Dwight Howard Comments on Struggles with Rockets, More
After a trying 2015-16 season with the Houston Rockets, center Dwight Howard opened up about his struggles and his potential future with the franchise Thursday.
In an interview with ESPN.com's Jackie MacMullan, the star big man acknowledged issues within the organization and placed some blame on general manager Daryl Morey for his subpar campaign:
"There were times I was disinterested because of situations that happened behind the scenes that really hurt me. It left me thinking, "This is not what I signed up for."
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I felt like my role was being reduced. I went to Daryl and said, "I want to be more involved." Daryl said, "No, we don't want you to be." My response was, "Why not? Why am I here?" It was shocking to me that it came from him instead of our coach. So I said to him, "No disrespect to what you do, but you've never played the game. I've been in this game a long time. I know what it takes to be effective."
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Howard had his worst scoring output since his rookie season with just 13.7 points per game, although he remained an effective rebounder by grabbing 11.8 boards per contest.
He has a player option for the 2016-17 campaign, and while most expect him to opt out and become a free agent, the eight-time All Star insisted he has yet to make a decision on that front:
"To be honest, I have had some conversations with close friends on what would happen if I do opt out. But I haven't really come out and said, "I'm going to opt out and do this and that." I just can't focus on that right now. We didn't have the kind of season we wanted, and I didn't have the kind of season I wanted and it was really upsetting to me. So my thinking is, "I'm going to get in the gym, get my body right and when the playoffs are over take a look at everything." As much as it may seem crazy or unbelievable that I'm not thinking about it, every time I do think about it, my mind starts racing back and forth. I don't need that kind of pressure right now. My agent [Perry Rogers] is smart. He's done this for years. Let him worry about the teams and the [contract] numbers.
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One factor that could play into Howard's decision is his relationship with superstar guard James Harden.
A report from NBA.com's Fran Blinebury suggested Howard and Harden were not on the same page, and Howard admitted that their connection was far from perfect. "I don't know. ... I want to figure that out, too," he told ESPN. "I've been trying to wrap my mind around this season, what went wrong, and sometimes you can allow outside things to interrupt the circle. That probably happened with us."
Harden likely isn't going anywhere, but despite the lack of chemistry, he suggested to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he would be in favor of Howard returning: "Ultimately, he makes the decision. But obviously, we love Big Fella here. He has to go back with his family and figure it out."
Most outsiders all season long assumed there was something internally wrong with the Rockets, as they went from reaching the Western Conference Finals to barely making the playoffs.
There was largely silence on the matter during the campaign, but Howard laid his cards out on the table in many ways Thursday, particularly as it relates to Morey.
If he and the GM are that far apart philosophically, it is difficult to imagine the former No. 1 overall draft pick exercising his option.
Even though this past season was a tough one for Howard, he has a long track record of being one of the best centers in basketball, and a team is likely to compensate him handsomely on the open market.
Howard's past two NBA stops with the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers simply haven't worked out, but if he lands with a team that is willing to make him a bigger part of the offense, then he may still have some productive years ahead of him.
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