of the draft in 2009 and see him as an underrated scorer who’s a nice complement to Howard.

*grades evaluate how a person did in his expected role.