"Determined to improve his free-throw shooting, Magic C Dwight Howard hired a shooting coach, practiced religiously this summer and started wearing disposable contact lenses during games.

But heading into Friday night's game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard had missed 14-of-22 attempts at the line, a feeble 36 percent.

"I just have to keep shooting. They're going to fall," he said. "I just can't get upset. I've missed a lot of free throws."

Thursday night against the New Jersey Nets in Orlando, Howard was just 2-of-9.

Several of his first attempts carried wide left. You could see Howard's father, Dwight Howard Sr., grimacing and leaning to apply body language from his courtside seat with each of his son's attempts.

Coach Stan Van Gundy said Howard looks "noticeably improved" while practicing in the gym.

"It's tough. He's come in with a great deal of confidence, then things don't go as you hope," Van Gundy said.

"It's just a matter of consistency. It just hasn't transferred from the gym to the games, but it will."

Howard, a career 59.8 percent free-throw shooter, hired noted shooting coach Ed Palubinskas to help him improve.

J.J. Redick had made 10-of-11 free throws after three games, good for 90 percent."