For years, Dwight Howard was an MVP candidate, capable of carrying teams on his back, even to the NBA Finals. But over the last few seasons, Howard’s dominance has gradually been diminished. Instead, his teams have been characterized by dysfunction, lack of chemistry, and not living up to expectations. There’s no denying Howard’s talent, but the market for him has certainly decreased. Are there any teams, especially those looking to return to the playoffs, that would be smart to take a chance on him?
“Inside the NBA” is a powerful show. While a lot of the show is based on the antics and arguments of Shaq and Charles Barkley, the high ratings and interest also give it a platform to broadcast serious messages to an invested audience. That ability was on full display when Dwight Howard appeared as a guest in place of Shaq. Barkley, Howard, and Kenny Smith engaged in an open, thoughtful, and serious conversation about Howard’s image around the league, his relationship with James Harden and the rest of the Rockets, and his future.
Here’s the full video of Howard’s interview:
One of the hardest things for superstars, or at least players with superstar egos, can be admitting to their flaws. However, Howard was up front with sometimes taking himself out of games, one of the biggest criticisms of his performance in recent years.
“Now, there’s been times where I’ve been upset and taken myself out of games and situations and that’s on me,” Howard said. “I have to grow and be a better player at that. I’m always interested in the game.”
Of course, words don’t mean much if they aren’t backed by actions, but this is a welcome development for Houston, or if he decides to opt out, other prospective teams–that Howard is willing to address his negatives and plans to work on them. If one of the top players on the team quits on a game, it becomes very easy for the players around him to quit as well.
Howard said he quit on games because he has to rely on teammates to get him the ball, and that wasn’t always happening with the Rockets. He was certainly right, as his usage rate this season was 18.7, a near-six point drop from last seasons’s 23.4 usage rate. The problem for him, even with an attitude and mentality change, is his play style continues to be more and more antiquated. Post-heavy centers, who don’t have much range beyond the restricted area, seem to no longer be the focus of most teams going forward. Making the post the focal point of an offense has become largely inefficient, as spacing and shooting have clearly taken precedent, and Howard can’t help in those areas.
It doesn’t appear to be in the best interest of any team to try to get Howard to return to the play of his strongest seasons, as his post-oriented nature, lack of range, and ghastly free throw shooting affect him much more in today’s NBA than even just five years ago.
However, Dwight Howard is still very good at basketball. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is still one of the best defenders in the league, and a dominant shot blocker. Any team would be happy to have him anchoring their defense.
And Howard’s smaller offensive role also resulted in one of his most efficient seasons, posting his highest field goal percentage of his entire career at 62 percent.
Within those stats lies what appears to be the truth of Dwight Howard’s role going forward, regardless of what jersey he dons next season. Not only would attempting to get Howard back to his former production be tough to accomplish, it is also impractical. The role that would make him most effective would be similar to the role of DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles. Limiting his role on offense to mostly pick-and-rolls, cutting hard to the basket without the ball, and finishing alley-oops and dunks. Meanwhile, he is a vital cog on defense, a role Howard plays much better than Jordan. Howard can continue to be a top-notch shot blocker grabbing rebounds galore on both ends of the court, and he will be much more effective in that type of situation.
The question now becomes whether Howard is really willing to accept this role. He clearly wasn’t this season in Houston, but does his interview signal a new and changed version of Howard that is able to put his ego aside.
The next question is where will Howard be playing next year? He has a player option for next season, meaning he could opt out and become a free agent this offseason. While he claimed on “Inside the NBA” that he hasn’t even thought about opting out or not, the logical choice from an outside view would be to opt out. Howard will be 31 next season, and this could be his last chance to snag one last lucrative contract before his career ends.
And if Howard hits the market, there are a few lottery teams that could find his services useful.
One of the most naturally interesting destinations for him could actually be back in Orlando. Beyond the “Prodigal Son Returning Home” narrative, Orlando is lacking rim protection from their center Nikola Vucevic, and Howard would certainly fit in well on that end. But fitting him in with Vucevic and Aaron Gordon could pose challenges, either on the defensive end with Vucevic trying to guard power forwards, or on the offensive end with the lack of range with Howard and Gordon both on the floor.
The Milwaukee Bucks also reportedly inquired about Howard at the deadline last season, which would mean they could have interest again in him this offseason. Last year, Greg Monroe was the much-heralded center signed by the Bucks in free agency, but his time there has been underwhelming, as the Bucks look to transition away from post offense and need a remedy to their horrible defensive performance last season. If Monroe was replaced by the ideal version of Howard, Milwaukee could find the much needed rim protection and defensive presence they completely lacked last year. Howard would exacerbate their shooting woes, but this could potentially be a spot for him if he is interested.
That is another key for any lottery teams interested in Howard. He also said in the interview that his only goal is to win a championship, and at his age, that window is closing. While he may be more likely to find a larger role and a fresh start on one of the teams lower down the totem pole, his signing wouldn’t vault Orlando or Milwaukee (or most lottery teams) into title contenders. So chances are, if the interest is there, Howard will try to find a home somewhere that has a much greater chance of being a contender in the next couple of years.
Regardless of where Dwight Howard is playing basketball next season, his interview on TNT has greatly improved the public’s perception of him, and gives new hope to his ability to succeed in the NBA. The direction of the former superstar’s career will be heavily scrutinized and one of the most interesting stories of the offseason.
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