Atlanta Hawks: What If Dwight Howard Has Learned How To Shoot?

Heading to a team that values shooting, Dwight Howard has been putting a lot of work into his shot. What would it mean for the Atlanta Hawks if it all pays off?

Over the years the NBA offseason has given birth to almost mythical traditions, which is unsurprising as something has to fill the gap from The Finals until opening night.

“Muscle watch” is perhaps the most revered of them all, as players show up to camp and preseason looking slim, trim and boasting about lower percentages of body fat, but in the workout video it has a credible rival.

With NBA training camps taking place over an incredibly short space of time, the emphasis when teams reconvene is generally centered on meshing and adjusting to the coach’s strategies and schemes.

The nuts and bolts of players actually developing their game instead takes place in near empty gyms, with trainers, friends and, thankfully, more often than not a video camera of some sort.

The old adage goes that it’s easy to make shots in an empty gym, but that never fails to lessen the impact and reckless excitement that fans often draw from seeing their favorite players showcase skills in that setting that have never previously been evident in the heat of NBA battle.

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In replacing

Al Horford

as the center on a Hawks team who have made the postseason for an Eastern Conference-best streak of nine straight seasons, to say Howard has big shoes to fill wouldn’t quite do justice to the challenge facing him.

Horford, now with the Boston Celtics, has long been one of the league’s more dynamic centers and consistently managed to add new wrinkles to his game over time. To be frank, Horford can do it all.

The former Florida Gator is an outstanding defender, a skilled passer, a willing runner, an automatic mid-range jump shooter and, most recently, a competent three-point shooter too.

The addition of a three-point shot to Horford’s game shaped how Atlanta played last season, giving the Hawks more offensive options than ever before.

As a result, even if Howard was to return to his defensive peak next season, many still question whether that would be enough to combat the offensive drop-off from Horford.

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

If anything, the initial challenge for Howard, an eight-time All-Star, will be to prove that bringing him in to replace Horford won’t instantly prove to be a net negative for Atlanta.

Still, you have to believe that the shooting practice Howard has been doing extends beyond trying to fit in with his new team, as it will also be a significant factor in his pursuit to prove his doubters wrong.

In an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan earlier in the summer, Howard alluded to confidence, rather than technique or practice, being his biggest issue when it comes to shooting.

"“I used to shoot 1,000 shots a day. I called Kobe when I was still playing in Orlando and asked him what I should do. He’s the one who told me to do take 1,000 a day. So I’d practice and practice them but then I’d be so afraid to take them in a game because I was so worried I would miss. I hate messing up. I hate failure.”"

As the NBA has shifted its emphasis dramatically in recent years, we’ve now arrived at a point in Howard’s career where failure could be choosing not to take jump shots, rather than taking them and missing them.

Nobody expects Dwight Howard to come out throwing up triples when the new season gets underway, but even turning to a consistent diet of mid-range shots would change the perception, for better or worse, of who Howard the player is.

If Dwight Howard’s shooting becomes a factor in how the Hawks play, it will either make or break their season.

On the other hand, if Howard doesn’t show something new while age and health continue to gradually lessen the gifts that once made him so dominant, it would seem implausible for him to win back the kind of adulation he seems to desperately crave.

Next: Kyle Korver And Aging Gracefully

The history of workout videos point more toward a failed experiment than a groundbreaking reinvention, but whether you like the idea of him shooting or not, you have to respect Howard for trying.

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What Will It Mean For The Atlanta Hawks If Dwight Howard Has Learned How To Shoot?

By Adam McGee | Aug 29, 2016

Heading to a team that values shooting, Dwight Howard has been putting a lot of work into his shot. What would it mean for the Atlanta Hawks if it all pays off?

More from Hoops Habit