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With the regular season winding down and the postseason just a mere six days away, I figured I’d do what other writers have been doing lately — reveal my awards ballot. I know that I’m not a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association, which means I do not have a say in who wins which award but I still wanted to engage in this exercise.

Most Valuable Player

With LeBron James teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, coupled with ‘The Decision’ becoming a PR disaster, it’s no surprise that the race for the MVP award was wide-open this season. Voter fatigue was already going to be an issue for James in his quest for a third consecutive MVP, given that not even Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in his career. As such, it was going to take a historical year from James to overcome the many obstacles in his way for him to win the MVP but it didn’t happen. James’ numbers took a small hit across the board, with Wade’s presence being a corollary reason. That allowed a player like Dwight Howard to be his near equal statistically. When looking at their resumes and complete bodies of work, it’s hard not to choose between James or Howard for MVP — there’s no wrong answer between the two them.

Howard gets the nod because of many factors.

The improvements that everyone was waiting for from Howard were fulfilled, as he was able to maintain his efficiency on offense even with a career-high usage rate of 27.2 percent. The sign of a great scorer in the NBA is his ability to be efficient while shouldering a heavy load offensively, and Howard was able to do that this season. And it can’t be understated the type of impact Howard has when he’s not scoring, given that his presence in the low post allows the shooters for the Orlando Magic to enjoy plenty of open looks from the perimeter that wouldn’t come otherwise. Also known as the Shaquille O’Neal effect with Damon Jones as a prime example.

Likewise, Howard is vital to the Magic’s vaunted pick and roll attack that’s anchored by Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu, with the threat of him being the roll man making it extremely difficult for opposing defenses to aggressively contain the pick and rolls. With a refined post game and a reliable mid-range jumper from 10-15 feet that he’s making at a rate (40.2 percent) better than the league average (39.4 percent), coupled with an underrated ability to pass out of double-teams effectively, Howard has all the tools offensively. It’s only at the free-throw line where Howard continues to struggle.

Critics are quick to point out Howard’s lack of involvement in crunch-time situations but that’s partly due to his teammates not getting him the basketball enough, plus head coach Stan Van Gundy not calling plays for him at times. Sometimes it’s as simple as Orlando needing a three-point shot in the closing seconds of a game. Even then, Howard’s ability to rebound and defend gets overlooked way too many times in discussions of players performing in the clutch.

And when it comes down to it, there’s not another player in the league that can impact a game defensively like Howard. Despite general manager Otis Smith acquiring acquiring Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Gilbert Arenas, thus becoming far weaker on defense in theory, the Magic are ranked 3rd in defensive efficiency — better than teams like the Miami Heat — thanks in large part to Howard’s ability to coerce opposing players into shooting jumpshots while limiting their chances at the free-throw line and devouring rebounds. Van Gundy’s schemes are a factor too, but Howard puts it into practice on countless possessions, which is the primary reason that Orlando defends post players better than any other team. Or that Howard is able to slow down a pick and roll, recover to the paint, and provide weak-side defense in one felt swoop. Was it mentioned that the Magic do the best job of limiting field goal attempts at the rim because of Howard’s intimidating presence in the lane? Indeed, Howard is an omnipresent defensive force.

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BOX SCORE

The Orlando Magic were able to defeat the New York Knicks by the score of 111-99 to extend their winning streak to four games. This was a game that went back-and-forth for three quarters before the Magic were able to take control in the fourth quarter, and come away with a double-digit victory. Orlando was led by a balanced attack, with five players scoring in double-figures. Dwight Howard continues his race towards the MVP award, even if he’s seen by many as a longshot to win it, as he finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. The most impressive thing when looking at Howard’s box score wasn’t his point total or even shooting percentage, but his ability to go 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. Howard is already an efficient player by the nature of the types of shots he gets but when he’s making his free-throws, he becomes impossible to contain. The Knicks, especially Amar’e Stoudemire (committed three personal fouls in the fourth quarter trying to defend Howard), found out the hard way. Jameer Nelson had a strong performance with 19 points. Hedo Turkoglu contributed with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Brandon Bass had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Jason Richardson chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds. With the win, the Magic inch closer to winning their 50th game of the regular season.

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I sat down today intent on writing about the question on most of our lips as we watch the Magic these days: Which is the team we’re going to get? Is it the Heat-beaters with an attacking point guard and a dominant center and prolific role players, or is it the lethargic-looking, immature team that lost to the Bulls? I was going to delve in and explore why we can’t expect a consistent product, or even, it seems, a consistent effort. But then I was reading about HeatLockerRoomCryGate, and I saw that the Celtics were the darling of one of the panels at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference this past weekend, and I read something about how the Lakers have regained their footing or swagger or something in beating the Spurs. And then I thought about the good Magic or the bad Magic question again. And then I thought: perhaps these things are related.

See, the Magic have fallen into that category of a successful team that has failed its own narrative. That is, we’re talking about a team that stands, as of this writing, at a robust 41-24, on pace to win fifty-plus games and a favorable matchup in the first round of the playoffs, while the tone of commentary around the team remains somewhat negative. You get the sense, listening to the overall national opinion of the team, that the Magic have somehow blown it, have missed their window and will now languish, Hawks-like, in that undesirable middling ground of no-lottery purgatory. And maybe this will happen. I don’t want to be seen as blindly touting the team’s prospects–my first post here at MBN was about the problems that might be an issue in Dwight’s free agency–but I have to believe that the Magic are not, generally speaking, being properly evaluated given the success that they’re having.

This is where the Heat-cryer story, or the Celtics fawning, or the Lakers-got-their-groove-back thinking comes in. This season, more than the past couple that I can remember, has been all about how the realities have played out against the anticipated narratives. Teams aren’t being judged as heavily on basketball as they are the extent to which their basketball fits the stories that have been constructed around them. Talking about a Lakers resurgence is pretty ridiculous–they’re 46-19 and loaded with veterans, directed by a coach who has won the NBA championship more often than he has not in his 20 years. But this was to be the year that Kobe’s legs were healthier and the Lakers’ size dominated the entire league and Jackson’s fourth three-peat would be like Sherman’s March. When we remembered that Kobe has as many games on his legs as any star his age ever has, or that the franchise center is constantly injured, well, then, it was time to brand this season a failure.

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• Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic know they got a steal when they acquired Ryan Anderson from the New Jersey Nets in the Vince Carter trade back in 2009. Incorrectly labeled a throw-in as part of that deal, Anderson has blossomed into a reliable player for the Magic and the most relevant person involved in the trade (Carter’s wasting away in Phoenix, Lee’s a reserve on a mediocre Houston team, Alston’s out of the league, Battie barely plays in Philadelphia). But just how good is Ryan Anderson? And how good can he be? Some metrics show him as one of the better — or at least most efficient — offensive power forwards in the NBA. A more proficient scorer, at least in his role, than Chris Bosh. A better rebounder than Amar’e Stoudemire. A better jump-shooter than Pau Gasol and Kevin Love. Anderson, 22, is certainly making the most of his minutes, which have at times been sparse. He’s obviously not as good as some of the players he’s compared to below, but his potential and efficiency are apparent.”
• Dwight Howard will try to avoid technical fouls from now on.
• Jason Richardson is sick, but will play against the Sacramento Kings.
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Kings have been fighting the local politicos to get a new arena built for years — and no dice. Commissioner David Stern couldn’t even use his mighty clout to make it happen. Sound familiar? Orlando and Magic fans could have been in the same sinking boat that Kings fans are in. But they pushed through a deal to give birth to the Amway Center just in time, weeks before a recession would have likely derailed the plans again. And who knows what would have happened next.”
• Gilbert Arenas can’t feel his face at times.
• Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk likes Howard as the MVP right now: “What do I look for in my MVP? A player who efficiently pushes himself to a new level and pulls his team to new heights with him. Howard has been very efficient this season and has pushed himself to new levels. I’ll also argue he is pulling the most out of this Magic roster (a roster that is likely to let him down in the playoffs, but that’s another topic). The Magic may be a disappointment, but that is not on Howard. His offensive usage percentage is at his career high but his shooting percentages have not seriously dipped. To me, right now, this is the guy.”
• Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports: “For Howard, there has been just one fleeting benefit to his technical issues: He’s been subjected to fewer questions about whether he’ll leave the Magic when he has the opportunity to become a free agent in the summer of 2012. For a franchise that was scarred for years by Shaq’s decision to leave Orlando for the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard’s future will remain a topic of concern until he either signs a contract extension with the Magic after the league negotiates a new labor agreement – or he leaves.”
• Howard is a legitimate MVP candidate.

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• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “When the final buzzer sounded, Jason Richardson clasped both sides of his head. Jameer Nelson pumped his right fist and turned toward Dwight Howard. The two co-captains exchanged high-fives. Coach Stan Van Gundy raised both arms into the air. None of them will forget what their team accomplished Thursday night. Trailing by 24 points several minutes into the third quarter, the Orlando Magic stormed back against the Miami Heat and pulled out a pulse-pounding 99-96 road victory. [...]  The announced crowd of 19,600 inside AmericanAirlines Arena and a national television audience watched the Magic complete the second-largest comeback in franchise history and saw a game that once belonged to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade take an unbelievable turn. The Magic, once seemingly out of hope, closed the game on a 40-9 run.”
• John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “When shots incredibly started falling in bunches and the defense on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade dramatically rose to suffocating levels, the Orlando Magic’s belief swelled that they could possibly pull off something historic Thursday night. Remarkably, a Magic team given up for dead when it trailed the rival Miami Heat by 18 points at halftime and by as much as 24 points in the second half awoke from its slumber and pulled off a comeback win for the ages. A second half that started as ‘a playing for pride thing,’ as Ryan Anderson put it, morphed into a monumental night as Orlando registered the second greatest comeback in franchise history and shockingly beat the hated Heat 99-96 at American Airlines Arena. Once down 73-49 early in the third quarter, the Magic used runs of 22-7 (to end the third period) and 18-2 (to start the fourth quarter) – a shocking 40-9 spurt in all – for what very well could be the biggest regular-season victory in franchise history.”
• Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post:The 24-point comeback is really something else, isn’t it? To pull that off, on the road, against a team of Miami’s caliber? Appreciate it, sure, but don’t lose sight of the fact that the Magic could have had a less exciting, but probably more meaningful, win had they not trailed by such a big margin in the first place. That entails taking better care of the ball, rotating on defense, and (obviously) making shots. Every game is but one of 82 in theory, but in practice–in the narrative terms in which we define our world–games like tonight’s mean more. So it’s worth noting that in the fourth quarter, with his team needing anything he could provide in order to prevent a near-historic collapse, James took just two shots in 9 minutes, missing them both and going scoreless. Howard scored just 4 points (on 4-of-4 free-throw shooting, without any shot attempts from the field), but blocked three shots and pulled in 10 rebounds. Again, that’s three blocks and 10 rebounds in one period of play for Howard.”
• Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel: “This could have, and perhaps should have, been a night when Erik Spoelstra rested his starters in advance of Friday’s road game against the San Antonio Spurs. When the Miami Heat moved to a 24-point lead early in the third quarter, amid a run of nine consecutive conversions from the field from forward LeBron James, it sure appeared headed that way. Instead, against an opponent capable of making 3-pointers, the Heat not only had to fight to the finish but wound up flailing to the finish of what turned into a disturbing and disheartening 99-96 loss Thursday night to the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Heat’s fourth loss in their last eight games. [...] What was a 73-49 Heat lead with 8:47 to play in the third quarter turned into an 82-82 tie with 8:41 to play on a Gilbert Arenas 3-pointer. The Magic completed the comeback on a Ryan Anderson layup with 7:38 to play, for an 84-82 lead, with an Arenas 3-pointer putting Orlando up 87-82 with 7:01 to play, with a cascade of boos following as Spoelstra called time out.”
• Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel: “Well, Mike Bibby is officially a member of the Heat now. He got the big standing ovation upon first entering. He got the kind of open 3-point shot the Heat supporting cast often gets. Bibby then got a first-hand look at what’s wrong in the Heat’s 99-96 loss to Orlando. The Heat blew a 24-point lead. They were outscored by, take your pick, 18-0 or 40-9 by the Magic. Dwyane Wade missed all six of his shots in the second half. LeBron James didn’t score in the fourth quarter. The Heat missed seven of eight from the free-throw line at one point. And we haven’t even got to the radioactively bad part yet. That was the final play. That was the one that could have saved the night. Instead, it piled on the tough questions. Now, granted, the Heat needed a 3-point shot on that play. That made it easier for Orlando to defend. But down three points with 9.6 seconds left in the NBA represents a decent chance.”
• Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: “LeBron James delivered his message very clearly 90 minutes before tipoff Thursday: ‘It’s about time,’ James said, ‘that we turn it on and play at a high level.’ Unfortunately for the Heat, that high level of play during a terrific first half was followed by a collapse of epic proportions, one that ended in a stunning 99-96 loss to Orlando at AmericanAirlines Arena. [...] Ahead by 18 at halftime and by 24 early in the third quarter, Miami was overwhelmed by an avalanche of Magic three-pointers during a devastating 40-9 Orlando run over much of the third quarter and half of the fourth. Included in that stretch was an 18-0 Magic stampede after the Heat scored the first basket of the fourth quarter. By the time the Magic’s blistering barrage was over, Orlando had surged ahead, 89-82. The Heat went 6:13 without scoring in the fourth before Chris Bosh’s layup with 5:12 left.”
• Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: “Regular season games don’t mean anything. Until they do. This epic Heat collapse means something. You could see it on the face of Erik Spoelstra, who did his best to maintain the calm façade of a coach but couldn’t help but let some of that frustration and aggravation and confusion peek through as he spoke following Thursday’s loss. You could see it and hear it in Chris Bosh, who looked defeated and sounded defiant. What it actually means is yet to be determined. But there are very few games, wins or losses, that resonate like this. Losing a 24-point, second-half lead to the Orlando Magic one game after losing a 15-point lead to the Knicks and three games after losing an 11-point lead to the Bulls — that more than stings. It burns. Bad.”
• Brian Windhorst of The Heat Index: “Each year the NBA teaches there are no absolutes in the regular season, the “playoffs” sticker affixed to the floor in late April having magical powers to erase so many supposed certainties learned over the first 82 games. It is a fundamental truth, but it can also be a crutch. Right now the Miami Heat are using the crutch. But that isn’t the worst part for the team that owned not just championship hopes, but championship expectations. They know they’re clinging to hope and not belief — and that current reality is going down like bitter medicine. Calling the Heat’s 99-96 loss Thursday to the Orlando Magic — in which they blew a 24-point lead — a collapse isn’t really accurate. For a collapse, there must be something strong and towering that falls. The Heat, now more than three-quarters of a season into their fascinating experiment, can’t honestly say they’ve ever fit that description this season. Proper credit must be given to the Magic, who shot their way back into the game by making nine 3-pointers in the second half. They also showed some of their better defense, relying on Dwight Howard to wall off the paint and rebound while their bombers had a great night. Orlando has scored wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and now their in-state rivals in less than a week.”
• Michael Wallace of The Heat Index: “Move over, Charlie Sheen. When it comes to spiraling out of control before our very eyes these past few days, dude, you’ve got company. Star-studded company. Miami Heat company. To borrow a line from Scottie Pippen, two-and-a-half players company. Meet LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the talent core of a team going through another stretch of turbulence. And that’s never a good thing, especially when this latest post-debacle itinerary included boarding a plane after midnight Thursday to San Antonio to face a Spurs team Friday that is sporting the league’s best record. Just like yours, Charlie, the Heat’s show was once the hottest thing going. After Thursday night’s demoralizing 99-96 loss at home to the Orlando Magic, this Miami cast is only crashing and burning. In blowing a 24-point lead over the game’s final 20 minutes, the Heat continued a destructive set of trends that reveal this team is stumbling backward at a time when it was supposed to be storming down the stretch and peaking on the way toward the playoffs. “

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

BOX SCORE

It’s been said that no one should underestimate the heart of a champion. Or in this case, no one should underestimate the heart of an underdog, as the Orlando Magic were able to defeat the Miami Heat by the score of 99-96 after being down by as many as 24 points in the game — it’s the second-largest comeback victory in franchise history. Not only did the improbable comeback come against the Heat, a rival for the Magic, but it came in a nationally televised game where almost anyone interested in the NBA had their attention focused on the matchup. On a day where people were wondering whether or not Orlando should be taken seriously as the playoffs steadily approach, that question has been answered. The Magic were led by a balanced attack, as five players scored in double-figures. There were those that hoped Dwight Howard would put up a monster performance and continue his surge in the MVP race, but they’ll have to be content with a stat-line of 14 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks. However, it’s worth mentioning that Howard was a force defensively in the fourth quarter, as he compiled 10 rebounds and three blocks as Orlando made their comeback charge. Jason Richardson was one of the catalysts in the comeback, as he finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field (6-of-8 from three-point range). Jameer Nelson, too, was integral in the process, as he chipped in with 16 points and seven assists. Ryan Anderson had 15 points, while Gilbert Arenas had 11 points including a sequence where he couldn’t “feel his face” after making two three-pointers in the fourth quarter that tied the game for the Magic and subsequently gave them the lead after trailing for most of the contest. For Orlando, these are the types of games that can energize a roster and reinforce the belief they can beat any team on a given night.

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• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “Dwight’s practically invisible. His numbers have grown to ridiculous sizes lately, but you hear little chatter about his MVP candidacy. If it’s not LeBron James leading the conversation, it’s Derrick Rose. Or vice-versa. As a voter, I say [Dwight] Howard has joined them in the stretch run. He’s on the red carpet. He deserves the award if he can continue lifting the Magic with a stellar closing kick. Maybe Dwight can win over supporters the next two nights in head-to-head matches against King James and Rose in nationally televised contests. As if the Heat-Magic rivalry needs more spice, make no mistake: Dwight feels he’ll always have to overcome the LeBron lovefests to win the hardware. I go to great lengths to avoid bias, but the hometown guy has muscled into the lead pack. Wednesday, Howard was named the NBA’s player of the month (for February). He averaged 26.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per game while posting a league-leading field goal percentage of .667. Overall, he ranks ninth in scoring, second in rebounding, third in blocked shots. He’s never been better.”
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Dwight Howard better get used to more days like Tuesday. The Record newspaper, which is based in Bergen County, N.J., reported that New Jersey Nets Principal Owner Mikhail Prokhorov and General Manager Billy King recently spoke with point guard Deron Williams and told Williams that Dwight Howard tops the list of free agents the Nets plan to pursue. Understandably, a group of writers from New York area news outlets asked Howard before the Magic’s game against the New York Knicks if the Nets are any more ‘attractive’ now with Williams. ‘Orlando’s the most attractive place for me right now,’ Howard answered, a smile on his face. ‘They have a sexy new arena, a beautiful franchise, nice banners around here and been in the top four in the Eastern Conference for the past four years. Yes, Orlando’s the most attractive place right now.’ ”
• Shandel Richardson of the Sun-Sentinel: “Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have gotten used to it by now. It took them little time to realize the Miami Heat would be talked about more for their setbacks than progress. So it’s no surprise they are being picked apart by critics for their struggles against winning teams. With the Heat set to face a string a playoff contenders, beginning Thursday when they host the Orlando Magic, they would rather focus on their quality wins instead of losses. As James put it, ‘They just talk about our losses, they don’t talk about our wins.’ [...] The Heat, who are 12-15 against teams with winning records, will play the next 10 games against opponents that are in postseason contention. Two of those games are against the league-leading San Antonio Spurs. While coach Erik Spoelstra views this an opportunity, he refuses to say the stretch will define the season. Spoelstra said this simply is a portion of the schedule that begins with the Magic.”
• Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel: “In January, when Chris Bosh was dealing with ankle issues, there was a supposed epiphany. LeBron would go into the post. He would establish a post-up game that would continue to thrive even after Bosh’s return. While the early efforts were uneven, there at least were efforts. Because for all the things Bosh can be, one is not a true, back-to-the-basket presence. Then Bosh returned, and, well, after all the rhetoric, LeBron returned to his face-up, start-from-the-top approach. Soon all the talk about post-up LeBron was forgotten. Now comes the latest vow, one about a willingness to play off the ball with the arrival of Mike Bibby, the truest thing the Heat have had at point guard since Jason Williams handled the responsibilities during the championship run.”
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: “The Heat released Carlos Arroyo on Tuesday to make room for free agent point guard Mike Bibby, who is expected to sign with the team Wednesday afternoon. Arroyo, a fan favorite from Puerto Rico and FIU, was not with the Heat after Tuesday’s practice and coach Erik Spoelstra began his news conference by announcing Arroyo’s departure. LeBron James said he hated to lose “a brother” and Dwyane Wade said Arroyo ‘did nothing wrong’ to be let go. Arroyo started 49 games this season before being benched in favor of Mario Chalmers, who has played inconsistently. Now it appears likely Chalmers will lose his starting job to Bibby, who was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.”
• Greg Cote of The Miami Herald: “The Miami Heat is admitting something here. Conceding something. It requires that ego and pride be set aside by both the builder, Pat Riley, and the foreman, Erik Spoelstra. It is a bit humbling for this franchise, but also smart, and necessary. The Big 3 is not enough. That is what this means. It may have been increasingly apparent, but this is Miami saying it to the rest of the NBA for the first time. ’We need help’ is what you mean when you are this eager – eager being a nice word for desperate – to sign a veteran, free agent point guard like Mike Bibby at a point on the NBA calendar when you hoped your team’s championship muscle and mettle would have been displayed for all, impervious to doubts and in no need of embellishment. Bibby’s arrival is expected to become official Wednesday.”
• Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: “In that case, the Heat will have ample opportunity to turn that discussion in its favor over the next few weeks. The game against the Knicks began a run of 11 consecutive games against winning teams for Miami, and given that the margin of the Heat’s losses has been so minuscule of late, it’ll give the team several chances to fix what’s ailing it against the better teams. Of the Heat’s last six losses, all of them coming against winning teams, Miami has lost by an average of four points, with none of them coming by more than five. In all those losses, the Heat had chances to either hold a late lead or come back from a deficit. Each time, it the outcome ended in disappointment. And that’s what Wednesday’s practice was primarily about as the Heat prepared to play Orlando on Thursday.”
• Tom Haberstroh of The Heat Index: “The Heat are expected to sign free agent Mike Bibby after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. As per league rules, the Heat will pay the 32-year-old point guard the prorated veteran minimum for the rest of the season. Bibby will replace Carlos Arroyo on the Heat roster, whom the Heat waived on Tuesday. Bibby has carved out a successful career in the NBA. He’s reached the playoffs eight times in 12 seasons while averaging 15.4 points and 5.7 assists per game. With a career 16.4 PER, he is probably one of the most accomplished point guards to never make the All-Star game, which admittedly sounds like a backhand compliment. But those above-average days are long gone. His quickness has gone by the wayside the last few seasons, something that tends to happen when players approach their mid-thirties, and his productivity has suffered as a result.”

AP Photo/John Raoux

Via Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:

Four months ago, Earl Clark reached a troubling career crossroads. The Phoenix Suns declined to pick up their $2 million option to keep him for the 2011-12 season, an unconventional move that ensured Clark will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Two months ago, the Suns severed their ties with Clark by including him in the blockbuster trade that sent Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu to the Orlando Magic for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus.

These days, much has changed for the young, 6-foot-10 forward.

A few months from now, at playoff time, the Magic might ask Clark to guard power forwards such as Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett or small forwards such as Carmelo Anthony, Luol Deng, LeBron James and Paul Pierce.

“He doesn’t have the experience of having seen every NBA situation,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.

“But I think his potential as a defensive player and as a defensive impact guy is unlimited if he can get down some better team defensive principles and focus and if he can truly understand that his route to being a special player in this league lies at the defensive end.”

The final month and a half will be crucial for Clark, who has played in only 19 games for the Magic and played a total of just 60 regular-season games for the Suns.

From now until mid-April, he can prove to his coaches that he can be counted on in crucial situations.

Given that head coach Stan Van Gundy has entrusted Earl Clark to defend the likes of Kevin Durant, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony in recent games, this is something to keep an eye on — especially with the playoffs steadily approaching.