What did Los Angeles Lakers fans think of Dwight Howard being brought back to the team? The answer may surprise you.
The Los Angeles Lakers made some headlines over the weekend. After securing his buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies, it was reported that Dwight Howard would be joining the Lakers for the second time in his career.
Howard was one of three players the Lakers had a meeting with and worked out last week, along with Joakim Noah and Marresse Speights. They were brought in as the team was looking for a potential replacement for DeMarcus Cousins, who was signed in free agency but tore his ACL while working out.
Howard impressed the organization at his meeting. He reportedly showed up in great shape and showed that his back injury has healed well. That is excellent to hear, but Howard has a track record that is far from sparkling.
The former Defensive Player of the Year has had a rough go at it in recent seasons. Since signing with the Atlanta Hawks in 2016, he has been traded three times and waived twice. The Lakers will be the fourth team that he plays for since then, and the sixth that he was a part of; he did not suit up with the Brooklyn Nets or Grizzlies.
Howard has worn out his welcome in recent years. Despite saying he has changed numerous times, the same issues would arise. He vowed those changes will be made during his meeting with the Lakers.
Despite some red flags, this seems like a good signing for the team. Fans on Twitter agree also, as they believe signing Howard was the right move for the team, as 68 percent said yes and 32 percent said no.
Are the #Lakers making the right move signing Dwight Howard? #LakeShow
— Lake Show Life (@TheLakeShowLife) August 23, 2019
Well, it seems that the fans are ready to forgive Howard for what happened the first time he was with the Lakers.
He played only one season with the purple and gold and was expected to be the next Big 3 in the NBA along with Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant. That went horribly wrong, as Nash and Bryant were beset by injuries and Howard left as a free agent after one season, joining the Houston Rockets.
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It is a low-risk, high-reward signing for the team. Howard is signing a non-guaranteed deal, which means he can be cut anytime before January without the team incurring any penalties. So, if he acts up or isn’t fitting in, he will be gone. The organization holds all the leverage in this deal, so Howard has to be on his best behavior.
The Lakers already have a specific role for Howard. They want him to focus on protecting the rim defensively and rebounding. It is similar to what Tyson Chandler was brought in to do last season after he was waived by the Phoenix Suns.
Chandler really helped stabilize the team’s second unit upon his arrival and they are hoping that Howard can do the same. Despite all of the issues he has had in recent years, Howard has still averaged 18 points, 14.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per 36 minutes the last three seasons.
To put into perspective how good those numbers are, Chandler never averaged more than 13.6 points per 36 minutes and reached at least 14.4 rebounds only once in his career. The 1.3 blocks per 36 Chandler has reached 12 times, but not since 2014-15.
If Howard truly buys in, they are receiving a huge upgrade to the second unit over what they had last season. And if he doesn’t they can move on from him rather easily.