Best-Case and Worst-Case Scenarios for Dwight Howard and Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers fielded an exceptional roster last season, so it's no small compliment to suggest it's gotten significantly better this summer.

Yes, Dwight Howard will make a difference. There's no question about that. But, the sign-and-trade deal that brought Steve Nash into the fold was arguably just as important in the grand scheme of things.

After all, the Lakers weren't in bad shape with Andrew Bynum lining up in the middle, but they were sorely missing a point guard who could keep the offense running smoothly.

Nevertheless, Dwight Howard will give Los Angeles a much-improved look on the defensive end. While Bynum could rebound and defend the post with the best of them, Howard is a far more mobile and explosive presence.

Like any significant personnel change, though, we won't truly know what to make of this deal until we've had some time to see it actually play out. 

But, what's the worst that could happen?

Best-Case Scenario

The best that could happen is obvious enough. 

Dwight winds up adoring his new environs along with his role as a second or third option in a potent Lakers offense. He immediately finds a comfort zone with his new team, and the Lakers take their new lineup all the way to another title.

In this event, it almost goes without saying Howard would decide to stick around and play out his prime years in Purple and Gold.

Kobe Bryant could continue to play at a high level for another three to four years at the very least, and you can expect two or three more quality years from Steve Nash. Their MVP days are over, but they both remain among the very best in the league at what they do.

The Lakers will also find themselves in position to make some adjustments in the summer of 2014 when nearly $50 million comes off the books thanks to Kobe and Pau Gasol's expiring deals. Bryant will almost certainly re-sign at a lesser rate, but there could still be enough flexibility to add a nice piece or two (assuming Gasol doesn't also return).

Could the Lakers win another three titles in the near future? 

Possibly.

But, after that, much will depend on who else the organization can add. At some point, Kobe won't be able to carry as much of the scoring load, and Dwight Howard could find himself on a relatively average team without another round of reshuffling.

Worst-Case Scenario

Wait, there's a scenario where things don't work out for the Lakers?

Absolutely.

The Lakers managed to win three titles despite Shaq and Kobe's clashing personalities, but there's no guarantee they'd be so lucky in the event Dwight similarly rubs Bryant the wrong way. There's less concern that Howard will insist upon being the top dog, but his carefree demeanor could cause strife of its own.

Even if there's no melodrama in the offing, the Lakers could quite simply grow old before our eyes.

Steve Nash is pretty spry for a 38-year-old, but there's a very real potential that back problems could finally derail his extended career. If something catastrophic happened, Los Angeles would be left without its best play-maker and with little to compensate for the loss on the bench.

It also wouldn't be easy to replace Nash given the team's lack of draft assets and cap space.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant is almost 34, and his best days are almost certainly behind him. He played a lot of minutes last season, but he also shot the ball inefficiently by his standards and relied more than ever on long-range jumpers.

It would be a bit much to say the guy is in any kind of decline, but it would also be overly-optimistic to assume each upcoming season will be as successful as the last. At some point, the Kobe we know will become a memory, and we'll be left with little more than a very good shooter who doesn't do much else.

Maybe that's five or more years away, but we also begin seeing some of those signs in the near future.

If the end is indeed nearer than we expect, not even Dwight Howard will be able to do much about that. The Lakers' last great run at a title could fizzle in short order.