Hope he opts in. I don't think a lot of you guys know what you might be wishing for by hoping he opts out. If we can't sign 2 of these max players (Durant, DeRozan, Whiteside, Horford, Conley) then Howard opting out could be a real loss to our team, and we can't take a step backwards going into next season. I can easily see all of the players I listed not signing with Houston, all of them are on more respective teams in better positions then Houston, and outside of Whiteside, all of their home teams can and likely will offer more money to retain them. Plus there will be competitive team that are more or equally in free agency also looking to sign them. I'd happily keep Howard when he opts in, try to sign one of the max players I listed, if not then sign another starter/role players.
I agree. Howard is the valuable piece to our team. He mainly protects the basket in the paint. I hope he opts in, I still believe he will help us contend for the championship. He got us to WCF last season. So that tells you he is important piece to our team. Harden cannot be alone.
I think what is problematic is that Howard is not happy being a pick and roll player. The organization has had three years to convince him that this is the best way to play, yet he is not happy being this kind of player, even though it's a huge strength. His post moves use to look slightly better, but it seems that he has regressed in this department in the last year (not that he was any good before). I love Howard, really love how he played last year and the year before that, but I think it is best to go our separate ways. It doesn't make sense for Howard to come back to this team damn well knowing that D'Antoni is not going to be interested in posting him up. I don't want this guy to be back and pull the same crap he pulled last year when the team did not play the style that he wanted. I doubt he will buy into Mike's offense. What's the point of having a player that's going to quit on the team because we don't run inefficient post plays for him? I don't trust him to buy in even if he promised he would buy in. I wish we could have Dwight playing pick and roll and playing the type of defense he is capable of playing, but there is no way I want him back after the things he admitted this offseason.
How can you even hope that he stays though? The lockeroom was bad also because of his presensce (if not only because of this), he speaked negatively (and publicly) about Morey, the team and the staff...why should he stay and why should we want him back? To have another drama next season? HELL NO.
The locker room being bad was not all on Howard. There comes a time when Harden also has to accept some responsibility for his role in how this past season turned out. After all they're both (or were) the leaders (cornerstones) of this team.
Howard is a cancer, has been one wherever he has been, since Orlando - the Rockets would be wasting time with him, time for him to go infect someone else's locker room. DD
I agree. I expect more by Harden, but he can still grow as a player and as a leader, Dwight cannot. And again, after what he said to ESPN i really don't see a spot for him in this team.
The post you responded to explains why I hope he stays. There are no reports saying Howard individually was killing our chemistry or locker room, only that he and Harden didn't see eye to eye. He didn't publicly trash Morey, the team or staff either, I''ve watched all the interviews and have seen all the reports, hopefully you are not citing his TNT interview as your source of him trashing our organization. He said he told Morey he would like more touches, Morey told him no, he said he was surprised and disappointed by that decision. That isn't trashing Morey, the team or the staff, that's was just him telling his reacting to a declined request he made and not much more, just explaining why he was unhappy with his role on offense. Whether he wants to stay or not is his choice, i'm not commenting on whether is's likely or not, whether Howard would be interested in staying or not, i'm just saying I hope he stays, I hope it works out for the best for both him and the Rockets. Again, I think we would want him back because, or at least why I personally would want him back, is to have a top center, and a quality team. If Howard opts in, I'd love to have him back. Because if Howard opts in, that means he's cool with Harden, Morey, the staff and team. It means he's accepted his role, and is happy to be back. Because if otherwise, he simply wouldn't opt in or re-sign with Houston. So what i'm saying ultimately is, if Howard wants to be here, then I'd love to have him here.
He's not a cancer. More like plantar fasciitis. Doesn't sound bad and you figure you can work with it but you can't and you realize you wasted your season. He needs to go, the little things he can do well he chooses not to.
Ok...i guess. But he doesn't want to play the role you want to ask him -> especially after you add another top player since it would mean even less touches for him. That's why i said "The lockeroom was bad also because of his presensce"...i never said or thought that those problems were all on Dwight. But in part they certainly were. And yes, i was referring to that interview, he just ****ed up, sorry, but it is what it is...he said: ESPN: You mentioned your season in Houston didn't end the way you wanted. You have also admitted you were "disinterested" during parts of the year. Why was that? Howard: "There were times I was disinterested because of situations that happened behind the scenes that really hurt me. It left me thinking, 'This is not what I signed up for.''' ESPN: What specifically are you referring to? Howard: "I felt like my role was being reduced. I went to [Rockets general manager] Daryl [Morey] and said, 'I want to be more involved.' Daryl said, 'No, we don't want you to be.' My response was, 'Why not? Why am I here?' It was shocking to me that it came from him instead of our coach. So I said to him, 'No disrespect to what you do, but you've never played the game. I've been in this game a long time. I know what it takes to be effective.'' Here he was clearly trying to make our organization look bad to justify his poor effort, also lying about what Morey said judging by Terry's interview: Spoiler <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="it"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's what Jason Terry had to say on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHerd">@TheHerd</a> in response to Dwight Howard's comments about Daryl Morey. <a href="https://t.co/SpFwSza0uN">pic.twitter.com/SpFwSza0uN</a></p>— Jenny Dial Creech (@jennydialcreech) <a href="https://twitter.com/jennydialcreech/status/733353893971660800">19 maggio 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Dwight is not an elite center anymore, and he can only get worse at this point of his career, without athleticism he has zero game. Add to this that he wants to be paid and that he doesn't want to play how he should and yeah... But at least i can agree with you on the last bold part, if he'll opt in, it means that he changed his mind and put his ego to sleep which whould be good but: 1. it's not happening...here at least. 2. let's say it's going to happen, at this point i wouldn't be ok in paying him the money he seems to ask.
I'd like Dwight if he put his head on straight.. but at the same time he's making way too much money for his level of output. He's making like $23 million to be a "good" center. If Dwight left, think about what the Rockets could do with that $23 million instead...
And he also sabotaged our team last season. People hate Tracy McGrady because of the assumption he quit. Dwight flat out came out and said he mailed it in last season. That is the most recent memory of Dwight. A long, long 6 months. Dwight of 2014-15 is LONG gone.
Bwhahaha at those that are saying Dwight ruined or sabotaged this team. There were so many things that went wrong with this damn team. And for the record Harden dialed it in on defense. He did not give the same effort on defense like he did the season before.
I wish Dwight was as good defensively as Harden was offensively. With Harden, his faults are known, but for 97% of the time you know exactly what you're getting offensively. And that's someone who can put a team on his back for long stretches at a time. With Dwight, he refuses to do the only few things he's good at. But sure, a guy who was overweight for the beginning of the season before putting up MVP-like numbers AGAIN, is the one to blame.
It's not so easy for Dwight to Opt out. He has damaged his value by complaining about style of play. He will have very limited options outside of the Rockets. If I was him, I would opt in and re-establish myself as someone who wants to be a team player. No I in the word TEAM.
