The Case Against Dwight Howard

Should Dwight Howard become available this summer, the Orlando Magic should stay away at all costs.

It seems Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard is once again growing tired of his current playing situation. Clearly not the alpha dog on his current team (that’s James Harden) and having injuries take their toll on his production, it looks like the once-loved big man may be on the move again this summer.

Even though Howard’s reputation has taken a battering since his rough split from the Orlando Magic in 2012, there’s no doubt he’d have no trouble finding another team should he opt out of his contract in Houston this summer.

Howard absolutely could make a difference to a contending team, and should he land with a young group, they would almost certainly make the playoffs next year.

But is that really enough to want to buy into what Howard can bring to a team? He’s 30 years old now, and while he should still be in his prime, those injuries we’ve already spoken about have taken some of the life off of what has been a memorable career thus far. Of every team he could possibly join this summer though, should the Orlando Magic be looking at taking him back?

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Before exploring this further, it needs to be stated that some fans still haven’t forgiven him for the manner in which he left the team. There was that painfully awkward interview he gave with then coach Stan Van Gundy and the fact he followed the same path as former great Shaquille O’Neal and joined the Los Angeles Lakers–of all teams–still rubs some people up the wrong way.

That reason alone may be enough for the Magic to want to steer clear here. There’s an element of been there, done that with Howard.

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It was a messy breakup, and while some of us have been foolish enough to hook up with troublesome ex’s ourselves in the past (don’t act like it’s not true) for the Magic it would be more than just a one night thing with the couple of days of feeling terrible about themselves afterwards.

Given his health and deteriorating play, Howard would want some sort of long-term commitment from any team he leaves the Rockets for, and this is counter-productive to what the Magic have going on right now. Returning to that theme of ex’s for a minute, getting back together wouldn’t take things back to the way they were either. Things have changed.

You know what else has changed since Howard wore the pinstriped blue? The NBA landscape as a whole. Gone are the days when you needed a dominant big man to win on a large scale in the league.

The Golden State Warriors may be the exception rather than the rule in that regard, but with more three-point shots taken per game than ever before, the game has moved away from the paint.

That’s likely why Howard has a problem with playing in Houston, that and the fact Harden demands so much of the ball (even if he is a willing passer). But if he were to go back to Orlando, it would not be the way it used to be, with Howard commanding the paint while shooters spotted up around him.

With the likes of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, the Magic as we know them now are not built in that way.

You only need to look at the Los Angeles Clippers with DeAndre Jordan being surrounded by Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick (a former Magic player) and a Hall of Fame point guard in Chris Paul to know that playing in this way does not guarantee success. That’s with the Clippers having a much better roster than the Magic currently do as well.

Running back to where you were loved is all well and good, but too much has changed in the league to just slip back into old ways.

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Which brings us to arguably the most important reason the Magic should not look seriously at their former hero. Bringing him on board automatically puts a ceiling on how good they can be.

Howard would likely become the team’s best player (assuming they don’t pull any other shocks this summer) and we’ve seen how far Howard in his prime can carry a good supporting cast, the NBA Finals.

Even if Howard became the second-best player here, the Magic aren’t going to lure somebody as good as a James Harden or a semi-healthy Kobe Bryant to play with the big man. Even if they could, that experiment was tried in Los Angeles and Houston, do you see any additional banners hanging in their rafters today?

But Howard isn’t even the dominant player he once was, and although season averages of 13.8 points and 11.8 rebounds are still great, they pale in comparison to the 23 points and 14 rebounds he gave them in 2010-11. In fact, that right there is another reason to steer clear: current Magic center Nikola Vucevic is averaging 18 points and nine rebounds himself right now.

He also looks like he could one day soon expand his offensive game in ways Howard could only dream of.

Even if this team strikes out on their other potential targets, and even with Shaq’s blessing, the Orlando Magic should stay away from Dwight Howard. We know how it will end, and while it would increase the profile of the team and the city, it will also cap the potential of this team, resulting in no championships when Howard eventually retires.

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With that being the case, this isn’t a reunion that can work. After all, isn’t winning championships what it’s all about?