Getty Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers attends Game Four of the 2019 WNBA Playoff semifinals.
After his first go-round with the Lakers ended with an ugly split, Dwight Howard returns to the purple and gold a vastly different player. No longer considered one of the NBA’s premier big men and on a non-guaranteed contract, Howard likely isn’t even expected to open the year as the starter at center.
However, Howard could be in a position to have a major bounceback year – at least according to his former Orlando Magic coach.
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Lakers’ Dwight Howard ‘One of the Smartest Players’ Says Former Coach Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy spent some time in Orlando coaching Howard at the height of his powers. In fact, no coach has spent more time leading Howard than Van Gundy, so it would be safe to say he knows what hes talking about.
“He’s going to have a great year and that’s a great pickup for the Lakers. It gives them a real defensive presence,” Van Gundy told For the Win, “He may have lost half a step quickness-wise, but the thing I’m sure he hasn’t lost is — Dwight is one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. He knows the league, he can adjust to different schemes, he’s a historically great rebounder. From everything I’ve read, he’s in a good frame of mind.”
Van Gundy clearly thinks that Howard has the potential to be an elite defensive option for the Lakers despite likely losing a step athletically. Dwight does seem to be in the best shape of his career from a conditioning perspective and combined with his high defensive IQ, could wind up being one of the more impactful players on the roster.
Dwight Howard Bringing Intensity to Lakers Training Camp Early On
Lakers’ Anthony Davis & Dwight Howard get tangled up during a physical first day of training camp
In the early going, Howard and fellow big man JaVale McGee have been setting the tone in terms of the team’s physicality. Drawing praise from teammates and the coaching staff alike, Howard’s intensity rebounding and on defense are exactly what the Lakers need to be seeing from the 15-year veteran.
While Howard is expected to start the season coming off the bench for the Lakers, there is reason to believe that he could find himself eventually competing for a spot in the starting lineup. JaVale McGee hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong in terms of his play but the defensive and rebounding upside that Howard brings to the table is simply on another level.
From limited training camp clips, it seems that Howard and James already have some decent chemistry together. However, we won’t know just how strong the chemistry between them is until the Lakers open up preseason play against the Golden State Warriors on October 5th. The presence of James, in particular, could have a major impact on Howard’s productivity. Howard has never played with a facilitator on the level of James (save for a few games with the shell of Steve Nash) and James’ ability to find him for easy looks could help reignite Howard’s offensive production.
While father time has taken his toll on Howard, the change of scenery and fresh mindset might be exactly what he needs to revive his career.
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