Under the Microscope: Dwight Howard

Each week, Under The Microscope looks at a different NBA player and where they are in the season, as well as how they're perceived on and off the court. On Thursday, the Magic hosts the Cavaliers, and we'll be keeping an eye on Dwight Howard, who is widely considered to be the best center in the league (or at least the best center that hasn't collapsed a dude's lung). Join us after the jump to see where Howard is and where he might be headed.

Name: Dwight David Howard

Tangibles: 6' 11", 265 lbs., 7' 4.5" wingspan, 35.5" max. vertical (measurement stats via Draft Express).

Position: C, Orlando Magic

Born: December 8, 1985

Drafted: 1st Overall, 2004

Key stats: 20.1 ppg, 19.9 pper36, 56% FG%, 56% eFG% (according to Basketball-Reference.com), 25.28 PER (Hollinger, natch), 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg

Where He's At: Taking the next step. Howard is the best center in the league. The only people that would doubt this wear XL Kobe jerseys and alternately type "BYNUM RULEZ" and "KOBE RULEZ" on forum boards. Or they live in China. Howard's combination of size, athleticism, and raw power has made him an almost unsolvable element. Throw in his ever-increasing emphasis on defense, the product of the coaching equivalent of a religious crusade by Stan Van Gundy, and you've got a franchise center that most teams can only dream of.

This season hasn't been a revelation or a huge explosion for Howard, but he's managed to start filling in some of the smaller gaps. His turnovers are down this season, if only slightly, but are still high at just under three per game. His footwork has improved, and that's helped his mid-lane runner and drop-hook. His drop-hook is still far from reliable, and he still primarily depends on the dunk. Most impressive this season has been his ease with working out of the double team to kick-start the rotation, and that's significantly helped the Magic with their dominant three-point shooting.

Defensively, there's a huge gap between the "good" Dwight Howard and the bad. At times he's simply dominant, using his incredible athleticism and wingspan to completely shut down drives with powerful blocks and being an enforcer in the paint. Yet oftentimes you'll find commentators, or Stan Van Gundy, exasperated by Howard's lack of focus defensively. In fact, if Howard were to fine tune his game to put maximum effort on the defensive end, he could be a dominant defensive center, the likes of which are rarely seen in a generation. His work has improved this season, and actually several of his blocks are "accidentally" goal-tends, where the player clearly misses his shot for whatever reason, but it manages to scrape the backboard just enough to warrant the goaltending charge, even though Howard clearly would have blocked it regardless. He's able to muscle up against the best, doing a fantastic job against Andrew Bynum earlier this season in LA, and routinely shutting down lesser centers.

His rebounding is a particular strength, as he not only uses his size to simply reach up and anticipate the ball, but his athleticism allows him to slide between players out-hustle them as well.

But he cannot hit free throws.

Who He Is To Us: Howard has somehow managed to encapsulate so many of the things we admire in athletes all at once that the Superman theme tends to ring more true than it did with Shaq, regardless of what the Big Suns-Killer might have to say about it. Howard's coming-out party was definitely the All-Star Dunk Contest, but while his synergy of positive regard tends to echo the man of steel, his lighthearted demeanor and fun, friendly attitude -- combined with his devout faith -- bring more reference to Simba from the Lion King. Yet Howard is even more "fun" than that, often times portrayed as the jokester, the clown prince of rebounds, and this makes him wholly likeable. All of this is said before considering his upbringing as the son of a state trooper and his considerable charity work. For some this makes him bland and boring, and to sponsors, a resentment. They prefer big men with a mean streak, crashing into opponents and warning them, verbally or through flagrant fouls, not to enter the lane. Howard prefers to invite you in, chuckling, and then kindly reject you when you attempt a shot. You're welcome in his lane, but no, silly man, you can't score here.

His dunks are the primary image his persona resonates with basketball fans, and they are at once terrifying and jovial. The put-back dunks where he seems to slam the ball so hard you're concerned he may have just buried it into the Earth's molten core are essentially a nightly occurence, and the Superman dunk, or "dunk" for those with a stick in ucomfortable places, defined him for a generation. For many it was refreshing simply to see someone have that much fun on the floor.

There are darker sides, though, as there are with every man, no matter how super they may be. His first son being born should have been a solely joyous occasion, but when someone with that profoundly open of a faith is involved in an extra-marital relationship, particularly in Florida, well, there's going to be some eyebrow raising. In more, actually fair, terms of evaluation, Howard's stymied growth has inspired doubt in some. He's yet to lock down a full-proof drop-step hook, his jumper is abysmal, and as always, his defensive effort is questioned, even on the nights where he pours in double digit blocks. The mark of a great player in this league is the never ending criticism of those who see the incredible, yet demand more from that player. Howard is often criticized for never aspiring to true greatness.

But remember: He is 23.

In many ways, he's the anti-Chris-Paul, or perhaps, Paul's good-natured twin. While Paul has an indomitable will to defeat his opponent, to do whatever it takes and is known for his thirst for vengeance at both ends of the floor as well as his willingness to throw the occasional cheap shot, Howard has never reached that level of malevolence. He's not brutal. He's powerful and exacting, but never cruel. And while Paul is centered around precision and style, Howard is the manifestation of power and might. And though the demands ratchet up every season for him, he's taken the Magic to the playoffs as a top seed, and have people believing this year that they might actually be a legit contender. Insert Gatorade "The Legend Continues" line here.

What to Watch tonight: It's not yet clear whether Zydrunas Ilgauskas will play against the Magic, and reports indicate there's only a 25 percent chance. Howard will be tested by a formidable frontcourt of Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace. Without Ilgauskas, though, he should be able to keep the upper hand and frustrate the Cavs' frontcourt. Foul trouble is the big question, as the Cavs have the ability to relentlessly attack the basket with LeBron James, and Varejao has been known to flop draw a charge or two. If Howard can't stay on the floor, a major hole opens inside defensively for the Magic. On offense, you'll notice his two-step half-layup-half-hook shot, and he's got that down to a science. Howard is averaging close to 14 rebounds per game, and that's a big key for the Magic to create second-shot opportunities for their perimeter players. The Cavs are defensively sound, so I wouldn't hope for many alley-oops.

Expect Howard's very Shaq-like free throw issues to play a major part, as the Cavs will have no problem fouling him in the second half unless he's attacked the rim and gotten fouls on them in the first. Howard's taken to some strange antics lately, staring at his hand when he hits a free throw and generally goofing around when the game is close late. Think of it as Rasheed Wallace without the rage issues. It should be a fantastic game, and Howard is prime for a big one.

Check back tomorrow to see what the night yielded in particular for Dwight Howard.