Roundtable Discussion: Dwight Howard and the Lakers
By Jacob Rude
Is the future for the Lakers better or worse with Dwight Howard on the Lakers?
Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference center Dwight Howard (12) of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Eastern Conference center/forward Kevin Garnett (5) of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter of the 2013 NBA all star game at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
CC – Better. It might not be better next year because Kobe will be hurt, which means a lot of players will have to step up, but the Lakers will be better in the years after. After this next season, the Lakers are going to have a lot of cap space. Nash is currently the only player signed for the 2014-15 season. This means the Lakers will have a lot of room to sign players. If they keep Howard and resign Kobe, they would have three players. They would then be able to sign a bunch of role players that fit the style. Sounds good to me.
JR – Better. Although the immediate future – namely 2013-14 – will be bleak with limited cap room. However, post-2014, the Lakers have just Nash and Howard on the books and will have the room to build a team around him as they see fit. Even immediately, down the stretch last season, few teams played as well as the Lakers did. A Dwight Howard-led Lakers team will be set for the future.
SG – It’s better. It’s tough to imagine what the Lakers would look like in a few years if Howard doesn’t resign and Kobe and Nash and Pau retire. They’d be a rebuilding franchise just rolling the dice on some draft picks in a hope to be as fortunate as the Thunder have been in past years. With Howard, you already have the centerpiece of a team to develop and the rebuilding process will be much quicker. Furthermore, it’s easier to attract free agents with a star already there. Kyrie Irving is available in a couple of years. Just saying…
BB – If you have the most dominant player in the NBA in his prime signed long term, then your future is already much brighter than most teams. with any luck, Howard will be able to entice and attract free agents who want to play with him in the near future when the Lakers have the appropriate cap space.
FR – I can’t see how the Lakers future would be better without Howard without knowing how they respond if he bails. Other than Lebron James who is a pipedream, there is really no other superstar free agent in 2014 that the Lakers can spend their cap space on that is even in the same neighborhood in terms of talent as Howard. Howard is an asset that must be retained so that you can either build around him, or trade in to acquire talent down the line. There is no realistic scenario where the Lakers are better without Howard.
CL – The Lakers future is better with Dwight in the mix. Without Dwight the Lakers will be left scrambling to find a player to carry up the mantle of “Face of the Franchise.” Those types of player are in very short supply in the NBA. Dwight gives the Lakers security for the future, and a player free agents would like to play with. The only way the future would be worse with Dwight would be if his back gives out and the Lakers are stuck paying Howard to hobble around for 5 years.