Center: Dwight HowardDwight Howard has a lot of work to do to win back the trust of not only the Los Angeles Lakers organization but the fans and his teammates. Make no mistake, Dwight is on an extremely short leash. One mistake and that could spell the end of his second stint with the purple and gold.
Howard was able to win over the Lakers’ front office and several players by admitting to his past behaviors and wrongdoings. By admitting he has hit rock bottom in his career, he has been able to humble himself and try and rebuild what is left of his career.
If Dwight Howard can change, if he can play a role and be a team player, then the Lakers will have themselves a valuable bench performer.
While Dwight Howard isn’t the dominant physical specimen he used to be, he is still capable of helping on both sides of the ball.
With LeBron James on the roster, the Lakers have an elite pick and roll passer. In Dwight Howard, you still have a player capable of setting bone-crushing screens and who can finish around the rim, especially after he has shed some of the excess bulk he has put on over the last couple of seasons.
On the defensive end, Dwight Howard is no longer the elite defender he used to be but he can still alter opposing players shots in the paint and can block a shot. His ability to crash the boards remains as he has been able to still grab boards at a borderline elite level this late into his career.
For the Lakers’ sake, we all hope that Dwight has something left in the tank. Even for Howard’s sake, we hope he can play a solid role for the Lakers. The Lakers have offered him a chance at redemption, to potentially finish his career on a high and to right some wrongs. Hopefully, he can do that.
The Lakers’ second unit is by no means perfect but they have some talent who are capable of keeping them in the game while the starters rest. Come playoff time the 2nd unit could be the difference between winning and losing.