Hoops Habit
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NBA: 6 players on the bubble of Hall of Fame entry

By Luke Duffy

BOSTON - MAY 02: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics tries to keep Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls from passing the ball in bounds in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 2, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeated the Bulls 109-99. 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. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON - MAY 02: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics tries to keep Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls from passing the ball in bounds in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden on May 2, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeated the Bulls 109-99. 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. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Naismith Hall of Fame
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6. Dwight Howard

We’re easing ourselves into this conversation because really there is no way Dwight Howard won’t one day make it into the Hall of Fame. Yet time is a funny thing, and at this point there is a generation of fans who remember Howard mostly as somebody who squandered a lot of talent, bounced around the league before finding himself again with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The case for him if he was to retire tomorrow is simple. He’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, an eight time All-Star and was the foundational piece on an Orlando Magic team that made it to the 2009 NBA Finals, defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the process. By the time his career is actually done, he will almost surely have scored over 20,000 points (currently at 18,582).

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At 13,641 rebounds already, those numbers only solidify his case. Howard was one of the faces of the league and the most dominant center at a time when you need one to be a contender. A title with the Lakers would seal the deal and get rid of any doubt, but as of right now, a couple of things mean the door is completely closed on him not getting in just yet.

Howard finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon. That’s not the real problem though, it was the fall from grace that saw him gracing NBA Live 10 at one point, before falling out first with Kobe Bryant on the Lakers and then with James Harden as part of the Houston Rockets.

Being able to co-exist with other stars is how you get to the mountain top, but Howard was not able to do this at that point in his career. So instead of taking the final step, he failed to make an All-Star team after the age of 28 (which is a cross between talent and popularity, something Howard had an abundance of in both categories) and ended up having stops with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets (where he was actually very good) and Washington Wizards.

The game changed, and Howard wouldn’t. In truth he was in danger of slipping out of the league, but a return to the Lakers and learning to fall in line behind LeBron and come off the bench gives Howard the chance to finish his career as a champion. Now 34, his body broke down quicker than expected too. He’s nine-tenths of the way in, but it is not a unanimous shout just yet.