Terry Foster: NBA insider

It's no joke: Dwight Howard's plan is for domination

Magic center Dwight Howard is a jokester.

Take his visit to The Palace on Tuesday.

Howard wadded up a piece of tape, tossed it at a reporter and looked the other way, acting the innocent bystander.

He smiled, then made a playful dash toward his victim.

All in fun.

But Howard, who always is smiling and joking, is all about business during games. Especially when it comes to an NBA title.

He got a sniff of the feeling last season, coming up short as the Lakers celebrated.

"We want to win a championship," he said. "We have never been looked at as a good team by anybody. ... It does not matter if they want Cleveland or Boston. If we win games, there is nothing they can do."

Orlando is a long shot to return to the Finals, mostly because Boston is healthy and Cleveland added Shaquille O'Neal to the LeBron James mix.

The Magic, despite a number of injuries and suspensions, remain one of the elite teams in the NBA. And they run off a basic philosophy -- fill the post to Howard and get open looks for a host of outside shooters.

The key is Howard.

Teams have tried to hack him, beat him up and send a host of big men at him.

"It's not so tough," he said. "I have to incorporate my game and try to dominate on both ends, especially the defensive end. I know what teams are trying to do ... frustrate me."

Magic leaves relationship

Magic Johnson wants Isiah Thomas to be successful?

You never would have guessed it by his actions.

During a conference call to promote his book this week, Johnson was asked why he talked about details of his relationship with Thomas, which included an admission he helped keep the former Pistons guard off the original Dream Team.

"I think it was time," Johnson said. "We had an incredible relationship. We used to do everything together back in the day, and then that kind of faded during those two championships (1988 and 1989 NBA Finals). It really went in opposite directions from then."

In the end, though, Johnson should be ashamed of himself.

Officially hard to hire

NBA referee Tom Donaghy is a free man. He was released from federal prison after serving a 15-month sentence for providing inside information to gamblers.

A consulting firm handling his business affairs said Donaghy will seek a job in marketing or sales.

Who's going to hire this guy?

Beating a point

Bobcats guards Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin join an elite group that includes Chauncey Billups , Mark Jackson and Eric Snow .

The group? They went through the Larry Brown boot camp for point guards.

"Point guard is such a vital position," Brown told SI.com. "You're an extension of the coaching staff. You hope they all realize early on how much we expect from them."

Felton said he understands the pain others have gone through.

"(Brown) has the mentality of a college coach where he screams at you and stays on top of you," he said. "Even when you do something right, he still finds something you could have done better. That makes you better."

terry.foster@detnews.com (313) 222-1494