Almost all superstars, past and present, seem to be 100% intense during game time. We all know Howard is different - loose and joking around off the court, and sometimes on the court also. This naturally rubs off on his teammates. I'm torn between two schools of thought - like MJ / Kobe / etc, your main man needs to be the most intense and focused player, lead by example, and get all your teammates at that level of intensity. Especially considering the youth of the Rockets and their propensity to lose focus for stretches during games. Or, that it's a damn long season, and you need to keep loose and have lighter moments so the team as a whole doesn't get burnt out by playoff time...
The best leaders know when to adapt their leadership style depending on what the situation calls for. LeBron, for all the criticism directed his way earlier in his career for not being "serious" enough during games, has clearly discovered a switch he can flip that ups the intensity of his entire team. We'll see if Dwight can similarly find that switch and strike a balance between the two sides of the spectrum.
he can't be who he is not. he just needs to play the way he plays, and if it helps him play better when he's having fun, then by god, have fun!!!! it's a freakin' sport, for god's sakes. you're supposed to have fun, and not look like someone just took your candy and you're about to kill someone, or you're constipated for 40 mins. i really hope he doesn't change because people want him to be more "intense". you can be super competitive but have a ton of fun competing as well. watching magic growing up, he always looked like he was having a lot of fun.
This is what worries me the most about him. I think he can be intense, but in playoff games, especially in the finals, you can't really be on and off about it. You've got to be ready from the tip off and keep that same mentality throughout the game. He tends to vary, sometimes not just within a game, but from game to game.
Doesn't LeBron kind of put this myth to rest? He has the ability to become intense during big games, but most of his career he's acted a lot like Dwight. Dancing around, goofing around, pranking on people... generally just having a good time. I would only be worried if Dwight didn't play with intensity in playoff games honestly.
I dont think he's like Dwight. Dwight seems like he's just itching to smile and be goofy, even when he's trying to be serious. Lebron can completely go from one to the other.
This is the biggest non issue I've ever seen. You can smile and be "in the game". You can look intense and "not be in the game". Who makes these stupid threads?
This board is becoming slightly Laker-ish where Dwight is concerned. Does he smile too much? Are there too many giggles? Shouldn't he look More Serious? Same ish we heard from Laker fans all last season.
It's not as simple as looking a certain way, but how it translates to their game. Dwight's game becomes very passive at times and other times he wants to dunk on people. If it was such a non issue then it wouldn't be talked about so much in sports by writers, coaches, players, etc. I think that was more about maturing as a player and person and not simply because he became the bad guy. It happened around 24-25yrs of age, really.
LeBron is an example of a superstar who isn't always intense during gametime. There are many instances where he has fun interactions with fans, for instance. Shaq also comes to mind. I think it's all about striking a balance. You don't have to be intense all the time, but you do have t be sometimes.
People worry about Howard's intensity after he personally dragged that mediocre Magic team to the finals? Ludicrous.
the thing is, you lose focus for one second, next thing you know, we're down 20... gotta admire a guy like Garcia - always has his game face on 100%...
It is a big NON ISSUE. Guy was smiling all over the court and dropped 29 and 13. Good grief, I hope some of you don't have children.
Yeah, after 2 games of 14 and 9 and 4 games of 17 points or less. Which is why i said it varies, not only within a game, but from game to game. It may become a non issue with him eventually, but as of now it certainly is one. As one of the top 2 options, he needs to be more assertive/aggressive/timely. i know he's not a great scorer, but it's not just about post moves or shooting.
Remember the "Yao is soft" image? Shaq was also quite goofy at lot of times during his career and even more so than Dwight. This is one of those things that is hard to study because we don't really know what is going on between those ears when he is smiling. We all express our emotions differently and I would find it difficult to judge based on his facial expression. I can only suggest that we take note on how he fights on those boards rather than whether anything else.
