Washington Wizards: 3 reasons Dwight Howard is a good pickup

3. Dwight provides more athleticism

It’s pretty safe to say that over the course of an 11-year career, Marcin Gortat has never been known for his athletic abilities.

Sure, at 240 pounds, the Polish Hammer is one of the more physically intimidating big men in the game, but he’s not the type of guy who can just out-jump someone or power through them, despite his hulking frame.

Dwight Howard, on the other hand, is different.

A former Slam Dunk Champion, Howard can still get up with the best of them, even at age 32:

As a team with a point guard in John Wall who loves to run the pick-and-roll, Howard presents a new, more dynamic threat coming down the lane.

Dwight can be as good or better than Gortat on simple shovel passes from Wall, but his leaping ability adds the lob threat to Washington’s offense, which could lead to a few more buckets that Gortat’s grounded style of play didn’t allow.