Definitely. And that Dwight was also discontent with one foot out the door, yet he could still bring it. It's sad to watch, but Dwight simply doesn't have the ability to consistently play at an All-Star level anymore.
So with this "new" revelation that today's Dwight isn't the same as the old Dwight, is he still a top 10 center in the NBA?
He's still smiling tho, saw him smile at least 7 times last night So ready for him to be gone for so many reasons to even explain
So, reading through this thread and seeing that Mike & Mike segment with Jalen, Dwight opts out because he wants max money. He has fired Fegan and his new agent if he is worth his salt is doing his due diligence and seeing if the money is out there for the max with a team that is good... Is Dwight still going to opt out? Does he pass up a guaranteed 23 million for the possibility of a max that may not be out there?
Even if he can get a 2 year/ $30-$40 million contract it would be in his best interest to do so. His skills/athleticism will continue to erode next season and he would take a massive hit next summer when teams REALLY know Howard's on the decline. Mentally, he has to opt out if he's really that unhappy with the team.
But if you are his agent, don't you tell him to opt in, take the money and see if he can play into a better deal after a new coach and hopefully better year. This year has been crap for the Rockets and him. I don't know that it gets better but 23 divided by 1 is better than 20 divided by 2. In the new NBA he will still get 10+ a year easily. But I suppose we will see. PS, I am on the side that disagrees that he has mentally checked out. Offensively he just doesn't get touches on this team. That is on JBB. And defensively he is on an island out there. And more important in THIS series, Bogut hangs on Dwight all night to the point of frustration... well the frustration is on Dwight... but anyways.
You're forgetting that his new agent would make absolutely zero if Howard opts in since this contract was signed when he was still Fegan. % of new deal > zero.
I really can't be all that mad. Not at Dwight, anyway. The whole team situation just sucks, and I wish I didn't care; but I've been a fan for 31 years, since I was a teenager, and if I haven't divorced the Rockets yet, well, I guess I never will. But clearly Dwight Howard has checked out. As far as basketball IQ, he's always been just above dunce level. What he has done well has been valuable. But playoffs Dwight isn't going to show up. Playoff Dwight is going to be manhandled and bumped and thrown off his game. And unceremoniously shown the door. Kinda reminds me of my last serious relationship before I met my wife. There were major difficulties but I soldiered through, but there just reached a point that I knew I didn't care enough to try.....but I had to wait for the right moment to make the actual break. Dwight is waiting for his moment. As far as the rest of the team? Clearly you have players who are in the same boat. They either want out or know they're dead (trade) man walking. And Harden....? Busted his a$$ to get us into the playoffs and either ran out of steam or is content to let the Warriors bend us over, as the end result of this series is as written in stone (if less sacred) than the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not giveth a f*** if the end is nigh.
No, Dwight has checked out. I am not even mad at him. He knows that he will not be back next season, he does not want to get hurt and he simply does not have an attachment with the Rockets anymore. He isn't petulant or abrasive. He simply is ready to move on..... and he isn't the only one on the team. Ariza is a professional but it is clear he isn't that confident or inspired.
Personally, I just can't understand the Dwight Howard defenders at all. It's like they are either watching Twilight Zone versions of all the games, or they just don't know the game of basketball very well. This has all been said and shown for over 11 years now, by almost every NBA analyst and NBA veteran. DH has not improved his game, or his basketball IQ in any significant way... at all... in all of these years! Kevin McHale said this years ago when he said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Pro players improve and expand their games within the first 4-5 years of their careers. After that, who they are... is pretty much who they are going to be for the rest of their careers." And McHale recently said that DH just seems to get over losses too easily. He said 10 minutes after a loss, DH is basically laughing and smiling, and it's all fun and games again. What is he fundamentally saying? He's saying DH doesn't really care about the game that much. He doesn't care about wins and losses, and he doesn't care about living up to his potential, or his paycheck. He takes almost no responsibility for anything, and it shows. He's had plenty of years to work with great post players to improve his game, but what has he really done? - he never bothered to follow up with Kareem's offer to help him. - he got advice and help from both Hakeem and McHale here in Houston, more than a few times... and what? He never bothers to actively practice or work on any of the techniques or skills that they taught him. - he's got no jump hook, no footwork for a proper drop step, no touch at all with the ball, and almost no basketball common sense at all. - he has no clue on how to post up, get position, or seal off his defender. And he cannot catch passes or grab loose balls because he has bricks for hands, and he very little hand-eye coordination. And more important than all of that... he is mentally weak, and unmotivated. That's why he shows so little effort at times, and also why he tends to quit on his teams. And how does he quit and check out? By getting himself out of the games, so he can have an excuse. Examples: - getting stupid, silly, unnecessary fouls called on himself - always whining and complaining to the refs - getting himself thrown out of games Look at his history, check the video tape of the games... it's obvious. I think Kareem's words in his interview about DH sum it up best. (paraphrasing again) When asked what he meant by "talent has a limited shelf life", when referring to Dwight Howard, Kareem responded: Having talent means nothing at the NBA level, unless it helps your team win games. If you don't learn to transform your physical abilities into tangible skill sets that help your team win games, then having raw physical abilities means nothing. The cerebral aspect of the game is far more important than the physical aspect of the game, and DH has shown that he has a very low basketball IQ. That's basically what Kareem said, in a nutshell. And he's absolutely right. Why all of the DH defenders cannot see this, or why they choose to ignore it... I don't know.
Yep. Losing brings out the worst in people - which is proven by this thread. The hate for Howard is WAY over top. Even if there is a "lack of trying" on his part, the Rockets are responsible for this series and this season, not one individual.
Lol I remember everyone talking about "playoff" Dwight. This guys done. His athleticism is over and he has no skill. He can't even rebound anymore.
I think JBB should bench Howard. I hate looming inevitability. Why not just skip to the end result already?
Good post. I thought I saw hustle from him. He was going after loose balls and tipping off the rebound (things you don't see on the stat sheet) but like you said, he has no help.
