Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 23: Dwight Howard #21 of the Washington Wizards speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at the Capital One Arena on July 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. The Dwight Howard era begins

The Washington Wizards traded Marcin Gortat away to the Clippers for Austin Rivers back in June. That left a big hole for them to fill at the center position. They still have Ian Mahinmi but he’s not a starting-caliber center.

The signing of Dwight Howard almost fell in their lap, given John Wall had to slide in his DMs, but it goes to show you how far Wall was willing to go to get him. It’s been a while since Wall had a big man like Dwight Howard, one where you could literally just throw it to the rim and he’d get it.

Both should excel in the pick-and-roll game if all goes well, but there’s limited success on the defensive end. As the league continues to evolve and players become more athletic, Howard has become expendable on the defensive end.

https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee/status/1021447614162784260

He is joining his third team in three seasons and sixth as an NBA player. Despite coming off a season of averaging 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds (third in NBA), 1.6 blocks and 1.3 assists per game for the Charlotte Hornets.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

The cloud of doubt continues to surround his career. At his latest stop, he hopes to put those doubts to rest.

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