In watching Dwight Howard slink off the court after his 3rd period ejection Sunday, which finally put to bed this atrocious Lakers season, one thought entered my mind:
Keep walking.
Howard is set to sign a max deal with the Lakers worth $118 million dollars this offseason. The Lakers are clearly looking to him to be the centerpiece of the team for years to come. But Howard has shown nothing this year, either on the court or off, that he is worthy of this type of money or this type of role within a franchise, let alone the greatest franchise in the sport. The Lakers should take another look at this going forward and realize that Howard will not improve this team and his financial hit will actually harm them for years to come. They should instead let him go.
Howard blew into town with all the hype in the world. After a tumultuous offseason of rumors, Howard finally landed with a team that he seemed destined to play for. The Lakers have a storied history of big men, and Howard looked the part to be next in line. But once the games started, all the hype dissipated.
Howard looked uninterested, rarely trying or exerting himself. He seemed to take plays off, and was not the dominate force he had been in Orlando. While some of this most likely is the lingering results of off season back surgery, it continued for the entire season. He'd show flashes of what he could do, but then revert back to his old self. Despite this there were other clues that this experiment was on the road to failure.
Howard was lost most of the time on the floor, unable to find positioning where he could use his strength. When he did receive the ball down low, he had no idea what to do with it, often times turning the ball over to smaller guards. His basketball IQ is that of a high schooler, flustered when his 2 go to moves were taken away. He spoke all season about being a leader, yet when the time came to lead after Kobe Bryant's year ended in injury, he went right back into his shell, posting terrible numbers against San Antonio before his game 4 ejection. Some leader.
Regardless of these facts it still seems a forgone conclusion that he will sign with the Lakers. But why?
Howard is still categorized as a center. When most of us think of a center, we think of a big body posting up down low, backing defenders in, and crashing the boards with determination. But this is not the current NBA. There are only a handful of players who meet these criteria. Most teams play a small, running game that a stereotypical big man would hinder. You just need to look to defending champions Miami, who owns the best record in the league, who sometimes play a lineup with LeBron James at "center". Even the NBA has acknowledged the shift, removing the "center" position from its all star ballot.
The Lakers decision would be different if Howard played like Shaquille O'Neal, who was an unstoppable force on the court who you could depend on when it mattered. That player still would have a role in today's NBA, and would dominate as well. This is not Howard. And with the league becoming faster and more skill oriented, why invest in a player who has shown he is unwilling to improve or bring anything to the table other than his big body?
The other downside to the Lakers maxing out Howard will be the loss of Pau Gasol, either by trade or amnesty release. The Lakers will need to shed salary, and Gasol is the logical man out due to his salary of almost $20 million. Gasol is an extremely talented player who still has years left. He is not a player that a franchise can build around, but he is a skilled star and a wonderful supporting player. He unfortunately got stuck with a coach this year who had no idea of how to utilize his immense talents, and was relegated to a bit player on the team. With D'Antoni set to return (at this point at least) it would seem Gasol has no future with the Lakers, which is a shame.
There is no question Howard has talent. But it seems that after all of these years, he just doesn't have the work ethic or the fortitude to improve or be the face of a team. Leaders don't turn the ball over time and time again. Leaders don't shy away from adversity. Leaders don't get ejected from a do or die playoff game, leaving their undermanned team to fend for themselves.
The Lakers should explore a sign and trade deal with Howard in order to get some pieces back, and if that can not come to fruition, you let him walk. The Lakers can endure another season of subpar play as they look forward to the free agent smorgasbord of the 2014 off season. Assuming the Lakers do not sign Howard, they will only have Steve Nash on the books (and who knows if his body will allow him to stay around that long). And look at these names who will be free agents. The Lakers will still be "The Lakers" and will have the cap room, the history, and a leadership role to draw some big names Westward.
This all starts with the front office having the nerve to admit this Howard experiment did not work out, which I doubt they will do. But here's hoping they open their eyes and realize what is best for future of the franchise and just like Sunday, allow Howard to keep walking.
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