Howard, Cuban, Garnett, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---I love Dwight Howard, but he was wrong to publicly criticize his coach following a Game 5 loss to the Celtics in which the Magic once again choked down the stretch. Stan Van Gundy is a mediocre coach whose panicky personality prevents him from being a strong leader. However, Dwight Howard needs to take some responsibility. He needs to demand the basketball more often in crunch time. If he had demanded the ball last night, there is no way the Magic would have blown that lead.

---Also, calling out your coach in the midst of a hotly contested series is simply stupid, for it can only lead to added division and tension in the clubhouse. Howard should have kept quiet.

---With this being said, if the Magic lose this series, which is becoming more and more likely as the Celtics are beginning to flex their championship muscles, Stan Van Gundy's job will be in serious jeopardy. In light of the recent comments by Marcin Gortat and now Dwight Howard, it is apparent that Van Gundy lacks the respect of his players.

---But in sports a person's fate can change in the blink of an eye. If the Magic find a way to win this series, all will be forgiven, and Stan Van Gundy's job will be secure.

---After getting embarassed by the Yao-less Rockets in Game 4, the Lakers came out on fire in Game 5 and crushed Houston by forty. The Lakers will probably finish the deal in Game 6, but I desperately hope Houston can pull off a miraculous comeback and win the series, because this Lakers team is incredibly arrogant.

---Obviously, great teams must play with swagger and confidence. The Cavs have swagger. The Celtics have swagger. Michael Jordan's Bulls had swagger. Larry Bird's Celtics had swagger. However, the Lakers push swagger to the point at which they don't even play hard. In Game 4, Kobe's crew came out and went through the motions with a total lack of effort, playing under the assumption that they were inherently superior to a Rockets team without Yao Ming. Sure, they played hard in Game 5, but Game 4 showed their true colors.

---For more on this issue, I urge you to read Tim Keown's terrific article on ESPN.com that discusses Kobe Bryant's obnoxious habit of taunting his opponents after every made shot.

---Speaking of taunting, does Kevin Garnett really find it necessary to growl at the opposing bench after nearly every Celtics basket. KG, I'm a fan, but stop the theatrics. After all, you are not even playing.

---Quick thought on the Mark Cuban controversy: Cuban should not have treated Kenyon Martin's mother with such disrespect, nor should he have shoved the cameraman after the refs missed an obvious intentional foul by Antoine Wright that helped the Nuggets win Game 3. However, I am still a big fan of Mark Cuban. Do I excuse all of his behavior? Absolutely not. Do I love his passion? Absolutely. The bottom line is that he is one of the most devoted owners in all of sports.

---Look for the Nuggets to finish off the Mavs tonight in Denver.

---The Warriors have relieved Chris Mullin of his duties, which is simply a nice way of saying that Mullin was fired. As a Warriors fan, I disagree with the decision, but I'm glad that we have reached closure on an issue that has served as a major distraction for quite some time.

---Pablo Sandoval! Go Giants!

---The Zack Greinke-Joe Saunders pitching duel over the weekend was baseball at its finest. Fairweather baseball fans complain when home runs are not being hit, but true baseball fans appreciate the beauty of two pitchers dueling to the finish.

---Don't get me wrong: Ryan Zimmerman's hit streak (which, as of this writing, sits at thirty games) is immensely impressive, but I think it is safe to say that Joe DiMaggio's streak will live on.

---Think AL East, and you think Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. The Blue Jays are flying under the radar. But this team has a lot of talent in the likes of Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Roy Halladay, and while I do not think they'll be able to maintain their current standing atop the division, I do think Toronto has enough to stay in the race until mid-August.

---And finally, the Dodgers are struggling without Manny, and I'm loving it.