Would Dwight Howard Put Up Better Numbers with Lakers or Rockets?
As we all know by now, thanks to Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com, there are two teams in the mix to acquire All-Star center Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic: the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year would do well on both teams, but the question remains: Where would he be better?
Let's start with the Los Angeles Lakers. The main reason Howard wants to leave Orlando is because of the lack of a supporting cast, so sending him to Los Angeles would grant him that wish.
There, he wouldn't have to worry about being the top scoring option, as he would be on the court with scoring legend Kobe Bryant. Not to mention that he would finally have a pass-first point guard getting him the ball in future Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
Yet, as good as Howard would be for the Lakers, let's not forget that he has an ego the size of Texas. He has stated that wherever he ends up, he wants to be the big man on campus.
The way I see it, he would put up incredible numbers if he did end up on the Lakers, but he would also feud with Bryant, making the star guard's legendary feud with Shaquille O'Neal look like a Disney movie.
Now, let's have a look at the Houston Rockets. They would give up a great amount of talent in the proposed deal, including their three recent first-round picks. From Orlando, they would receive Howard and at least three of his teammates.
That said, Howard would easily put up big numbers in Houston, but they would be meaningless. He would essentially have the same supporting cast he had in Orlando, which is just what he wants to escape. The only good thing about him going to the Rockets would be him getting his wish to be the top dog on the team.
Taking all of that into consideration, I think the answer is simple. Howard would put up better numbers with the Lakers simply because he would have a reliable supporting cast to get him the ball.
Would his scoring go down?
Well, that remains to be seen. Current Lakers center Andrew Bynum averaged 18.7 points per game last season while sharing the court with Kobe Bryant, so there's always the possibility that Howard could put up similar stats should be head to the West Coast.
More importantly, with Nash getting him the ball, Howard's work above the rim could make the Lakers duke it out with the rival Clippers as for which team is the true "Lob City."
If you remember Nash's prime years with the Phoenix Suns under Mike D'Antoni, he was beyond capable of scoring points and also averaging double-digit assists per game. He can still do it today despite being 38 years old.
Thus, it's time for Orlando GM Jeff Hennigan to get Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak on the phone and hammer out a deal for Howard. Both teams have the players necessary to make a deal, and if Howard wants to be satisfied for the remainder of his career, he would be wise to push for it.
