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Dwight Howard used to be considered one of the five best players in the NBA so his new role with the Los Angeles Lakers is certainly different. However, he’s taken the changes in stride and has become one of their most important role players. Despite the Lakers blowing out the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, Howard played with a lot of passion when he was brought into the game.
This led to him getting into a heated exchange with Carmelo Anthony in the second quarter. An Instagram page posted a picture of the confrontation saying “Don’t [f*** with] with Melo.” Lakers veteran Jared Dudley clapped back and said “Don’t [f***. with] Dwight.”
While Carmelo is a tough player, Howard is a gargantuan human and probably one of the more intimidating players in the NBA. Even at 34, he’s still an intimidating figure and he’s been playing with a lot of fire in these playoffs. This his best chance ever at winning a championship and he’s clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Will Howard Re-Sign With Lakers?
Howard could probably still find a starting role on a number of teams in the NBA but he’s become a valuable piece for Los Angeles. He was one of the most efficient players in the league during the regular season and made almost 73% of his shots. He’s averaging a career-low in minutes per game but he’s far removed from his days as a perennial All-Star.
With serving as a role player for the Lakers, he’s found a really good spot to be in this late in his career. He’s only under contract for the rest of this season but Los Angeles should do what they can to keep him. Now, it’s not a guarantee he’d want to stay. If they win the championship this year, then Howard finally has a title under his belt and could probably make more money on another squad. If he values trying to win more championships than he does making money, then his best bet will be to stay with the Lakers for another season.
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Anthony Davis 100%
The Lakers were hit were a bit of scare during Monday’s win when it was revealed that star big man Anthony Davis had to leave the game early due to back spasms. Fortunately, it appears that was more of a precautionary measure and he should be good to go for Game 5.
“I’ll be fine,” Davis said after the game.
Davis does have an extensive injury history so any kind of snag that he hits is cause for concern. He’s either the first or second most important player on the Lakers so if he misses time, they are in serious trouble. He’s been a little uneven since the team entered the bubble but when he’s feeling hot, he’s almost impossible to stop. Hopefully, he’s able to stay healthy for a long playoff run.
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