Otis Smith will travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday to meet with Dwight Howard.

Howard has been in Los Angeles while recovering from his surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.

"The intent is to check in, see how he's doing, both from his rehab as well as his spirits, to see him in-person," Magic CEO Alex Martins.

Smith will spend approximately 24 hours in Los Angeles before returning to Orlando for Game 3.

"They're all my kids," Smith said of his players. "I've got one of them that's not with the team, that you want to have with the team that's injured, that's down. So you've got to go see him. You've got to pep him up a little bit and tell him he's doing the right thing by his body.

"He can't travel and he can't do much," Smith added. "His doctor's orders and pretty much our orders are to get his back right. He can't do anything for anybody at this point in time, so he has to get right."

David Stern disputed the growing speculation that the NBA's lockout-shortened season have contributed to major injuries.

"I don't think it's related at all. Zero," Stern said.

Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert tore their ACL on Saturday in non-contact injuries, while Dwight Howard had season-ending back surgery this month.

"When anything happens, that's going to happen," Stern said of people trying to find a cause-and-effect relationship. "But I was just reading something from a doctor who said that he just doesn't believe it. There's no evidence that the wear and tear ... and on Derrick it's kind of interesting, it was horrible to watch, but he was out. He missed 27 games earlier this year, so he only played in 40 of those games that we had in this quote condensed schedule. So what's your suggestion?"

Rose came into the season missing just five games in his NBA career, but suffered various injuries throughout the year.

"When you think about it, that's the only thing that changed," Rose said about the schedule recently. "The way I work out is usually the same, even though I ran more than I usually did in the past. But I really don't know what to blame it on. Where they're just like freak accident, freak injuries, where it's just happening."

The NBA's medical consultant doesn't believe the compressed schedule is related to the injuries.

"There is no evidence that wear and tear, or that kind of issue, playing too much, really has any correlation with ACL injuries in any sport that we've ever studied," Altchek said Sunday. "In fact, I think if you're tired [from a condensed schedule], you're a lot less likely to tear your ACL because you're not going to be as explosive."

Hedo Turkolgu hopes to return from a fractured cheekbone in time to play in Orlando's first round series.

"I'm just trying to get myself into good shape, as much as I can, and hopefully I'll be able to come back and be ready to play," Turkoglu said. "I don't know how ready I will be, but I'm pushing myself to be ready as much as I can. And if I get the opportunity, I will try to go out there and do my best that I can and help the team."

Turkoglu has not practiced and is just now beginning to increase his on-court work.

"They said he could maybe start doing some contact at the end of the week," Stan Van Gundy said. "That's the start of the playoffs. So, at best, he gets cleared to play to start the playoffs with no games and no practice before then."

Dwight Howard underwent successful surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back on Friday.

The Magic said Howard was doing well in recovery.

Howard is expected to make a complete and full recovering in approximately four months.

"Is it going to be perfect? It should be," said team doctor Craig Mintzer.

"It really should be. He shouldn't have restrictions whatsoever. He should come back fully. There shouldn't be an issue there. Really, it's just a matter of time."

Dwight Howard will undergo back surgery on Friday morning in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk.

The surgery will end his season and eliminate the possibility of his participation in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

"It hurts (emotionally)," Howard told ESPN the Magazine's Chris Broussard. "That's the first thing -- it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I'm quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse."

Howard first complained of back problems in early March.

It wasn't until Los Angeles-based spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins examined him last week that the herniated disk was discovered.

Howard told Broussard he is not worried about any long-term ramifications from the surgery.

"The doctor said it's a one-inch incision," Howard told Broussard. "He said I can start rehab right away and be back to full contact in four months. So I'm not really concerned. If anything, I'll come back stronger."

The surgery will likely change the perception that Howard was sitting out in an attempt to have Stan Van Gundy replaced.

Stan Van Gundy was named the NBA coach whom players would least like to play for, according to a player poll released by Sports Illustrated.

Van Gundy received 22 percent of the vote, beating out Bucks coach Scott Skiles, who collected 14 percent of the vote.

Byron Scott finished third with 9 percent, followed by Flip Saunders at 6 percent.

Ish Smith has become a popular player for the Magic once Stan Van Gundy began using him in his rotation at point guard.

But Van Gundy went with Chris Duhon in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers.

“I loved the way that Ish had played,” Van Gundy said. “He still may play a role here. When we’re struggling, I wanted to go back to veteran guys. I think Ish penetrates the ball very well — maybe better than Chris right now — but I think we get better organization on the floor with Chris, which helps the other guys play well.”

Dwight Howard was recently diagnosed with a herniated disk in his lower back and will miss the next 10 days of the season while he recovers.

“The only thing you can do is rest,” Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith said.

Stan Van Gundy said Howard received an epidural injection for pain relief and likely will begin physical-therapy work Monday.

“Look, anytime you have a guy on that kind of timetable you’ve got to assume that the playoffs are a 50-50 thing,” Van Gundy said. “So we’ve got to go forward assuming that what’s in our locker room is our team going forward.”

After consulting with a doctor in Los Angeles on Friday, sources tell RealGM that Dwight Howard has been diagnosed with a herniated disc.

Howard has been advised to cease all basketball-related activities for the next 10 to 15 days as playing could further extend the injury. 

Howard would miss the remainder of the regular season if he follows that advice, but it has not been determined if he will attempt to play through the injury.

Howard first started experiencing pain during a March 30th game against the Mavericks.

The Magic currently have a 34-25 record and sit as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando has seven games remaining in the regular season with four games against teams currently in the playoffs.

With Howard out of the lineup, the Magic have a 1-5 record.

Dwight Howard has traveled to Los Angeles to get a second opinion on his back.

Howard and Stan Van Gundy insisted their is no structural issue with his back and that he has received an MRI.

Howard has missed four of Orlando's last six games with back spasms and suffered a setback during Thursday's practice.

Howard was accompanied to Southern California by the Magic's physical therapist Ed Manalo.