[CBS Sports] Howard no lock for Lakers; interested in Rockets

I wouldn't risk my career by relying on Kobe to recover. Kobe has many rough miles on his shoulders as do many of the other Lakers.
Resigning with the Lakers would mean taking an unnecessary risk. But everyone is expecting Dwight to resign because they want to see all those past prime all-stars to give it a go but they are falling apart before they can even come close. Best bet for Dwight's career would be to go to Houston where health isn't an issue.

 

Huh? Do you really think Dwight is going to spill his deliberations on Twitter? Of course he's going to publicly deny, just like he did last summer and just like every star does in every other negotiation. They "know nothing".

 

July 1 is still a long time so for all we know he could be going to Dallas or ATL so don't forget don't get too excited :grin:

 

I think it's very premature to say forsure he's going here or their. Theirs know doubt in my mind that he's interested in joining the rockets. From a basketball standpoint and what would make him have the most impact on the court in terms of stats and winning. No team offers what the rockets do, we also have a 23 yr old top 10 player who happens to play on the wing.

You have to look at how dwight excels at? and that's the offense running through him on the post or playing pick and roll. Make no mistake, he wants both options on offense not just one or the other. Now go deeper and look how the rockets this yr played asik? either in pick and roll or the occasional post up. Never was he put in the high post which is not something dwight likes either.

The offense is Taylor made for dwight Howard to come right in and avg around 24 points a game. This is very important to dwight as it is with every superstar in this league. He wants to be a top 5 scorer and the best rebounder and defender in the league. IMO only houston offers this for him while also offering a championship ready team.

The way I see it is when asik would score 20 or more points and grab 14 rebounds the rockets were the hardest team to beat in the league outside of Miami and maybe okc. Now dwight will get you that every single night. Asiks career high is like 24 points? Not exactly sure but Howard avg 23 for a whole season. It's good for the NBA when the Houston rockets are good I know alot of ppl here might not be alive that but it's true. The rocket are one of a few teams who have a legacy and are one of the older teams in the league. Plus dwight getting coached by mchale and being able to talk face to face with Hakeem more often should really be a big factor if dwight truely does want to become one of the best centers to play the game and take that next level in terms of individual and team success.

At the end of the day I do think dwight will go this less flashy rout and come at age 27 he should be maturing as a player and person. Like lebron I think the only thing Howard wants now is to cement his legacy on the court by winning and expanding his game. It's also doesn't hurt that the backlash would prob be the least excessive if he chose houston out if any other team outside of the lakers. The rockets are seen as the cool young exciting team and 20 games into the season dwight Howard would be one of the cool guys again. That happy superman laugh joking type of guy. Him and Machale would really hit it off in terms of off the court plus he would look to him and hardens before anyone for advise which is something dwight values as a franchise player.

 

Yes, because for all of Dwight's physical gifts and talent, he's a whiny, immature, attention-craving primadonna who has never had to grow up and be an adult because of aforementioned gifts and ability. Obviously his coming would be great for the team, but if he doesn't, I won't be too upset. All I am hoping for is a Dwightmare-less summer. Let's hope he can man-up and make a drama-less decision quickly and promptly.

 

I agree with you and that's why I think he will make a very quick decision. He doesn't want to go through what lebron went through in terms of the whole tv espn deal. I think he will make it quick announce it like every other free agent and move on.

 

Inc new episode of " The Decision".

 

Here's what happens if Dwight resigns with the Lakers...

2013/14 - age 28 - a wasted year with an older, busted Laker team. Unless Dwight coasts, trying to carry the team in the post will be more wear and tear for no reason.

2014/15 - age 29 - a rebuilding year. They can release everyone but Howard, a very old Nash making 9+ million and a mid round pick to sign 1 other max player and a bunch of scrubs on 1 year contracts. Can't expect too much of the scrubs because most of those "vets" will be released the next year so they will in essence be 1 year fillers...can't expect player to break down the door for that. Not sure Kobe is coming back for min so that might be the end of the laker/kobe era. So 1 max player - assuming they strike it rich - to go with Howard, a very old Nash, and some vet scrubs trying to stay in the league and showcase their skills for their next team. Still not smelling success with that lineup.

2015/16 - age 30 - heres where it get dicey. Most rookies looking for there 1st max are not going to turn down true max resign money to sign with the Lakers. So the Lakers are left boning the team for a chance at a max player who may not be worth it... So 2 max players, Howard, 2 mid round picks, and some vet min contracts. This is the Miami Heat only Howard is 30. It took the Heat a couple of years to gel and fill in the holes. I dare say it will take the lakers just as long.

2016-19 - age 31-34 - the gel and fill in years.

So if Dwight hasn't seriously injuries himself by age 35 then he can START competing for his 1st ring.

 

Cyber,

Are we just bait and leverage? Or is Dwight genuinely interested in Houston?

Thanks for the info btw!

 

I wouldn't bank on Howard coming in and dropping 24 ppg, this isn't the east and I don't believe his offensive skill set well let him. He'll probably average 11-13 field goal attempts a game (he's 11 field goal attempts per his career). That's a limited number because his effectiveness is limited in the deep low post and he can't always get position deep down low are get pushed off the block (Shaq averaged 18-19 field goal attempts in his first 11 years but he was too big to push off the block and usually won every position battle). Mix in his terrible free throw shooting, I think more like 18-21 ppg (which is still good). And I definitely wouldn't bank on Harden ( and McHale) letting the offense run completely through Howard...

Howard will get his touches if he comes but he's a $22 million side kick.

 

If they don't get someone in free agency, I'd actually be somewhat surprised if the lakers kept him for his whole contract, they'd probably be able to pry jabari parker, maybe even andrew wiggins for him.

If they bomb out on free agency, especially after 2015 (if they even wait that long), you can bet your ass the lakers ship him out for a young stud.

He's no Magic/Kobe lakerf4life, he's just another shaq, once it's time to part ways, you part ways.

 

I wouldn't be surprised at all if he got out the big bad west and went to Atlanta...

 

LMFAO not sure if serious...? Who the heck would even consider trading an old Dwight Howard for Parker or Wiggins? Especially considering the teams that land those 2 will be in rebuild mode.

 

Dwight risking his career by staying on Lakers? Since when was being on the Lakers a risk to anyone's career? They have a $200 mil per season deal with Time Warner so they are one of a few teams willing to go over and pay the salary cap tax. Additionally, Steve Nash is the only player signed beyond next season. So as history has played out, Lakers can hit the reset button and acquire a championship team overnight if things don't work out on next season's redeem team run. Lebron joining Howard on the Lakers after next season is far fetched, but with the Lakers, anything and everything is possible.

That said, the Lakers are one of few teams that do not need Dwight Howard. Howard truly will change the landscape of most franchises and teams in smaller markets will drool over that opportunity. So the Lakers will not bend over backwards and fire D'Antoni just because that's what Howard wants. They'll let him walk and wish him good luck while they win more championships with other superstar players that were more ready for the big time. The Lakers only pick up players who are ready to win championships and I'm not sure Howard is there yet anyway.

 

If Howard doesn't come, it's okay. Save the money for Bosh or Lebron next year. Just shore up on better defensive pieces this year and more reliable shooters and Rockets can easily get 6th seed. Should have done better this year if it wasn't for that January of back to back hell month.

 

Lebron is far fetched like you said. So tell me, what is a plausible scenario for the Lakers in the upcoming years if they loose Howard?

 

it depends who wins the draft, if it's a team hobbled by injuries, like minnesota was this year, they'd certainly put it out there.

Heck if Harden, Parsons and Asik went down like they had Love, Pek and Rubio, where do you see us ending up? I'd see Deep lottery

 

People who claim losing Kobe would make Dwight's decision harder is not true. Kobe being out is what ignited Dwight's spirits to go up.

Dwight wants Kobe to go, but he knows that won't happen. Dwight wants LA to himself, and he can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel when Kobe went down.

 

Don't they have just Dwight and Nash locked up after next season? You don't think Love and other FAs would flock there?

LA is damn intriguing, they have a history of pulling it off.

 

The problem is ever since the heatles, teams have traded their players they thought they were going to lose, melo, cp3, deron, dwight even, and they send them to franchises they are willing to re-sign with.

Heck Dwight is the poster child for it, so he has no reason to think Love might not get sent to say Chicago.