He's playing like he has to get the right footing down to react. In other words, searching for stability. He can't just rise up on cue because it doesn't feel right, I'm guessing. I tried telling y'all: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=261041 He certainly looks like he's protecting himself. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. If this is Tmac all over again, does Morey let him walk next year? Tries to keep him but at lower price? I wouldn't be surprised if we went in another direction next year...
Where's the Dwight that showed up against the trailblazers in the playoffs last year? That wasn't that long ago. He must still be hurt.
Agreed. That's why I contend there's no way in hell we trade DMo for Dragic. DMo might be asked to become our second best player very soon.
Portland was a terrible defensive team. I don't know why people keep Dwight is who he is. He'll show up some games b/c the position sucks, but for the most part, he's just "pretty good." He can still be a great defensive presence. But offensively, you can't run an offense through him at all.
And he doesn't understand that, and Morey hurt his feelings by telling the truth to the media, and now you see him pouting on the court nonstop. This really started becoming prominent after Josh Smith was signed here. The Memphis game is when I started taking notice.
What Dwight needs to understand that what he can provide for the team is still so valuable. His defensive presence and shutting down the interior will open up the offense a little bit when the perimeter game isn't on. The easy points via fastbreaks you can trigger from your defensive end is what you need to jump start an offense that is heavily relied on jumpshots. We don't get easy buckets as often as we should. And when your offense suffers, defense is and ALWAYS should be your calling card, esp. for a team with championship aspirations. Dwight should take pride being the defensive leader. That's what has made this team as successful as it has been this year, just as much as Harden's growth. If he mans the defense, he will still get a lot of praise as ever. I don't know why he doesn't get that.
So negative on Howard? FYI, Howard is still leading this team on FG% by far this season, above 60%, besides 11 Rebs per game. And this guy can not have one off game? Just wow.
Because he mainly catches alley oops now. He's still pretty good at 60-70%, as are most all-stars, but for how long? Something is definitely wrong with him physically. He shouldn't be out there playing like that. Let's not forget he's really like 31 or 32 in NBA years. He's got a lot of wear on him already and some of that was the bad kind.
LoL, how many players in this team or the whole league can have FG% above 50? let alone 60%, I do not care if he dunk them all, and it is for the season average, not one or two games. Could you ever find any nba player in history with that kind of stats who were lack of effort on the court in a whole season? I bet not.
At this point, Howard is DeAndre Jordan but demands the post touches as if he was Shaq or David Robinson. Defensively, I just hate his effort since he has come back. If he isn't healthy, then he needs to sit out! I'm just so tired of Howard's act. He preaches about accountability, yet he is the one that holds himself with the least accountability on the team this year. A couple of weeks ago, he told the media that guys on the team needs to tell the coach to take them out, but he is the one that should be telling the coaches to take him out. I just don't have a good gut feeling about Howard right now. As if the best we see of Howard is in the past, and now he is just going to be a headache and an ego that may kill this team. Won't be surprised if we start seeing some rumors that Dwight is not happy here or Houston may look to trade him. Morey may go in a different direction if the Rockets fail this postseason.
Who said anything about a lack of effort? I didn't. I said he's clearly not moving well because something is wrong with him physically. You may not care because he's shooting 60%, but that's going to hurt us in the playoffs, when just about every play counts. And he sure won't be playing like he's making 20 million.
You are blind to what's going on. Great, Dwight has a high FG%. So would I, if I did nothing but dunk. He's also giving no effort. Mailing it in. Like committing two quick fouls in Memphis and then getting T'd up so he wouldn't have to play.
I dont know what it is with dwight to be honest. It's so frustrating watching him in the post, i get nervous any time i see him with the ball in the paint and hes not looking to pass it. similar to how i used to feel when i saw jeremy lin with the ball last season. You just know this isn't going to turn out good.
Put down the pitchforks and torches. He's clearly not 100% healthy. Better to go through a rough patch now than later in the season.
As I said, it was one off game for Howard. If he did that in the whole season, he won't get that kind of stats. What will hurt us in the playoffs is not about how Howard plays in this ballgame, it is about how this team can fully use him on the offensive end. 11 FGAs for him is not going to take this team out of first round. The play style so far this season would not win series against Spurs, Clippers, Mavs or Mem in playoffs.
As I said, can you find any NBA player in history who were lack of effect and had that kind of stats in a season? one or two games does not count.
