Orlando Magic: Is Dwight Howard's Offense Finally Catching Up With His Defense?
Consistently, throughout his career, Dwight Howard has been criticized for lacking post moves and that "all he can do is dunk." I've been championing his improving postgame all along, asking doubters, "Have you even watched Dwight Howard lately?"
Throughout last season, and especially against the Celtics in the playoffs, he showed an array of moves, not the least of which was his running hook shot across the lane. This year, he has become even more bold, unleashing a plethora of new moves, some of which we had seen rarely or not at all previously in his career.
One of those moves is his 16 to 18 foot bank shot jumper. Though he did use it in the past, this season he has become more comfortable shooting it and frequently uses it if his man lays off him on defense. This only further opens up driving and passing lanes and enables him to be even more effective on defense.
Also prevalent in his offensive arsenal is the left handed hook and baby hook turnaround. He said during an interview at halftime of a Magic game that prior to fracturing his left wrist in high school, he did "everything" left-handed. It has certainly showed and he has entered an elite group of big men that are very capable using both hands (Chris Kaman and Jermaine O'Neal are two previous excellent examples).
With so many big men limited offensively, it is refreshing to see one who has worked diligently to improve his postgame. Dwight worked with offensive guru and NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon this summer, and it appears he has walked away with every move except the patented "Dream Shake." Hakeem instilled into Dwight not to be afraid to use moves that he hasn't used in games more often.
In this interview, I asked Dwight about his turnaround jumper, a move which I hadn't yet seen him utilize in a game.
When I asked him if he planned on using it in games, he sarcastically replied "Uh...yeah." I didn't believe him. Finally, the other night against the Nets, he found himself on the baseline, and he utilized the turnaround against Brook Lopez. He missed the shot, but it looked fluid and relaxed. So perhaps we will see more turnarounds from Dwight as the season goes on.
So to those doubting that Dwight has developed an offensive game, I say this: Please actually watch a Magic game before running your mouth. And consider some facts: Dwight Howard already has eight field goals from beyond 10 feet through the first eight games of the season, and last year, he hit only 19 such shots all year. It's clear that Dwight is feeling more comfortable and more able on the perimeter, and it's only a matter of time before we see him launching threes:
Perhaps that is a bit of a stretch, but as you can see from the video, his jumper isn't bad, and does extend deep. Maybe, we'll eventually see five three-point shooters on the court at once. I wouldn't hold your breath, but he has a long career ahead of him, and anything can happen.
One thing is for sure, though: He has some moves. Try watching.
