Dwight Howard remains a double-double machine and the center seems motivated to have another quality season, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes in a piece that breaks down free agent possibilities for Lakers as they look to replace DeMarcus Cousins.
Signing Howard, who previously played for the Lakers, would come with risk. The 33-year-old has been jettisoned by several teams since he was in Los Angeles playing alongside Kobe Bryant. The big man had tiffs with Bryant and he clashed with James Harden in Houston. The Hawks traded him a year after inking him to a $70MM+ deal and the Hornets felt comfortable cutting ties with him after just one season as well.
Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, where he landed after the Wizards traded him away this offseason. Memphis is allowing the center to participate in workouts with Los Angeles.
The former defensive player of the year still has the talent to contribute to what LeBron James & Co. hope is their first of many championship runs in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the Lakers and their pursuit of big man:
- One rival executive tells Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he wouldn’t take the risk with Howard if he was running the Lakers. “He brings drama,” the executive said. ‘Why risk anything this year?”
- Pincus (in the same piece) wonders if Kenneth Faried would be a good option for the Lakers. The scribe cautions that Faried’s height (6’8″) may be problematic for Los Angeles, as the team will be battling the likes of Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic.
- Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times argues that Howard isn’t the villain that fans are making him out to be. Lakers fans, in particular, may remember Howard’s tenure with the team as a disappointment. However, Andrew Bynum—the main asset they surrendered in the 2012 Howard trade—failed to live up to any expectations after being traded and acquiring Howard prevented the franchise from offering Bynum a long-term deal.
Lakers should just sign Faried and let Howard stay with Memphis everyone thinks he should be on a contending team but the past 3 seasons he’s been with the hawks hornets and wizards
It’s actually a tough decision to make here when considering the available guys.
I’m almost thinking Nene Hilario but he might be too old to physically handle the ins and outs of an NBA season and then be expected to perform at a high level in the playoffs.
So who do you go with? As mentioned, Gortat has cement in his shoes. Howard is a big risk cuz he won’t play when he’s nicked up. Faried does nothing for you but hustle plays. He can’t rebound or block shots or score or shoot. He’s definitely done.
Who else is out there? Lakers in a tough spot.
Joakim Noah? He almost seems like the best option. But who knows what shape he is in.. he hasn’t played a lot the last three years. But he has good size and he’ll do the intangibles. Might be the best choice.
It’s actually not a hard decision. Howard should not be an option unless they want a guy who will play 4 games and spend the rest of the season rehabbing his broken back
So who’s your choice? It’s easy to say who not to choose. I’m saying it’s hard to pick from the bunch, whom to sign.
Someone who’s back can last 10 games.
Someone who didn’t burn the team in the past.
Overcomplicating the fact that backup centers are a dime a dozen.
Plenty will be avail thoughout the season much like Tyson Chandler last yr etc.
No need to worry about this bunch of Big3 Leaguers… Give a young guy a chance
AD needs to play the 5 in today’s game.
In case you missed it? AD wants to play the 4! It’s a players league!
So your centers are:
Anthony Davis,
Javale McGee, and
Kyle kuzma? And then
“whoever?” <- ( you still haven't given me a name.)
And then wait to the trading deadline and let those guys hold the fort till then?
I don't think that's the Lakers plan. Anthony Davis wants to play the four and doesn't want to play the five.. he thinks he'll get hurt too easily in the paint.
But say he plays 10 minutes at the five… Javale McGee you can't play more than 20 minutes at the five, so that's 30 minutes. Kyle kuzma plays the five for 18 minutes?
I don't think that's the plan. I don't have the answer… I hope the Lakers do.
The Lakers have options. One only has to be blind not to see them.
We keep going around and around with this. Nobody gives an answer. How about a specific name instead of generalities LOL?
At the 5 I see a guy with asthma and two forwards.
Signing Faried wouldn’t help the Lakers much, he’s just a poor on defense as Kuzma. Of course signing Howard, Nene, Noah, or Gortat won’t make much difference either. They were overrated already before Boogie got hurt, and right now they’re no better than #5 in the West after the Clippers, Houston, Denver, and Utah (and maybe Golden State too).
Lol any team with LeBron, Green, and AD is unstoppable.
Just fine tuning the roster to ensure the championship.
Agreed tho, losing DC isn’t a big deal.
Unstoppable? LOL
“Acquiring Howard prevented the Lakers from doing something dumber instead” sure is a weird way to defend a player
When your talking about a franchise like the Lakers who have become accustomed to doing dumb things these days, it’s all relative. Like trading three of your best players and 4 first round picks for a 1-year rental, that’s even dumber than acquiring Dwight Howard. Isn’t it?
I dont know whats dumber. You thinking AD is leaving, thinking they traded 3 of their best players for him or constantly running your mouth as a Rockets fan. They traded multiple 1st round picks just to get another ball hog guard when their biggest need was a star forward. The Lakers are actually trying things differently as opposed to Houston just doubling down on their already failed plan
Preach!!
Yeah his anti Lakers sentiment is extremely obnoxious and illogical
Lol agreed. And Rockets have half a team
I couldn’t imagine a dumber choice than D12.
Howard will play the least games and cause the most drama,
But hey , if they want to waste their money on another IR center more power to them
It’s easy to come up with problems.
What’s your solution?
AD at the 5
McGee off bench
Duh
Not happening. And they still need depth there regardless. “Give a young guy a chance” is for a team that has given up… or the GLeague.
So if they gave Bynum a 5 yr extension… They wouldn’t have had cap space to sign Mozgov and Deng, which in turn meant they’d keep Russell and not draft Kuzma. And would possibly have Russell, LBJ, and AD?
More balance, but a wash talent wise.
Theres no way there was that much trickle down. Bynum would have never got a 5 year deal
All this Howard talk is fake drama. If he is the best player available sign him. If not sign the C who is. That simple. No grudges.
I’m not a Laker fan, but this seems like sound advice. Sign the best player. If his locker room presence becomes a problem, send him out. Howard has more to lose than the Lakers do, so he should be able to spiff up his act.
They’re just convincing AD to play the 5.
No way they sign Howard, but are threatening it to AD
Were talking about a 10 minute role. No reason to risk it with D12
McGee can only go 20-25 minutes. Kuzma will be regularly overpowered. So Howard will be in there for more than 10′.
There will be no burdens placed on AD in his contract year. That is just good business sense. If he leaves because he is not being minded and another team offers him the 4, it’s a fiasco.
Like Bc1219 said Howard’s been playing for losing teams and missing time. This is motivating as is playing with James.
And there will be drama in LA regardless. Howard can do some lightening-rod work!
Are double-doubles basketball’s version of RBIs as a way to assess a player’s worth? Discuss.
Some may value a double double (or triple double) in basketball highly but there are many things to look at with that. They can be stat padding and limiting a team to overall success.
In the sense of comparing it to a RBI for baseball I can kind of see it. In the same sense, not everyone will value an RBI the same way. You look at Jackie Bradley Jr. from the Red Sox who has 50 RBIs on the year vs. his teammate Rafael Devers who has 102 RBIs this year. You can argue why you want both players on your team, one for defense alone and the other for the offensive consistency.
I feel in sports it’s hard to look at one or two stats to judge a players value or worth to the team or organization. Especially in a team sport where players have different roles to provide to the team.
Both sports offer advanced metrics but some readers are presumably not comfortable with them so HR does not use them in headlines and often not at all.
Howard’s advanced stats are also in fine shape. PER, BPM, on/off, net ORtg-DRtg, assists/TOV, and traditional stats per 36′ are all on Howard’s page in the link. Some complain these stats are biased in favor of winning players but that is a fine bias IMO. Yeah winners get rewards, how ’bout that.
Just sign Noah…we need a high energy big that can do the dirty work in the paint
Sounds like a job for a young guy trying to make the roster.
Noah is the opposite of that.
“first of many championship runs in Los Angeles”
Talking like Bron is 25 years old today.
Honestly! AD just gonna have too play Center for a little bit til the buyout market comes around.. maybe Marc gasol might be there, I’ll take em over Howard Nd faried in a heart beat!
Totally agree. Stick AD at center. Sign Nene to be a backup big man. Then grab the pieces they need when teams start dumping players.
Adding Howard to this team is way too big of a risk. Team has enough drama as it is. At some point drama becomes a distraction and hurts the outcome. Similar to what happened last year with all the trade rumors.
I agree
The buyout Market is Howard… lol it’s a pretty weak buyout market this year.
There should be guys available at the trade deadline, and then afterwards the buyout Market.
Like the guy above says, Davis is going to have to guard some big guys in the paint for a few months. Sorry buddy.
But he knows he doesn’t want to get hurt. He likes being a flashy Wing guy. Tough situation but I’m sure the Lakers will figure it out.
They are already figuring it out, by trying out the available centers. If none fill the bill… Well there’s always the buy-out market as someone said.
1.Howard 2.Noah 3.Gortat 4.Faried 5.RyanAnderson(?)… 99.some random youngster
Nobody is talking about trading. IDK if that is an option for the Lakers in whatever situation they are in. But many teams have decent centers 3 or 4 down.
No it ain’t lol March 1st is the deadline