Bigfoot

July 5th, 2013 at 10:34 PM ^

He's a kid! He's allowed to change his mind! When we were 18 we were changing our minds all the time! Wait, he's 27? Oh my...

Joined: 11/19/2012

MGoPoints: 2027

BILG

July 5th, 2013 at 10:38 PM ^

Not a Howard fan, think he acts like a spoiled child. He did the back and forth with Orlando before leaving. Further, as a player he is not nearly as dominant as he could be. 9 years in the league and still no post game? With that physique he should be unstoppable in the paint with his back to the basket. However... To be fair, he reportedly never called the Rockets to accept. He hadn't committed yet. All the news outlets wanted to be the first to break the story so they ran with what seemed a foregone conclusion based off all the evidence and info they had. Now they will bash him for waffling, which while it may be the case that he has a hard time making grown up decisions, the media is in the wrong here for running the story prematurely. Media will vilify him, but won't accept the blame for running an unconfirmed headline.

Joined: 08/31/2008

MGoPoints: 1344

LSAClassOf2000

July 5th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^

....the Lakers GM, just a little bit ago (HERE):

"We have been informed of Dwight's decision to not return to the Lakers."

That was put about about 30 minutes ago, so I am assuming - for the time being - this is where we stand in Dwight Howard Visionquest. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130560

Gobluegobluegoblue

July 5th, 2013 at 11:19 PM ^

Dwight posted on his Facebook account that he's decided not to return to the Lakers, and go to Houston. I guess I can't blame him. Pay me 22 million a year to never have to worry about the pressure of winning anything and I'd be all over it too.

Joined: 08/27/2011

MGoPoints: 819

CLord

July 6th, 2013 at 2:05 AM ^

Two words for Dwight Howard: Roy Hibbert.  Hibbert, a far less athletic big man, demonstrated against the Heat what hard work in the off season can do for a center, and looked ten times better in that series than Howard ever has.

Howard is the most overrated diva the NBA has had in a long time.

Joined: 09/11/2011

MGoPoints: -6343

1 percent

July 6th, 2013 at 2:19 AM ^

Dwight Howard dominated a 66-16 LeBron James led Cavliers teams that was previously 8-1 in the playoffs in 5 games of the ECF to make the NBA finals. The fact the Howard can be coming off back surgery with a ruined shoulder while in a system that is the opposite of how he plays and he is still the number 1 center in the league speaks volumes about the center position and separates Dwight from any other C in the league. I hate it and wish it wasn't true but it is. Hibbert is showing potential to be one of the tops in the league.

Joined: 09/09/2010

MGoPoints: 11273

ghost

July 6th, 2013 at 6:38 AM ^

Exactly what system do you think Houston runs?  It is very similar to what D'Antoni runs.  Fast paced, 3pt shooting, and dominated by  a scoring wing.  The Rockets have Lin at PG who will get eaten alive by Westrbook, Parker, and Paul.  Their only other big, Asik, has demanded a trade.  Only Asik and Lin have such awful contracts they are going to be difficult to trade.

Their was a rumor of flipping Asik to NO  for Ryan Anderson... only NO has no interest and Asik and Howard and Anderson don't like each other.

Joined: 09/02/2011

MGoPoints: 4140

big_ballers_only

July 6th, 2013 at 7:59 AM ^

Did you watch Lakers games last season? The Lakers offense became stagnant when the ball reached Kobe late in games, and Howard would go minutes without getting a touch on offense. The Lakers didn't utilize Gasol or Howard correctly and tried to force Gasol to become more of a jump shooter. Compound that with the lack of 3 point shooters on the Lakers roster, and old age, and you get a horrific team.

Now with Houston he'll be able to run P&R's with Harden similarly to how he did in Orlando with Hedo. Also, Houston actually has a system in place that surrounds Howard with 3pt shooters that will allow him to max out his post game potential. Oh yeah, and in Houston he'll receive instruction from McHale/Yao/Hakeem.

Joined: 02/21/2012

MGoPoints: 376

ghost

July 6th, 2013 at 4:32 PM ^

Did you actually watch Rockets last year? Apparently not.  You think Harden doesn't play with the same mindset as Kobe.  He does.  He dominates the ball, that's why he came off the bench in OKC.

And that 3 point shooting.  They waived the guy who led them in 3pters last year to sign Dwight.  There point guard can't shoot to save his life or guard anyone. Their only good defensive player, Omar Asik, has demanded a trade. Their next best big , Thomas Robinson, was traded to sign Dwight.

Receive instruction from McHale or anyone for that matter?   Because Dwight has done such a great job of listening to who exactly.

Everywhere Dwight goes its always the coach's fault.

They are an abomination defensively and before you say Dwight will fix everything he sure didn't fix the Lakers' D.

Joined: 09/02/2011

MGoPoints: 4140

Eastside Maize

July 6th, 2013 at 8:13 AM ^

Dwight is soft.  If I'm gonna pay someone 22 million he better be a good leader and make the others players better. He is inching closer to my wasted  talent list.

Joined: 06/09/2013

MGoPoints: 48029

TheCool

July 6th, 2013 at 12:05 PM ^

Howard isn't a bad guy. He's being vilified because of inept ESPN reporting. They were trying to be the first to lunch and showed up too early. Why shouldn't he take his time in figuring out where he wants to play and potentially finish his career? Now the Orlando deal was pretty crappy. He was rated the most efficient center in the NBA by far using one of those advance metric thingys so he isn't as bad as some think. LA w/ Kobe and Gasol and Peace to All was a horrible fit. Houston will be much better.

Joined: 07/13/2011

MGoPoints: 7119

Tater

July 6th, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^

Howard got one GM and two head coaches fired in less than twelve months.  Why on earth would any GM hire him, and why would any head coach vote in favor of it?  If I was a GM, I wouldn't offer Howard the minimum NBA salary to ruin my team's chemistry and try to get me fired the minute things didn't go his way.  

I am still flabbergasted that teams want to throw $25 million a year at him.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584