Heart of a Champion?

[moonnumack]

I have been in the "Trade for Dwight" camp pretty strongly up until this point, but I'm starting to question it now.

It's not about cowering to Howard's diva ways. I'm willing to take our chances with the rental with the hope that Houston will grow on him and he won't want to leave $30 mil on the table. If he walks after next year, then so be it. However, even if he stays, I'm just starting to question whether or not this guy is we want to hitch our wagon to. Here are my concerns:

-He has not appreciably improved his game over the last several years, particularly with free throw shooting and offensive moves, as you expect superstars to do (see LeBron, Kobe, Durant, Rose, Westbrook). Is he willing to put the work in to get better?

-Given that he is deficient in those things offensively, he is going to require a serious offensive sidekick. He's not as good as Shaq, who needed Kobe and D-Wade to carry the load int he 4th quarter to win rings.

-For a guy who relies on his superior athleticism to play at an elite level, the back surgery has to be a concern. We would be locking into a long-term guaranteed contract with no idea how his body will hold up. I don't need to remind anyone on this site how crippling that could be to the franchise.

-He's a proven coach-killer. Now, this isn't necessarily bad, as Magic Johnson, and all-time great and one of my favorite players of all-time, also has this on his resume. However, Dwight seems ready to throw everyone else under the bus for the team's failures, particularly the coach and GM.

-He seems to be focused on his brand and marketability more than winning. That is not just because he is spurning Houston, which we take personally. But if he was about winning, you would expect him to be more open to joining winning teams like LA or Chicago, both of whom he has spurned. As much as we dis-like LeBron's decision, you cannot deny that he chose the team with the best chance to win a championship. Choosing Brooklyn (with or without Deron Williams) is not about the best chance to win.

To come to a city and team that prides itself on gritty play and being clutch, do you think this guy really has the "heart of a champion?"

[sabesque]

You bring up valid points.

Aside from your points about his back and the suspect choice of Brooklyn (which, you could argue would be a decent choice if he plays with Deron), I'm optimistic that those won't be issues with us.

One thing about Kevin McHale, I don't know of a better coach out there for big men. In particular for a big man with Dwight's skill set.