This is a ridiculous post. Dikembe peaked as a scorer during his rookie year, at only 16 points per game. Howard has already averaged over 20 points per game twice in his career. If his team wasn't loaded with so many perimeter scorers, he would probably be scoring more. I think Alonzo Mourning is a much better player to compare him to. Zo's offensive moves in the post were ugly, but largely effective. Dwight has a similar game, without the 15 foot jumper.
Don't you see the fallacy in your argument? You're saying that Dwight should stop dunking on people when he gets the ball in the post so that he can prove himself to you as an effective post player by taking lower percentage hook shots and short jumpers, like other "effective" post players.
People get all wowed over Dwights athleticism and over rate the guy. He has no post game and just relies on his athleticism.
From the website provided, I see that Dwight Howard has hardly, if at all, improved his effectiveness in the post for the past three years and is about on par - in effectiveness - with a soft, jump-shooting PF and another forward playing out of position and coming back from a season-ending injury. Is this supposed to convince me that Dwight is the best center in the NBA? I think you ought to stick with the "stays on the floor" argument.
I think here is a better way at looking at Dwight Howard: 1) He is an effective scorer in the paint. 2) His post-up game is unpolished and considerably less effective against defenders who have the size to match up with him. As for 1, Dwight gets a large percentage of his points on young Shaq type of moves: he simply overpowers defenders with his strength and gets dunks and short hooks. He also gets alley-oops, passes hand-delivered to him for dunks, and offensive rebounds and put-backs. As for 2, once a defender is on him that is able to negate his physical advantages, he is forced to rely more on his straight post-up game. His lack of polish and any effective go-to moves limit him in this scenario. He isn't able to simply overpower capable defenders for dunks like he does with so many of the centers in the eastern conference.
Deke scored like 20 points per game against Shaq in the Finals. Saying Dwight Howard will be Mutomboesque is a compliment, even when you are talking about his offensive game.
I don't know if anyone's ever argued with Dwight's efficiency in the post. He scores there, that much is easy to see. Dwight's issue is that he is robotic in the post. He has no fluidity. That's the part that has never and will never improve. So, sometimes, when he meets a defender that he doesn't have as huge of an athleticism advantage over, he has problems. Also, being an efficient highly SCORER in the post doesn't always lead to being a highly efficient player. The greats (Hakeem, Shaq, Duncan, etc.) had so much control of the ball down there that their post ups lead to a good play even when they didn't score. Yes, despite individual efficiency numbers, the way in which you score in the post (your post moves/skills) affects the team's chances of winning.
Except the guy who says Howard doesn't have a post game. And this is relative, isn't it? Put a legitimate defensive big man with size on Scola 1-on-1, and he'll be rendered useless as well. Does that mean Scola doesn't have a post game? And the Cavs last year had a pretty good post defender in Varejao trying to guard Howard in the post, and he couldn't. To me, it doesn't make much sense for a team to specifically bring in Shaq to deal with a player who's post game is trash.
Dwight post game is trash. Yes, he might score efficiently against the crappier defenders in the league, but when it comes to banging with the big boys he fails. He simply does not have a wide variety of moves to go to. His footwork is pretty bad also. This series against the Celtics tells me a lot against Dwight. I do agree, that the better defenses should definitely cause a lot more trouble, but superstars usually will get theirs against them. Howard, however, can't seem to get the better of the Celtics. The fact that the Celtics can put single coverage on Howard means that he simply isn't effective enough of a post player to pose a threat against a defensive powerhouse, which then throws the Magic rhythm off since their offense depends on Howard drawing double teams. I don't question his ability to be able to score against weaker defensive teams (or weaker individual defenders, as evidenced by Bobcats/Hawks series), however I do question whether he is good enough to help his team against the best teams in the league with actual big men who are strong enough to guard Howard, and obviously his post play has not improved enough yet to get over that hump.
Deke averaged 16 points per game in the Finals that year, after averaging 11 points per game in the regular season. Dwight Howard has already surpassed Mutombo as an offensive player.
If we're not counting people who are effective scorers in the paint, who in today's NBA does have a good post game? Yao Ming certainly doesn't, because I could argue like you did that: 1) He is an effective scorer in the post. 2) His post-up game is easily rendered useless against defenders who have the quickness and length to front him.
I think the problem here is that people have different definitions of post moves. Some people believe that you need to be able to spin around the defender and shoot fade aways to be considered as having a post move. Other believe that by overpowering the defender by raw strength and dunking the ball is also considered a post move. There are also the few that simply don't care, as long as you score, it's all good. Personally, I believe that overpowering and dunking can also be considered a post move. You can argue that if you are defending by an athletic big man, it won't work. But the same arguement goes for the first scenerio. If you have a more experienced and taller defender, it won't work either. That is what makes Yao so exceptional. There is no one taller than him, yet he still maintains such a soft touch around the basket. Whether you want him on your team due to his injuries is another arguement. To say Dwight Howard doesn't have a post game, whether he has a post move or not, is outrageous. Some may ask, how could you have a post game if you don't have a post move. And that's the beauty of the game. Just because you have an array of post moves doesn't mean you will be efficient in the post. Efficiency is the key here. To me, a post game means being efficient in the post. Like Durvasa demostated, Dwight Howard is just as efficient as other bigs in the post. In other words, Dwight Howard has a post game whether he has a post move or not. Hence the reason he is able to draw double team constantly.
Yea were talking about putting a big with size on howard who he cant over power not some bishh like varejao why do you think they brought in shaq for. If howard cant power his way in he throws up his ugly hook which will either miss or get a lucky bounce and go in.
LOL, someone needs a lesson on reading comprehension. Durvasa was saying that if Howard doesn't have a post game like some people claims, Cavs wouldn't need to bring in Shaq to defend Howard because they already have a decent defender in Varejao. Evidently, that's false.
LOL apparantly u do as well. Howard over powers varejao cause he isnt big and he's weak and most of all FLOPS leaving howard with wasy scoring. What happens when you put someone bigger and stronger on howard such as yao and shaq? Howard cant move them therefore cant overpower them and go in the paint for his easy dunks and close to the hoop hooks. Howards post game is over powering his defender and getting easy dunks, layups, in the paint hooks. He was doing that easily to varejao simply cause he could over power him now shaq he cant he's bigger and stronger and can hold his ground. Thats why the cavs brought him in not because of howards "post game" Do you understand?
Why the Mutombo comparisons? They are so different to me. Mutombo couldn't score like Howard can but if you think Howard can defend anywhere near as well as Mutombo did you're on crack. How can people call him "potentially one of the best big defenders ever" when he has never even averaged three blocks and only averaged a full steal per game once. Defensively, his stats have not increased either so it's not like we can expect him to block more shots or rebound more or steal more.
Now you are just contradicting yourself. Read the bolded paragraph 20 more times. sigh........too many irrational posters on this board
