The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares

Greatest NBA Player #31: Dwight Howard-141.73

Seeing Dwight Howard’s name near the top 30 may come as a surprise given how his career turned out. At one point during the late 2000s, Howard was the best center in the NBA, though he progressively declined until he became a capable role player. That managed to extend his career past his prime, allowing him to add to his resume.

At his best, Howard was a dominant rim protector whose athleticism and timing made him near impossible to score against in the halfcourt. He was so good, in fact, that he made the Magic a top defense despite not having any other lockdown defenders.

As a result, he won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, not to mention that he has the 38th-best defensive rating of all time. That factors into win shares, as does his offensive efficiency. Howard’s career 60.2% true shooting is among the highest on the list, and despite being a low-usage player, he still managed to score roughly 19,500 points.

Overall, being a top-tier defender and an underrated offensive player combined to help Howard finish 31st in all-time win shares. He may have never turned into the next Shaq, but he definitely had a Hall of Fame-level career, nonetheless.