Orlando Magic Rookie Jett Howard: G League Progress Report
ORLANDO - It's been 10 days since Orlando Magic rookie guard Jett Howard was designated to the G League so that he could get more reps with the organization's minor league affiliate in Osceola, so let's review his performance.
Since going to Osceola, Howard has played in three games on the road and scored an average of 19.7 points per game, shooting 42 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range, and 80 percent from the free throw line.
In addition to showing that he can consistently score in the G League, Howard has also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 3,7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks, and had a +8 impact when on the court overall.
Although Howard hasn't been the star of the Magic's G League affiliate, which features veterans such as Mac McClung and Trevelin Queen, his scoring in an increased role is promising, especially since it displays growth from his time playing for Michigan in college when he averaged 14.2 points per game with a worse field goal percentage.
Fans should hope to see consistency from Howard during his G League stint. Despite Howard's high average over his three-game sample size with Osceola, it has featured peaks and valleys.
In Howard's first game, he scored 34 points, but he followed that game up with an eight-point outing. If he can stay around the 17 points he scored in his last outing, then perhaps the Magic will feel more comfortable trusting him to produce in his NBA minutes in the future.
There are high expectations for the No. 11 pick, but considering how well the Magic are performing so far this season, there's no need to force him onto the NBA roster just to sit on the bench and potentially stunt his growth.
Tonight, Howard will get a chance to display consistency when he plays his first home game at Silver Spurs Arena since joining Osceola against the Memphis Hustle at 7 pm.