Magic Guard Jett Howard a 'Sponge' Entering Rookie Year

Orlando Magic rookie Jett Howard posted 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and two rebounds in his-and-done career at Michigan.

Orlando Magic rookie Jett Howard grew up with basketball in his blood. 

His father, Juwan, was a 19-year NBA veteran and two-time champion, along with being a key member of Michigan's Fab Five in his college days. Howard's older brother Jace also played at Michigan with him, while having some current ties to the NBA - being second cousins with Jalen and Jaden McDaniels. 

And with basketball being such a huge part of Howard's life, he's prone to having a favorite current player. 

"Devin Booker, I'll probably say just watching his game and studying his game," Howard said when citing his biggest influence.

"And then on the roster, I'll probably say Franz and Caleb Houston. But also, I'm honestly open to learning from anybody. I'm just a sponge at this point."

Booker, the No. 13 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, has quickly emerged as one of the league's best shooting guards and certainly not a bad choice for Howard to resemble his game off of. A three-time All Star in the past four seasons, Booker was also a one-and-done player at the University of Kentucky - winning the SEC Sixth Man of the Year in 2015. 

And while Howard choosing two fellow Wolverines in Wagner and Houstan is purely just a coincidence, there are similarities between all three players he mentioned. Despite being in the 6-6 to 6-8 range, all three players have shown the ability to create offense with the ball in their hands, just as Howard (6-8) proved during his time in Ann Arbor. 

Being born into a basketball family, the 20-year-old has been able to learn the game inside and out since being a kid. Now, the rookie is able to absorb everything he can to be the next great Howard in the NBA. 

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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