L.A. Lakers: Should Dwight Howard Even Be on the Radar?
The thought of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard joining the L.A. Lakers via trade or free agency in 2012 has been a subject of intense discussion among most fans of the team, and since management has been silent about the issue, we are left to our own speculation.
That speculation concerning Howard reached a fever pitch during the 2011 All-Star weekend when Howard was rumored to have said he could envision himself playing in Los Angeles.
To be fair, Howard didn't specify whether he meant as a member of the Clippers or the Lakers, but I'm guessing most people felt his statement had an underlying meaning that was veiled in purple and gold.
The Lakers' history with Orlando centers, the friendship between Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Howard, and the allure of playing in Hollywood for arguably the most successful NBA team of all time would certainly seem to swing the pendulum in the Lakers' favor.
That is, if the Lakers are really even chasing Howard at all.
After witnessing their demolition at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, passing on Howard may not be a bad idea.
I was one of the writers who lobbied loudly on behalf of Howard coming to Los Angeles, and I dreamed up numerous scenarios to make the deal a possibility.
But the Lakers' loss to Dallas was a harsh snap back to reality.
Sure, Howard looked very good to Lakers fans after their humbling four-game sweep in the West semi-finals, but don't forget that center Andrew Bynum is not the reason the Lakers lost the series.
In fact Bynum's 14.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 54 percent shooting from the field in the 2011 postseason were the best numbers of his young career, and if not for the constant specter of injury that hovers over Bynum, we probably wouldn't even be having the Howard discussion at all.
And even with the threat of another knee injury to Bynum, I may be willing to accept his uncertainty rather than live with the Lakers' dire situation in the backcourt.
The point guard position has been a point of concern for most of former head coach Phil Jackson's tenure, but in his defense, the triangle offense has never required an elite lead guard.
Jackson is the winningest coach in postseason history because of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers have excelled in spite of an inherent flaw.
But the Lakers' negligence finally caught up with them.
I reluctantly realized during the 2011 playoffs that the Lakers could win another championship with a healthy Bynum and a motivated Pau Gasol, but they will never again reach the pinnacle of NBA success with Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
Fisher may have been a pesky defender and a clutch player a few seasons ago, but time has definitely eroded his skills.
Quickness and strength were major components of Fisher's defensive approach, and even though he is still one of the league's strongest point guards, his lack of lateral quickness makes him a defensive liability.
Blake is no better because he shares Fisher's lack of quickness, and he is not nearly as effective at preventing offensive penetration.
Fisher and Blake averaged a combined 11 points and 5.0 assists in the regular season, and they actually managed to decrease their scoring average by a point in the postseason.
Blake should be gone or on the way out by any measure, and if general manager Mitch Kupchak hasn't recognized the value of sending Fisher to the bench, then he should be gone too.
I wouldn't jettison Fisher because the possibility of magic is always there, but I would give a long, hard look at Deron Williams and Chris Paul if they are available in the summer of 2012.
Maybe even over Howard.
But then again it would be hard to ignore the potential and stability Howard could bring to the Lakers' franchise, regardless of the uncertainty in the backcourt.
