He can also find his touch against the Clippers! Did it take a long time for the Magic s rising star to find his form?

In the previous NBA regular season, the Orlando Magic, playing at home, defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 129-101. After this game, the Clippers' record, which suffered three consecutive losses, has dropped to 4-11, and their ranking has dropped to 12th in the Western Conference; while the Magic, which has won two consecutive victories, has improved its record to 9-7, and its ranking has climbed to 8th in the Eastern Conference.

In this game, because the game lost suspense early, Magic forward star Jett Howard, who had previously performed poorly, also got a lot of playing time. Howard played 15 minutes and 7 seconds, making 3 of 3 shots and 2 of 2 from beyond the three-point line. He scored 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal, and had 1 foul, with a plus-minus of +16. Although Howard has limited abilities on the defensive end and cannot provide more help and support to the team, he still has a very good effect on the offensive end. He finally showed his due outside shooting ability. It may also be because the opponents are in such poor condition that they cannot seize Howard's defensive holes to create threats. The team's situation is also quite good when Howard is on the court. At least in this game, Howard played his role well, which is also worthy of recognition.

Howard was born in September 2003. He is 22 years old, 203cm tall and 98kg in weight. He is a forward player from the University of Michigan selected by the Magic with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Howard played a total of 60 times, averaging 11.7 minutes per game. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1.1 fouls. He shot 37.4% from the field, 29.6% from the three-point range, and 69.6% from the free throw line. In the playoffs last season, Howard only got one chance to play in G5 in the series against the Boston Celtics. In less than 4 minutes of playing time, he made 2 of 2 shots and 2 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, scoring 6 points and 1 foul. Since the start of this season, Howard has played a total of 11 times in the first 16 games, averaging 9 minutes per game. He averages 3.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also has 0.1 turnovers and 0.5 fouls. His field goal percentage is 40.6% and his three-point shooting percentage is 41.7%.

The Magic did not exercise the team option in his contract for next season, and he immediately became a free agent. In previous games this season, Howard's performance was also very average. His performance in outside shooting in previous games was not ideal, and his scoring ability was also not ideal. I wonder if Howard's performance in this game can help him find his confidence. In the next games, can Howard get more playing time and prove his strength? Considering that he has no way of getting a contract next season, he must seize the opportunity to prove his strength. Although he is a lottery pick, based on his previous performance, he may be unemployed soon.