Who’s the Best Center In The NBA: Dwight Howard Or Joakim Noah?

Dwight Howard: Defense

As a traditional NBA center, Howard does a fantastic job of protecting the rim and altering shots near the basket. The Rockets’ perimeter defense offered very little resistance to penetrating wing players, and it left Howard responsible for shoring up James Harden and Chandler Parsons‘ miscues as the last line of defense. Nonetheless, Howard helped lead the Rockets to the 12th-best defensive rating in the league with his formidable athleticism and versatility in the paint; his three consecutive Defensive Player of The Year Awards can also attest to his aptitude in blocking and altering shots near the basket.

Howard’s defense has deteriorated over the past three seasons, however, as HoopsHabit’s very own Kevin Sanchez pointed out in his most recent piece. Whether it’s due to the back surgery that he underwent in 2011 or due to the fact that he’s not getting any younger, Howard’s defensive prowess is bound to decline as his precious athleticism diminishes.

Regardless, Howard’s defensive responsibility is to merely stand under the basket like a refrigerator and contest whatever comes his way. Though rim protection is certainly a valuable asset for any defense, his limited defensive abilities were exposed in the Rocket’s first round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers during last year’s playoffs, as LaMarcus Aldridge massacred the Rockets.

Nowadays, a plethora of big men have incorporated a facility for shooting from distance to their arsenals — including LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge absolutely torched the Rockets all series long with his smooth turnaround jumper from (mostly) the left elbow. Terrence Jones was too small, Omar Asik was too slow, and Dwight Howard was too much of a stationary fridge to step out and extinguish Aldridge’s hot hand. The Rocket’s first round exit last May certainly isn’t all on Howard, as he managed an impressive stat line, but his restricted defensive ability certainly contributed to their early playoff oust — and could very well lead them to more.