[quote name='Matt Young']Great win by the Lakers. Lots of Mexicans shooting off fireworks in my neighborhood. It's wonderful to see Phil Jackson get his 10th ring, and to see Kobe and Derek Fisher celebrating their 4th together.
I think we learned 2 big things about the Magic in this series, that kind of go hand in hand: They're one piece short of being a championship team, and Dwight Howard, while an excellent player, is not a good leader for this team. He's more like Pau Gasol, but with better defense; a very good big man who needs someone else to help him, particularly on offense.[/QUOTE]
Howard can get there, but his attitude has to change.
Here's the thing about the Magic: They paid Rashard Lewis "The Man"-level money. He is obviously not that. That's a lot of money tied up into what should be your #2 or #3 guy. I see him as very comparable to Lamar Odom. He's that hybrid SF/PF player who can cause matchup problems all over the court, but he comes and goes. But let's say you keep him, Howard, and Jameer Nelson together. That's a good core. You're still missing that top-tier wing player who can score on his own. There are no top-tier free agents this summer who I would see as team leaders. Maybe Turkoglu walks, or maybe he stays and can be traded. The Magic won't get a superstar in exchange. They have to work with what they have.
If Howard learns from this year's experience, and a couple players develop a bit more, they should be a lock for at least the conference finals next year. They are a very good team, and I can see them making another run next year as they are currently built.