1. Dwight Howard’s defense
One of the primary reasons the Los Angeles Lakers won the title this year was their outstanding team defense. Howard was a major contributor to that effort.
First and foremost, he is still one of the top rim protectors in the league. He averaged 1.1 blocks in just 19 minutes a game. Only seven NBA players averaged 2 or more blocks per game, including teammate Anthony Davis (third at 2.3). Each of them played significantly more minutes than Howard did.
Dwight’s average of 2.2 blocks per 36 minutes ranked him 13th in the league last season. He joined teammates JaVale McGee (3.0) and Davis (2.4) on that list. And the blocks stat doesn’t account for the significant number of shots he altered and forced opponents to miss.
Howard also grabbed 7.3 rebounds a game, again in just 19 minutes. His average of 14 per 36 minutes led the team and ranked 11th in the NBA. McGee was tied for15th with 12.4 per 36. Both men ranked ahead of star big men Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo.
Secondly, Howard gave the Lakers a very physical presence close to the hoop. Fans saw in the Western Conference Finals that Dwight’s physicality annoyed and frustrated Nuggets center Jokic and took him out of his normal game.
Although many believe that the best Lakers lineup includes playing Davis at center, the team is smart enough to realize that subjecting AD to constant pounding down low is not prudent. Coach Frank Vogel employs the wise long-range strategy of using Davis selectively at the 5. Howard is an excellent option inside at other times.
Finally, Howard was a willing and reasonably able defender when switching to guard a smaller foe on a pick and roll. He used his length and quickness to good effect. Like any big man, it was hard for him to defend a sudden stop off a dribble by a quick guard, but he did as good a job as possible, and nobody can fault his effort.