Also, now that Mitch Kupchak has come out and made statements regarding “not trading” Dwight Howard that are so definitive that he would never get anyone to believe him again if he went back on them, it is time (for those outside of Orlando who didn’t already know) to accept these facts.
Howard, in my opinion, is not a franchise player. He is not a leader. He doesn’t just shy away from conflict and scrutiny, he passive aggressively avoids them. He is not serious—ever. He still remains noncommittal on his future with the Lakers. He is a one-dimensional player who believes himself to be three-dimensional. He refuses to consistently do the two things that he is better at then everyone else in the league—pick and roll to the hoop, and defend. He has not improved any of his weaknesses since entering the league. He has built an impressive career off his unmatched athleticism, but has come nowhere close to returning to that athletic level following offseason back surgery. He’s talked a lot about his injuries and how they have aversely affected him this year, but was still able, and willing to do this. Despite getting everything he said he didn’t get in Orlando (big market, championship caliber roster, first class front office), he has pouted and somehow managed to rub all of his teammates the wrong way—even Steve Nash, the world’s preeminent teammate.
While, I typically like to shy away from focusing in on someone’s personal life, in this instance, when a billion dollar entity is looking to invest its future heavily in one person, I think it is fair game to look at that person's life outside of sports, especially if his demeanor within the sport is questionable. Viewing Howard’s life outside of basketball, we can come to conclusions that he is irresponsible at best, loathsome at worst.
Furthermore, the Lakers will most likely not make the postseason for only the third time in the 34 years of the Jerry Buss era, despite shouldering the NBA’s highest payroll at over $100 million. And by not trading Howard, they are basically agreeing to tie up $118 million in Howard over the next five seasons, with whispers that they would take Howard over Bryant.
Howard, if he does indeed sign with the Lakers, will have some pretty big shoes to fill. George Mikan. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquille O’Neal. Even Pau Gasol.
So, is there any way that Howard could possibly live up to his contract or the pantheon of great Lakers centers that came before him?
The answer is yes, but with a caveat.
Howard should forget about all of the past Lakers greats, and focus his eyes on Celtics Green.
Yes, a couple of years ago, Magic color commentator Matt Guokas (a former player and coach) quipped on live television that Howard was a better defensive player than Bill Russell. A Celtics blogger quite humorously set that idea straight.
But, comparing Howard with Russell is actually quite brilliant.
Russell was a freak athlete for his time. He couldn’t shoot freethrows (career .561 percent), and was a poor offensive post player (career .440 percent FG shooter) but did lead the league in rebounding four times and averaged 22 boards for his career. He fundamentally changed the way the players, coaches, general managers, and the league as a whole viewed defense and is widely considered the best defensive big man (dare I say player) of all time. In fact, Russell’s very existence paved the way for a guy like Howard.
Howard is (or at least was) a freak athlete for this time. He can’t shoot freethrows, and while he shoots a high percentage from the field, he struggles to generate offense for himself. He’s led the Association in rebounding four times throughout his career, and has averaged nearly 13 rebounds per game and has widely been considered the league’s best defensive big man when healthy (and motivated). In a league that has evolved into a more perimeter oriented game, he is the blueprint for what today’s centers have evolved into, paving the way for guys like Serge Ibaka, Larry Sanders, and DeAndre Jordan.
Howard will never be the scoring machine that Kareem was. Despite the incessant comparisons, he’ll never match Shaq’s brute force and dominance. It is physically impossible in today’s game to put up statlines like Wilt. And Howard simply doesn’t have the finesse or skills to dictate the post like Gasol.
What he does have is the ability to dominate a game defensively.
This is the only logical avenue for Howard to traverse. Learn how to block shots to teammates. Learn how to block shots without jumping. Learn when to go for blocks and when to stay back. Learn how to talk to teammates on defense. Learn how to read offenses.
The thing is, this will vastly extend Howard’s career. Last year when the whole Howard for Andrew Bynum debate was raging, my cousin pointed out that Howard’s ceiling and lasting appeal are not as high as a healthy Bynum because Howard’s game is tied so closely to his athleticism. Prescient in retrospect seeing as how far Howard has fallen this season with decreased athletic ability.
Along that line, look at how effective Tim Duncan remains on defense, even at age 36. Same for Kevin Garnett. Dikembe Mutumbo played a vital role during his 16th season, when he was 41, helping the Rockets to the NBA’s second longest winning streak.
Howard can remain a true game-changing big man, even when his leaping ability disappears, if he devotes his life to defense. If he just focused on doing this instead of doing this. If he made Bill Russell his idol and completely got off Shaq’s johnson.
Oh, in case Howard doesn’t know his NBA history, I’ll reiterate how much success Russell accomplished. Here’s a fun stat.
11
12
That first number is how many chips Russell won. The second number is the combined number of rings won by Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, and Gasol while donning Purple and Gold.
If Howard wants to truly separate himself from the other Lakers big men (if he does indeed decide to stay), then his only bet is to focus on his greatest asset. Defense.
If he does that, the adoration, accolades, and championships will come.
Now, about that D’Antoni fellow…
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