Los Angeles Lakers: Why Dwight Howard Leaving Was Good for Both Player and Team

The Dwightmare is, hopefully, finally over. Dwight has found his new destination in Houston and is no longer a Los Angeles Laker. I know Lakers fans are upset that the dominant big man is gone, but this was a good choice and it will make both everyone on the Lakers, as well as Dwight Howard, a whole lot happier.

Dwight Howard is no longer a Laker, and that will make everyone on the Lakers a whole lot happier

Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels, Flickr.com

I know, Lakers fans, I know what you’re thinking. Howard is arguably the best and most dominant big man in the league. Last season, when not even 100 percent healthy, he averaged 17.1 points per game, grabbed 12.4 boards per game and had 2.4 blocks per game. For his career thus far, he has averaged 18.3 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game. And let’s not forget, he is still only 27 years old. But as I mentioned before, his absence from the Lakers will benefit them.

Immediately, when Howard was heading to L.A., almost everyone thought this team was winning the championship, but the Lakers’ season ended up turning out to be a disaster. And that all started with the horrible team chemistry. The Lakers had a group of guys who just did not mesh well together. Kobe Bryant needed the ball, Pau Gasol wanted the ball and of course Dwight Howard wanted the ball, as well. Now that Dwight is gone and Kobe is injured, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gasol had a breakout season because now he will have the ball in his hands much more often. Almost every player on the Lakers needed the ball in their hands and it just did not work out well. Whereas now with the Rockets, this is a team that shares the ball extremely well. In fact, they ranked sixth overall in assists per game last season.

Dwight Howard will now be playing as a member of the Houston Rockets, a team that shares the ball.

(Photo by Scott Mecum/Flickr.com)

Howard was on an aging team, a team that included Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, who are all older than 33. At this point, the Lakers have a very uncertain future with guys who will no longer be in the league for too much longer. In Houston, Howard will be on a team with young and extremely talented players such as James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons. The Rockets have a very bright future, there’s no doubt about that.

Howard will now no longer have to deal with coach Mike D’Antoni and now gets to begin a fresh new start with a new coach in Kevin McHale.

Now that Howard is a member of the Houston Rockets, he doesn’t need to worry all those problems and issues. And now that the Lakers do not have Howard anymore, they don’t have to worry about the team chemistry and ball distribution as much as they did when Howard was on the team. Howard is now on a team where he can be one of the major centerpieces moving forward. He is now on a team with youth, talent, excellent teammate chemistry and a very bright future.