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Denton Fires Back at Critics
By John Denton
May 5, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – First off, I’d like to thank the 35,000 or so of you who took the time to read my article as to why I thought Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard at least deserved to be in the conversation for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
I haven’t had one of my arguments draw that much attention since the time that I was whistled for a technical foul in a charity basketball game for telling the volunteer referee what he could do with his whistle.
And I’d also like to thank the hundreds of fans – obviously many of them from the LeBron James House of Worship and the greater Cleveland area (an oxymoron if there ever was one!!!) – for taking the time to write me some rather colorful e-mails. I haven’t been called names like that since last month when my wife let me know that I accidentally forgot to pay the utility bill.
For the record, my MVP ballot was as follows: 1. Dwight Howard; 2. LeBron James; 3. Kobe Bryant; 4. Kevin Durant; 5. Dwyane Wade. Six most certainly would have gone to Heat exec Pat Riley had I known he was planning to undercut rising, young coach Erik Spoelestra and cast his name back into the coaching ring. Verrrrrrryyyyy classy, Riles!
I just feel like my ranking of Howard, far and away the best defender in the game, first in the MVP balloting is nowhere near as egregious as, say, the 12 voters who left Howard off the ballot completely, the eight who didn’t deem Durant worthy of a top-five vote or the four who excluded Bryant all together.
I mean, really, Howard did something this year that no player has accomplished in the 36 years that blocks has been an official NBA statistic – he led the NBA in blocked shots and rebounds in back-to-back seasons!!!
And no, Bill Simmons, Dikembe Mutombo never accomplished that feat. Look it up. Only five players in history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace and Howard (twice now) – have set the bar that high. But thanks for the run Bill, I’m flattered! Now, I can die in peace.
My ballot was never intended to be a public matter, hence the secret ballot part of the process. But once it hit the internet, my boss had the idea that I write my reasoning for picking Howard and James 1-2. Now, his grand idea is to reprise our ``Ask JD’’ mailbag with the colorful responses that I received. I told him this was a family website, but he told me to go ahead with the mailbag idea anyway.
So away we go with just some of the good and the bad from an e-mail inbox that runneth over:
Hey John: MVP’s don't average 10 and 10 in a playoff series. MVP’s don’t sit half the game on the bench because they can’t control their emotions and make stupid fouls. MVP’s are the go to man down the stretch. Dwight is the Defensive Player of the Year, not the MVP for a reason. If SVG and you Magic homers want DH to be MVP, then the offense needs to go through DH and he actually needs to take over in the 4th quarter. That NEVER has happened. DH is not the NBA MVP, get over it.
CLICK HERE TO READ FANS' COMMENTS & DENTON'S RESPONSES>>>
By John Denton
May 5, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – First off, I’d like to thank the 35,000 or so of you who took the time to read my article as to why I thought Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard at least deserved to be in the conversation for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
I haven’t had one of my arguments draw that much attention since the time that I was whistled for a technical foul in a charity basketball game for telling the volunteer referee what he could do with his whistle.
And I’d also like to thank the hundreds of fans – obviously many of them from the LeBron James House of Worship and the greater Cleveland area (an oxymoron if there ever was one!!!) – for taking the time to write me some rather colorful e-mails. I haven’t been called names like that since last month when my wife let me know that I accidentally forgot to pay the utility bill.
For the record, my MVP ballot was as follows: 1. Dwight Howard; 2. LeBron James; 3. Kobe Bryant; 4. Kevin Durant; 5. Dwyane Wade. Six most certainly would have gone to Heat exec Pat Riley had I known he was planning to undercut rising, young coach Erik Spoelestra and cast his name back into the coaching ring. Verrrrrrryyyyy classy, Riles!
I just feel like my ranking of Howard, far and away the best defender in the game, first in the MVP balloting is nowhere near as egregious as, say, the 12 voters who left Howard off the ballot completely, the eight who didn’t deem Durant worthy of a top-five vote or the four who excluded Bryant all together.
I mean, really, Howard did something this year that no player has accomplished in the 36 years that blocks has been an official NBA statistic – he led the NBA in blocked shots and rebounds in back-to-back seasons!!!
And no, Bill Simmons, Dikembe Mutombo never accomplished that feat. Look it up. Only five players in history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace and Howard (twice now) – have set the bar that high. But thanks for the run Bill, I’m flattered! Now, I can die in peace.
My ballot was never intended to be a public matter, hence the secret ballot part of the process. But once it hit the internet, my boss had the idea that I write my reasoning for picking Howard and James 1-2. Now, his grand idea is to reprise our ``Ask JD’’ mailbag with the colorful responses that I received. I told him this was a family website, but he told me to go ahead with the mailbag idea anyway.
So away we go with just some of the good and the bad from an e-mail inbox that runneth over:
Hey John: MVP’s don't average 10 and 10 in a playoff series. MVP’s don’t sit half the game on the bench because they can’t control their emotions and make stupid fouls. MVP’s are the go to man down the stretch. Dwight is the Defensive Player of the Year, not the MVP for a reason. If SVG and you Magic homers want DH to be MVP, then the offense needs to go through DH and he actually needs to take over in the 4th quarter. That NEVER has happened. DH is not the NBA MVP, get over it.
CLICK HERE TO READ FANS' COMMENTS & DENTON'S RESPONSES>>>
