How Would Dwight Howard Look Next To James Harden In A Rockets Uniform Next Season?

His lack of development has been sort of incredible. If somebody told me five years ago that Dwight Howard would be basically the same player then that he is now, I would have laughed.

But here we are now. Dwight Howard is a human time machine. The year is 2007: NASA's Phoenix spaceship launches, George W. Bush is President of the United States, and a young Dwight Howard develops the two post moves that he will one day--with luck--develop into the exact same moves.

And I guess somewhere along the way there is a full heel turn as he joins the Lakers to entertain millions with his vast two-move arsenal. Truly these are wondrous days.

 

I wish people wouldn't be this dismissive of a Three LeBron team. It's this sort of Two LeBron shortsightedness that has made the Rockets a treadmill team in the past.

 

Its downright embarrassing how ****ty Centers are nowadays.

 

I don't think they trade him nor do I think he walks.

Larry Coon was talking "state of the Lakers" today.

Right now, how would you characterize what Dwight's options are at the end of the year?

Yeah, we're getting close to a breaking point for the season. At the start it was they need a new coach, then we need to get Nash back, and now it's they need to figure it out. We're running out of time for that. We're starting to talk about what are the consequences? What is Dwight gonna do? He has a couple of options. The Lakers want him to be the center piece of the next phase of the franchise. If you're Dwight, you can re-sign with LA. I can get more years and money by staying in LA, even if we do a S&T. Dwight gotta say "Do I stay here, get more money or do I leave?". I gotta take less money w/ a team with not as much cap room or there are some teams who could put together a full value offer. Teams like Atlanta, where he's buddies with Josh Smith and maybe wants to stay long term. Dallas was one of the teams he mentioned but they would have to dump salary(Marion). Houston would have to dump salary. (Dwight) expressed some trepidation about Houston. He doesn't have a lot of options but those options are there.

How likely are they? Historically, players will use this as a leverage threat but how many actually do it? Historically, have any players just said forget it, I'll leave my bird rights and $25 million on the table and go somewhere else?

It's kinda an apple and oranges comparison to say he's leaving $25 million. Part of that comes from the Lakers being able to give him one more year. He's gonna sign for that year down the line anyways unless he suffers some catastrophic injury. The difference over 4 years is really about $3.7 million. So for a guy like that, an $87 million dollar contract, an extra 4 million on top of that won't really make a difference.

So why doesn't anyone do it?

With the new CBA, the rules have changed. A S&T is the same as leaving as a FA. (I think) You're gonna see more of those happening with the new agreement.

What options are out there for LA to improve themselves?

Where do you start(w/ the Lakers)? Part of it is the coaching. The team isn't a great mesh for D'Antoni. D'Antoni has shown he won't bend his system to match the players he has. The Lakers have to control pace and D'Antoni's system won't do that. There's that mismatch. What do you do with Gasol? Him being asked to camp out at the perimeter rather than being in the post where he needs to be. The fact Pau needs to be a C given his limitations with his advancing age. The fact the team isn't playing defense. This team needs fundamental changes. More than "We'll just flip Pau for someone who will solve all the problems." That won't happen.

 

iPhone 5 will work.

 

I'm not getting my hopes up for Dwight Howard ever again. But from a theoretical standpoint, even if Howard has season-ending surgery right now, and doctors say he will only be 80% for the next 4 years, I would still want the Rockets to give him a max contract. I simply think he's just has enough impact over the likes of Millsap, Josh Smith, etc.

But the idea of Lebron does intrigue me...

 

Dwight would be in street clothes courtside 80% of the time.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=bzp59uh

It would cost alot but could be worth it...

A core of Lin/Harden/Dwight is full of ridiculous potential...

Hell even this year we would be really dangerous with a lineup of
Lin/Td/Beverley
Harden/Anderson
Delfino/Morris/Anderson
Morris/Smith/Jamison
Dwight/Smith/Jamison

Sacre/Aldrich/Royce ---- D-League

I'd goto war with that...

...but alas, a man can only dream...

 

Are we tanking for Wiggins?

 

There is no way to measure it, but I believe that a good part of the Rockets success is due to team chemistry. And I think that everyone, including Morey, are watching the Rockets improve and wondering how good can this team be? Morey probably sees the same thing, and will choose a veteran high impact player carefully.

 

Strangely I think he may indeed walk away and join us after reading these quotes. Essentially he's not walking away from tons of money - almost no difference with no income tax in TX.

 

No thanks

 

He would look the same way he does in a Lakers uniform. Terrible at the line.

 

Spot on.

I'd much rather have Asik and his endearingly awkward offensive game than endure Howard try to make the Rockets the "Dwight Howard Show".

 

If you think signing Howard to a max contract and putting him on this non-dysfunctional team is a great idea....then you haven't watched much Laker basketball this year.

 

If the locker room does become an issue, LAL would rather trade Kobe than give up DH.

I guess what goes around comes around. Shaq is having his last laugh somewhere.

 

Why settle for Jeremy Lin, when you can do Lin Lin Lin

 

That would actually make a good question for a poll. If I thought we had a decent chance at getting Lebron in 2014 would you want to stay with what we have until then?