Even Laker Fans Now Think Howard Might Eventually Go to Houston

As long as Howard is, and stays healthy.

 

I even think we can be a 60 win team with Howard - if our other guys take a step forward (as all the young guys can). Harden needs to improve his defense and cut down on his TOs, Lin needs to work on his TOs and his shot, Parsons becoming more consistent and getting back to being a great defenser, Patterson on his rebounding and Asik on his hands. Oh and D-Mo should get his body and his mind NBA ready.

Howard is having one of his worst seasons on a team where he doesn`t fit the system and rarely gets offensive touches - and he still has a max worthy season stats wise. I know that his injury history is a concern, but really he is playing fine right now. If he can get back to his old seld and improve his pick and roll game, he would be plain scary. You always have to gamble (otherwise star players usually don`T get available) - but on a player like Howard, when you have the chance you have to take it (always considering he doesn`t reinjure something serious this season).

 

If Dwight is available for trade, you gotta go for it. Otherwise, it's more likely that he'll re-sign whoever trades for him. We're in a good position now that he's unhappy in LA, but we likely lose that advantage if he's dealt somewhere else.

 

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....-coaching-again-lakers-running-wrong-offense/

 

Please stop trying to turn this argument on its head to suit your ridiculous point. We were talking about choosing a team to win a title with right this second. Not talking about current standings or the future. This is a hypothetical fantasy draft.

Yes we all know the Rockets are younger and currently have a better record. But if you were building a fantasy team to win a title this year there is nobody in this world AT THE BEGINNING of the season that would have taken the Rockets young and unproven roster over a roster with some of the greatest players to ever play the game. This is the lens that you have to view Dwight's decision through.

Oh and by the way I'm a die hard rockets fan and absolutely hate the Lakers with every breath I take. However I'm not feaking dillusional.

 

The Lakers, with Dwight are worse than the Rockets. Next season, they'll be worse simply due to age and the Rockets will be better simply due to age. If Dwight's objective is to contend next year, then the Rockets are easily the better choice.

 

Why is this getting so twisted. This is not the argument here we are talking about. We are talking about if you were putting a team together right now to compete for a title run right now this year. Despite the injury issues, locker room issues, on the court issues, coaching issues, etc. ON PAPER you would be a complete idiot to choose the Rockets roster over the Lakers roster RIGHT NOW in a vacuum, or a perfect world scenario for those of you who dont know what "In a vacuum" means.

Yes I freaking realize that the Rockets have the better record right now, and the Lakers have had bad health, chemistry issues, that might or might not be related to their age. Still doesn't change the fact that on paper its an easy choice for me if you are choosing between 2 former MVPS(one of which is the best scorer RIGHT NOW in the entire NBA), Over 30 combined all-star appearances, a Defensive player of the year, and 7 NBA titles and choosing the youngest team in the NBA with a one time all-star.

If you polled most NBA analysts right now about which team is more likely to win the finals if both teams sneak into the playoffs you would be hard pressed to find one that would still pick the Rockets despite the better season they are having so far. That team is built with a 2 year title run in mind and nothing else.

Again, Im not talking about what Dwight SHOULD DO, Im talking about what team is built on paper to win a title right now.

I do agree though that for Dwight Howard long term the Rockets might give him his best chance in the next 6 or 7 years given there are so many unknowns after Kobe, Nash, Gasol all retire in a few years. Come on now... anyone who has ever read one of my posts knows how much I despise the Lakers....

 

Well that's categorically false. I count three better.

 

The Lakers have Dwight. The Rockets don't. You seem to be forgetting this point.
The Rockets without Dwight are better than the Lakers with him. The Rockets with Dwight are much better than the Lakers.

BTW, a team with a below .500 record is obviously not built to win a title even if contending was their intention.

 

I'm not turning the argument any way, point is the very young Rockets are better than the AARP Lakers. Right now and tomorrow. You could have a roster of Olajuwon, Barkley, Jordan, Bird, and Stockton right now and they'd be terrible, just because they are big names doesn't mean they make for a good team.

 

Lakers had to deal with injuries. *knock on wood* but if Harden/Asik even Lin/Parsons/Delfino gets injured you can be sure we're out of the playoff race and the Lakers sneak back in. It's still a very thin line...

 

More importantly the Lakers have to deal with an ancient roster of ill-matched players who hate each other.....I mean they have to deal with that too.

 

What 7 NBA titles... that can't be right

 

That would be a team I'd pay to watch, though. And I don't even know if we could count them out, lol. (I'm joking. I'm well aware how much drop off there is with age, sadly.)

 

Kobe has 5. Gasol has 2.

 

Yes you are. My point from the very beginning of this ridiculous argument was simply that if you were building a team to win it all THIS YEAR, its a pretty simple choice. Throw away the teams record, locker room drama, coaching issues, and most importantly health.

I dont think you even understand, or dont want to understand what Im telling you. I agree with everything you said. YES, the Rockets have the better record, YES, the Rockets have the brigther future, and YES the Rocket would be the better choice for Dwight if he had the ability to make that choice right now.

But that's not what Im getting at. In a perfect world scenario, if you were trying to win it all THIS YEAR, there are very few people outside of Clutchfans that would take the Rockets roster over the Lakers roster (Again... ASSUMING A PERFECT WORLD) in a 7 game series to win it all. The Lakers roster was built for a 2 year title run, the Rockets roster is still being built for the future. Not sure why this is so hard for people to understand, or if it just seems like Im in love with the Lakers.... because I sure as hell am not.

 

Metta doesn't count? He has one ring.

 

Sure he does... make it 8. Believe it or not, Im not putting hours of research into every post I write on here. Thanks for allowing me to give Metta his much deserved credit that I so shamelessly forgot about.

 

So you are saying basically, take away all of the reasons why the Lakers are a terrible team and they'd be a good team? Yeah, I agree, problem is you can't take away all of that. I think you are hung up on a "on paper" argument. Howard has seen the team in action, so he wouldn't be blinded by what the team supposedly is on paper.

 

First of all - PLEASE knock on wood right now. You do realize the Rockets are only 4 wins above the Lakers right now in the standings, and I am EXTREMELY supersticious. Do me a favor and do that right this second. Im not going to let you jinx this team.

Secondly, Im not blinded by anything. I think this argument is pretty clear and pretty dumb.

Yes, I believe Dwight would be better off with Houston moving forward, and Yes they are the better team right now in the standing with a brighter 10 year future. Nobody is debating that.

However on paper the Lakers have a much better shot at winning a title this year in a perfect world scenario without the drama, coaching situation, good healthy, and most importantly good basketball chemistry.

The question at the beginning of this ridiculous argument never had anything to do with what Dwight should or shouldn't do. The question was simply about what team gives him a better chance at winning a title right now. No way your going to convince me that the Rockets would ever be picked to win a title over the Laker in a perfect world scenario THIS YEAR.