NBA Rumors: 3 Matches Made in Heaven for Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard would be hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy multiple times if he went to any of the following places. He is the franchise center that teams dream of and Howard is a free agent at the end of this season.
Howard will have his choice of teams. He would be wise to choose one of the following three.
Los Angeles Lakers
This is where centers go to the rule the world. Well maybe not the world, but it is where they go to become bad actors, recording artists and champions.
That would certainly be no different for Dwight Howard. In LA, Howard would team with Pau Gasol in a mutually beneficial relationship that would give the Lakers the most formidable frontcourt in the NBA.
Howard would not be expected to carry the offense with his limited low-post game; that would be Pau's job. This would free Dwight up to crash the offensive board and wait around for passes when Gasol is double-teamed.
This would also free up Gasol on the defensive end. Howard's presence would allow Gasol to save his legs on the defensive end. With Howard under the rim Gasol would be free to focus on sticking to his guy outside the key knowing if his man gets by him that Howard would be there to clean up the mess.
Likelihood: 80 percent
Until Howard signs with someone else it is best just to assume he'll be a Laker. They have the market and the tradition that have made this the destination for past and future centers.
New York Knicks
This move would give the Knicks a frontcourt that would rival the famed Celtic trio of Bird, McHale and Parish for the greatest in NBA history.
The Knicks would be unguardable. Both Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire are excellent with the ball in their hands. Howard would be an easy dump-off option when those guys were double-teamed and he would free them up to roam on offense as he would be the one cleaning up on the offensive glass.
Howard would also make everyone on this team better defensively. Getting beat off the dribble is not as big a concern when you have Howard waiting to knock weak attempts into the first row. This would allow defenders to focus on perimeter defense. It would also allow the Knicks to focus on bringing in role players that can extend the defense with their shots instead of bringing in lock-down defenders.
The biggest benefit of this move for the Knicks may be the wear and tear this would save on Stoudamire's aching body. Stoudamire wouldn't have to play big minutes in the regular season, and he wouldn't have to kill himself on defense.
Likelihood: 60 percent
They have the market and the need. The only concern here is how much money are the Knicks willing to devote to their front court?
Oklahoma City Thunder
This move would turn the Thunder into a permanent title contender. Howard would give the Thunder the interior toughness they need to push them over the top.
Most importantly, this would give the Thunder the ability to be flexible with their lineups. With Howard's size and presence under the basket the Thunder could run a lineup with Kevin Durant playing anywhere from shooting guard to power forward.
Durant doesn't have the muscle to man up power forwards off the glass or keep them from backing him under the basket, but with Howard on help defense this would not be as big a concern.
This would allow the Thunder to utilize a small lineup for key stretches and create an absolute matchup nightmare when they had the ball while running the opposing team out of the gym.
Likelihood: 30 percent
This move would be a lot more likely if it wasn't to Oklahoma City. It is just a tiny market. While the Thunder have the players on the court, it has next to nothing to offer outside of that.
