Dwight Howard remembers entering the postseason a year ago with a team that took it easy down the final stretch of the regular season after getting banged up along the way.

Dwight Howard (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Things are a little different this time around.

Last season the Philadelphia 76ers provided a bit of a wake-up call in the form of a close 4-2 series that eventually went the Magic’s way in the first round of the playoffs. That was despite Orlando dropping two of their first three games.

Howard says the Magic learned from that experience. And it showed with the way they finished strong in 2010 as they remained focused and never let up over the latter part of their schedule.

“It shows our maturity as a group,” said Howard on Wednesday. “We haven’t taken any games for granted and we understand that leading up to the playoffs that every game is very important.”

And that’s the only way head coach Stan Van Gundy would have it.

Leave no margin for error and keep your foot on their throats, you know, just in case you eventually find yourself in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the defending-champion L.A. Lakers. Now that would be a real sendoff for the old Amway Arena. The Magic’s home over the past 21 seasons gives way to the new Amway Center later this year.

(Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

“It wasn’t easy in any round of the playoffs last year and it won’t be this year,” proclaimed Van Gundy.

Last year the second round was won in seven games over Boston and the conference finals won in six games over Cleveland.

Defense of the Eastern Conference banner officially begins this weekend as Orlando hosts the Charlotte Bobcats in the opening two games of a best-of-seven series. Game 1 is set for Sunday at 5:30 p.m. with Game 2 to follow on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“It’s time to get to work,” said Howard. “Everybody is serious about becoming champions, that’s our goal. We don’t want to overlook anybody or any team.”

The Magic have been in playoff mode for a quite a while now, going 33-8 over the second half of the season and winning 20 of their past 23 games. Even after clinching their fourth consecutive trip to the postseason (12th overall) there was no resting of players – Howard, J.J. Redick and Jason Williams played in all 82 games – and no taking chances on postseason seeding moving forward.

In typical fashion, Van Gundy continued coaching this team right down to the final buzzer of the regular season. In doing so, the 59-23 overall mark Orlando compiled is second best in the league behind only Cleveland (61-21). That ensures them home court in the finals should they advance that far once again.

“If you want to be a contender you use the regular season to take care of everything you can,” said Van Gundy.

Vince Carter (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

The Magic did just that by way of winning road games against every Eastern Conference team, not losing a regular season series throughout the year, and setting an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 841.

That’s just to name a few of the accomplishments by the three-time Southeast Division title winners, who have seen the tinkering that was done to their roster over the summer pay huge dividends.

It took some time, but once the nucleus of Howard, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis began to play nice with new arrivals that included the likes of Vince Carter, Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, it became clear that a return trip to the finals was much more realistic this time around than their initial trip ever was a year ago.

Van Gundy said the new additions were good-character guys who he felt would mesh well with returning players and immediately be on board with the organization’s goal of winning a title.

Carter and Howard (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Van Gundy called his team “a very professional group of people” following Wednesday’s 125-111 win over the 76ers.

“Virtually every night they’re going to go out and give a hell of an effort,” he said.

Players adjusted to their roles all season long and Van Gundy went out of his way to congratulate them in the locker room at season’s end, particularly for maintaining the same level of intensity throughout the past six-months.

“I appreciate what our team has done,” said Van Gundy. “Sometimes, especially with a good team, everybody is just waiting for the playoffs and there’s not enough appreciation of the regular season and the grind it is and how hard you’ve got to work physically and mentality to be ready to play every night.”

Now if only this team can make it all worth their while in the end.

– Postseason info is available at the Orlando Magic website –