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Houston Rockets Are Contenders With Dwight Howard Healthy

By Sam Richmond

Mar 25, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a two-month long absence due to a knee injury, Dwight Howard finally suited up for the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Howard didn’t have a monster performance — he posted a respectable four points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes —  but he’s back and that’s undoubtedly crucial for a Rockets team gearing up for the postseason.

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James Harden might be the NBA’s MVP this season, but make no mistake about it: Howard is the key for this Rockets team making a championship push.

Houston has done an outstanding job of surviving without Howard, as they’ve managed an offensive rating of 106.3 (13th in the league) and a defensive rating of 103.1 (fifth in the league) this season despite getting only 33 games from their star center .

However, with how tough the Western Conference is these days, one superstar talent (Harden) isn’t enough for Houston to contend, especially considering how low on depth the Rockets are these days due to the many injuries they’ve suffered this year.

Superstar talents win big in the NBA and a healthy Howard would give the Rockets a 1-2 punch that can match up well with any other duo in the conference.

Although his playful attitude has made him arguably the most disliked superstar in the NBA today, there’s no denying how great of a talent Howard is.

At his best, Howard’s a defensive game changer, a top rebounder and, despite not being an elite offensive talent, a guy that can be counted on for 15-20 points on the offensive end.

In just 33 games this season, he’s averaging 16.3 points (57.5 percent shooting from the floor), 11.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. For the season, his offensive rating is 104.2 and his defensive rating is 97.4, giving him an impressive net rating of +6.9.

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    • If Howard can use the remainder of the regular season to get back in a rhythm with his teammates and return to form, there’s not a team in the Western Conference that’s going to want to face the Rockets in the playoffs.

    For all the talk there has been in recent years about how Howard isn’t a “winner,” he’s actually often stepped up in the playoffs throughout his career. Howard’s averaged 18.2 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in the regular season for his career. In the postseason, he’s averaged 20.3 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.

    He also was by far Houston’s best player in its lone playoff series last year. Howard averaged a whopping 26.0 points (54.7 percent shooting from the field), 13.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in six games versus the Portland Trail Blazers. This is a guy who shines when the lights get brighter.

    Teams such as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers are widely considered the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.

    Yet, we have a team in Houston whose managed the 3rd best record in the West with one of its two superstars missing significant time. Well, that superstar is back and it’s time for us to start viewing the Rockets as a contender and it’s time for the rest of the league to look out.

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