Dwight Howard to Houston: good move or bad?

[lansdale]

After much angst in L.A., Howard has taken the Rockets offer and is headed for Houston. Although getting $30 million less than he would have in L.A., I think this will be a much better deal for him than anywhere else. Along with James Harden, you now have two HOF players in Houston - the basis for a possible championship. The Spurs may have one or two more decent years left, but in the West, HOU and OKC will dominate for the next five years after that, barring injuries.

[headhawg]

Two HoF players? You're kidding, right? Oh, I forgot -- they let anybody in to the NBA HoF. Freaking Kyle Korver will be on the ballot. :rolleyes:

Anyway, McHale won't be able to control Howard and he will demand a new coach. He's a POS whose only claim to fame is that the gods blessed him with fantastic basketball skills. They just forgot to put something useful in his head. He's the NBA equivalent of Jay Cutler. Remember how the Lakers were a lock last year? How did that work out for them? The Rockets will be competitive but they will win zero championships with Howard.

[Robert Goren]

The Laker rid themselves of an expensive pain in the butt. Very good move for a team that is very old and has to rebuild.

[Robert Fischer]

Howard gives them a grade-3 star, and hopefully he can flatter Lin's image by finishing an occasional dish/lob.

In return he gets to add the the Asian market to his endorsement potential.

[Stillriledup]

The only way its a good move for Houston is if D12 changes his tune and focuses on basketball and becomes a player who will fight thru pain to win at all costs. He's a 'flakey' kind of athlete who dances to his own drummer, i've never gotten the vibe that he has a killer instinct like Kobe or MJ, he's a talent but that only gets you so far if you are a 'me first' type of player and he's shown that to be the case so far in his career.

Bad job by the Lakers getting involved with this guy in the first place.

[wiffleball whizz]

In my life I've never seen more hype over a trade or free agent like this....I'm not really the biggest nba fan but Dwight Howard is no bargain and is a primadonna.....no bargain

[Stillriledup]

In my life I've never seen more hype over a trade or free agent like this....I'm not really the biggest nba fan but Dwight Howard is no bargain and is a primadonna.....no bargain

While he's a great reboubder and scores quite a few points when healthy, hes a bad FT shooter, possibly a coach killer and a Me-first kind of player. So, while he has his strengths, he also has weaknesses. Lakers will see that its a blessing in disguise he didnt sign with them.

[lansdale]

I didn't need to read this thread to know there's a lot of hate for DW out there. I know he has the persona of an overindulged adolescent, but since I don't pay much attention to what goes on outside the lines, it doesn't really affect my opinion of his play. And he's still one of the best players under 30 in the NBA.

Howard has led the NBA in rebounds for 6 out of his 8 years in the league (breaking Chamberlain's record), and was 2nd the other two. He's 5th in NBA history in FG%, 19th in shot-blocking, 14th in defensive rating (ahead of players like Ewing, K. Garnett, Mutombo etc.). Of players under 30, he's 4th in WS 48 (arguably the most accurate estimate of player value) behind, LBJ, CP3, and Durant. Although not one of the top-ten centers, he surely is somewhere in the next group of five, along with players like Ewing. Of the 10 players with the highest 'similarity scores' to his stats, 9 are in the HOF. One of those players is, in fact, Ewing, and like that Knick, Howard may end up as another HOF player without a championship.

But now, coupled with another HOF player like Harden, and people like McHale and Olajuwon helping him with his post game (and hopefully his personality), he could have a shot. I'll definitely be watching the first HOU-LA matchup.

[Stillriledup]

I didn't need to read this thread to know there's a lot of hate for DW out there. I know he has the persona of an overindulged adolescent, but since I don't pay much attention to what goes on outside the lines, it doesn't really affect my opinion of his play. And he's still one of the best players under 30 in the NBA.

Howard has led the NBA in rebounds for 6 out of his 8 years in the league (breaking Chamberlain's record), and was 2nd the other two. He's 5th in NBA history in FG%, 19th in shot-blocking, 14th in defensive rating (ahead of players like Ewing, K. Garnett, Mutombo etc.). Of players under 30, he's 4th in WS 48 (arguably the most accurate estimate of player value) behind, LBJ, CP3, and Durant. Although not one of the top-ten centers, he surely is somewhere in the next group of five, along with players like Ewing. Of the 10 players with the highest 'similarity scores' to his stats, 9 are in the HOF. One of those players is, in fact, Ewing, and like that Knick, Howard may end up as another HOF player without a championship.

But now, coupled with another HOF player like Harden, and people like McHale and Olajuwon helping him with his post game (and hopefully his personality), he could have a shot. I'll definitely be watching the first HOU-LA matchup.

Harden is a HOF player?

[cj]

Harden is a HOF player?

He very well could be some day.

[Robert Fischer]

I've got Howard not too far from a Chris Webber type.

Howard was a
19 pts 12.5 rebs 2.5 blks 1.4 asts 1.0stls @ 82games
kind of dude

while Webber was a
22pts 10.5 rebs 1.7 blks 4.5 asts 1.5stls @70games kind of dude

[Stillriledup]

He very well could be some day.

He wasnt even a starter on OKC, how could he be a HOFer?

[cj]

He wasnt even a starter on OKC, how could he be a HOFer?

He was sixth man of the year in his third season. He played starter minutes.

[lansdale]

I've got Howard not too far from a Chris Webber type.

Howard was a
19 pts 12.5 rebs 2.5 blks 1.4 asts 1.0stls @ 82games
kind of dude

while Webber was a
22pts 10.5 rebs 1.7 blks 4.5 asts 1.5stls @70games kind of dude


RF,

I'm posting some links from basketball-refence.com to compare these two players, and beneath them, the NBA career WS 48 stats. For those who haven't seen it, WS (win shares) summarizes the cumulative value of a player's contribution to his team's wins. Although, Webber's stats, as seen here, are slighly lower than those you cite, this, in itself, is not necessarily relevant to why Howard is #33 on the carrer list, and Webber, #156. What measures like WS 48 (and PER, player-efficiency-rating) tells us, is that, in relationship to its contribution to winning, scoring is somewhat overrated, compared with rebounding and especially shot-blocking. Worth noting that a player who was basically just a rebounder and shot-blocker like Mutombo is #81 on this list, also far ahead of Webber.

One other aspect of player careers worth a look (and this is especially true for someone like Webber) is the post season WS 48 (under the 'Advanced' heading). The best players will generally play at or slighly above their average WS 48 for that year in post-season action. This is generally true for Howard, who usually, but not always, played at >.20 (HOF level) at those times. Compare this with Webber, who, as many remember, shrank in the post season, as his WS 48 stat, generally at around .13 (low All-Star level) here reflects.

What happened to Webber? He seemed to fear going to the hole, and his injury-prone career suggests that a brittle physique may have limited his game.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlhttp://www.basketball- (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlhttp://www.basketball-)

reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html:2:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_per_48_career.html

[lansdale]

Harden is a HOF player?

Hi SRU,

Barring a major injury of the kind that damaged the careers of players like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway, Harden is going to the HOF.

You seem to think that the sixth man role is a deterrent. Red Auerbach, who invented this role, while coach of the Boston Celtics, sent three players to the HOF, who began their careers this way: Frank Ramsay, Kevin McHale, and John Havlicek. Manu Ginobli, who has been in the sixth man role for nearly all of his career, is going to the HOF.

Harden, who was third in the NBA this year in scoring this year, was picked as 2-guard on the NBA third team (Kobe and Wade were the 2-guards on the 1st and 2nd team), and for the past two years has played at >.20 WS 48 (HOF) level (better than Kobe and Wade). He's only 24. Maybe we won't be around when he goes in, but he's going in.

Cheers,

lansdale

[lansdale]

RF,

I'm posting some links from basketball-refence.com to compare these two players, and beneath them, the NBA career WS 48 stats. For those who haven't seen it, WS (win shares) summarizes the cumulative value of a player's contribution to his team's wins. Although, Webber's stats, as seen here, are slighly lower than those you cite, this, in itself, is not necessarily relevant to why Howard is #33 on the carrer list, and Webber, #156. What measures like WS 48 (and PER, player-efficiency-rating) tells us, is that, in relationship to its contribution to winning, scoring is somewhat overrated, compared with rebounding and especially shot-blocking. Worth noting that a player who was basically just a rebounder and shot-blocker like Mutombo is #81 on this list, also far ahead of Webber.

One other aspect of player careers worth a look (and this is especially true for someone like Webber) is the post season WS 48 (under the 'Advanced' heading). The best players will generally play at or slighly above their average WS 48 for that year in post-season action. This is generally true for Howard, who usually, but not always, played at >.20 (HOF level) at those times. Compare this with Webber, who, as many remember, shrank in the post season, as his WS 48 stat, generally at around .13 (low All-Star level) here reflects.

What happened to Webber? He seemed to fear going to the hole, and his injury-prone career suggests that a brittle physique may have limited his game.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlhttp://www.basketball- (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlhttp://www.basketball-)

reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html:2:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_per_48_career.html (http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_per_48_career.html)


Sorrry about the dead link above for DH. This one should work.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html

[Robert Goren]

Tweet of the year

"What DH brings to the game is power and D. This past year didn’t show due it to rehab and confusion. If he is better of(f) an Astro, so be it." Phil Jackson

[redshift1]

Houston's problem now, wish Kobe was on the same flight.

[Stillriledup]

Houston at LAL in the regular season....CANT WAIT!

[cj]

He wasnt even a starter on OKC, how could he be a HOFer?

You ignored my reply to this. You don't think he will be a Hall of Famer? I would say he is odds on barring injury. He averaged 25 points a game in his first full season as a starter and #1 option. Don't really see that changing any time soon, even with Engima Howard joining the team.

[MutuelClerk]

The shoulders of Hercules. The mindset of Kim Kardashian. Drama queen.

[cj]

I'll say this about Howard, as much as I can't stand him. The guy made the right choice if he really wants to win a title any time in the next few years. It isn't happening in LA any time soon. It might not happen in Houston either, but the chances are surely better.

[notoutofpounds]

Rockets will win more games than this past season's 45 wins.

Rockets will win more games than the Lakers.

Howard bought everybody breakfast.

Win win win