Report: Dwight Howard Plans to Make Wizards Debut vs. Thunder After Back Injury

Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard is expected to make his season debut Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The veteran has been out with a back injury since training camp and missed the entire preseason and first seven games of the regular season. The Wizards have gone just 1-6 in his absence.

This issue, which has been listed as gluteal soreness on injury reports, has kept Howard from making his debut with the Wizards after signing with the team in July. This came after a trade from the Charlotte Hornets to the Brooklyn Nets, who waived him the next day.

It continues a wild ride for the center, who will be suiting up for his fourth different team in four years. Overall, it will be the sixth team he's played for in the last eight seasons.

Although he is no longer playing at the level we saw earlier in his career when he earned eight consecutive All-Star selections and three Defensive Player of the Year awards, he remains an effective player in the post. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game for Charlotte.

He could be a difference-maker for a Wizards team that ranks just 28th in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage and 29th in defensive rebounding percentage, per Basketball Reference.

It remains to be seen how he will fit in with a group that already seems to lack chemistry on the court, but things can't get much worse for Washington at the moment.