Plenty Of Doubts Follow Dwight Howard To Los Angeles

Congrats to Mitch Kupchak who after months of agonizing rumoring went ninja on the NBA and snuck Dwight Howard out of Orlando right from under the nose of Commandant Stern. Not even Dan Gilbert can stop this championship train…right?

Only time will tell.

For this Laker fan it’s a wait-and-see approach. There is no premature celebration going on in my corner of Lakerland. I’m still not sold on Howard as a championship caliber center. Not when his offensive game has matured slower than Andrew Bynum who is still stuck in the NBA sandbox. Have fun in Philly, Baby Bynum. I’m especially not sold on Howard when he’s spent the better part of a year selfishly playing a passive-aggressive game of chicken with the Orlando Magic. Good luck trying that approach with the Buss family.

Here in Los Angeles we like our superstars to be decisive and demanding. Shout out to Kobe Bryant who didn’t hesitate to let the world know he was unhappy and wanted to win at all costs. That helped bring Pau Gasol and two more titles to Staples.

We’re expecting the same if not more, Dwight.

As happy as I am to see Baby Bynum go and Gasol stay I’m equally apprehensive of Howard’s championship mettle.

If Superman II is thinking its all fun and sun out here he’ll be in for a rude awakening. Kupchak didn’t burn the candle at both ends so Howard could land endorsement deals. This trade is about winning and nothing else.

Dwight’s thin skin was exposed in Orlando. How’s he going to hold up the first time T.J. Simers strips him down in a scathing Page 2 article in the Times? Be prepared cause it’s coming, Dwight. No superstar is above criticism in Los Angeles.

I applaud the move yet will hold my praise until we see what Howard is truly made of. He’s got to be willing to accept his role while rolling with the punches. He’s got to know that being a Laker is the biggest thing that will ever happen to him in his hoops career. He’s also got to realize that he can’t walk all over the Buss family like he did the Mickey Mouse front office in Orlando.

Not too long ago Andrew Bynum was said to be untradeable. Jim Buss had plans on building around Bynum. We know how that ended. So how will it end for Dwight? It had better be with parades and banners. Anything less will only validate what I’ve been preaching all along – Dwight Howard is not Lakers material. I hope he proves me wrong.

Oh, and while we’re talking about doubting Dwight Howard, how’s that back doing?