Dwight Howard's debut - 17 points and 26 rebounds

[millwad]

Well done, Dwight, well done! :bowdown:

[rezznor]

if it wasn't for Asik, he would have broken 30 :oldlol:

[fpliii]

****ing Mitch/Jim.

[alwaysunny]

Superman is back. Kobe was clearly kryptonite and this is proof.

[Lateralus]

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[SpecialQue]

Rockets fans are going to be going through a lot of Kleenex this year.

[Lateralus]

Rockets fans are going to be going through a lot of Kleenex this year.

Only to hand them to Lakernation. We try to be courteous.

[Jameerthefear]

Watched this one too. Dwight really needs to clean up the post game. He's made no improvements at all. He kept trying to go baseline and stepped out of bounds like at least twice. He made some improvements when he started to hook it over his shoulder though. He's not backing his man down as easily as he used to be able to. You can tell that is bothering him

[#number6ix#]

Geez...

[SpecialQue]

Only to hand them to Lakernation. We try to be courteous.

I meant because Rockets fans are going to be *********ing over Dwight's highlights. They're gonna have a great season.

[SCdac]

He averaged 17 ppg last season and is a career 18 ppg player. I wonder if he'll ever become offensively elite. Elite rebounder and defender, none the less.

[oh the horror]

Superman is back. Kobe was clearly kryptonite and this is proof.


Or, and here's a wild notion...he was recovering from a back surgery and a shoulder injury?

[Lateralus]

I meant because Rockets fans are going to be *********ing over Dwight's highlights. They're gonna have a great season.


My bad. I did use a little today tbh. :pimp:

:dancin

[magictricked]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 3m
Via @eliassports Dwight Howard- 1st player with 26 rebounds in a season opener since Wilt Chamberlain, who had 31 in 1970

[magictricked]

Or, and here's a wild notion...he was recovering from a back surgery and a shoulder injury?This is the wrong place for common sense. Cut that out

[SpecialQue]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 3m
Via @eliassports Dwight Howard- 1st player with 26 rebounds in a season opener since Wilt Chamberlain, who had 31 in 1970

inb4 Jlauber essay

[SyRyanYang]

bobcats:oldlol:

[YouGotServed]

Or, and here's a wild notion...he was recovering from a back surgery and a shoulder injury?

I thought Dwight underperformed last season because he has no heart, turns the ball over, bricks his FTs and is an immature clown. Isn't that why the city of LA didn't want him? Stick to one story, Lakernation.

[jstern]

Or, and here's a wild notion...he was recovering from a back surgery and a shoulder injury?
Laker fans didn't want to acknowledge that though. The vast majority of them.

[alwaysunny]

I thought Dwight underperformed last season because he has no heart, turns the ball over, bricks his FTs and is an immature clown. Isn't that why the city of LA didn't want him? Stick to one story, Lakernation.


Laker fans didn't want to acknowledge that though. The vast majority of them.

Exactly :applause:

[LakersDaBEst]

against the BOBCATS..

cool

[jzek]

Lakers :facepalm

[Yao Ming's Foot]

I thought Dwight underperformed last season because he has no heart, turns the ball over, bricks his FTs and is an immature clown. Isn't that why the city of LA didn't want him? Stick to one story, Lakernation.

He had 4 turnovers and shot 25% from the line. They don't keep heartless clown stats in the box score but I imagine he still scores high in those categories. Sounds spot on. :confusedshrug:

[longtime lurker]

Lol Howard scored 17 points against the mighty Bobcats :oldlol:

[YouGotServed]

He had 4 turnovers and shot 25% from the line. They don't keep heartless clown stats in the box score but I imagine he still scores high in those categories. Sounds spot on. :confusedshrug:

Career high in rebounds and a W. You madd salty though. Stay mad bro.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Career high in rebounds and a W. You madd salty though. Stay mad bro.

He had 26 rebounds vs the Nuggets with the Lakers.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201301060LAL.html

:roll:

[Sharmer]

Kobe stans silent :lol

[SyRyanYang]

Career high in rebounds and a W. You madd salty though. Stay mad bro.

He's always an elite rebounder, even in his LA days. I didn't see any Lakers' fan calling him out for not rebounding well.

[YouGotServed]

He had 26 rebounds vs the Nuggets with the Lakers.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201301060LAL.html

:roll:

Career high in rebounds AND a W. Oh you mad cause I'm styling on you? Stay madd bro.

[SyRyanYang]

Kobe stans silent :lol

Wait, I thought Dwight should have less rebounds because Kobe isn't there to brick shots?

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Career high in rebounds AND a W. Oh you mad cause I'm styling on you? Stay madd bro.

Yes very mad that the Rockets beat the powerhouse Bobcats. It was truly a huge accomplishment. I will probably "stay madd" forever.

[jstern]

He had 26 rebounds vs the Nuggets with the Lakers.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201301060LAL.html

:roll:

Kobe must have missed a lot of shots.

[YouGotServed]

Yes very mad that the Rockets beat the powerhouse Bobcats. It was truly a huge accomplishment. I will probably "stay madd" forever.

Lakers future looking like Yao's foot indeed. Fitting username. Stay mad bro.

[Heavincent]

Dwight silents the haters by dropping a whopping 17 points on the Bobcats!

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Lakers future looking like Yao's foot indeed. Fitting username. Stay mad bro.

Its true the Lakers do have trouble beating the Bobcats. I am still mad.

[juju151111]

Its true the Lakers do have trouble beating the Bobcats. I am still mad.
Dwight is healthy and Lakers will be sorry. He eill be doing it more consistently.

[no pun intended]

Nice to see Dwight in good health.

[KingLeBronJames]

Yet Dwight is already complaining about ball movement after the game.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Dwight is healthy and Lakers will be sorry. He eill be doing it more consistently.

No, Dwight Howard will not consistently grab 26 rebounds. Nor were the Lakers scared of his injury history, they offered him the max. :confusedshrug:

[TheBigVeto]

Superman is back. Kobe was clearly kryptonite and this is proof.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[oh the horror]

Yet Dwight is already complaining about ball movement after the game.



And believe if it doesn't change he'll chirp louder and louder.


People can say what they want but the dude causes problems outside of his play. This has happened with two teams now.

[Jameerthefear]

lakers fans are so salty lol

[bdreason]

He led the league in rebounding last year.

[Pacquiao]

Dwight will make this Houston a top 2 and 3 team because of the coach.

If Dwight stayed with the Lakers with D'antoni as Coach, they will barely make the #8 seed

[Jacks3]

17 pts on 14 shots and 4 turnovers vs the Bobcats. Legendary stuff. :bowdown:

[plowking]

Dwight silents the haters by dropping a whopping 17 points on the Bobcats!

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

Still pretending not to be a Lakers fan yet hes in every thread about them. :roll:

[coin24]

17 pts on 14 shots and 4 turnovers vs the Bobcats. Legendary stuff. :bowdown:

:lol :lol


All the laker haters out in full force. No surprise dwight is still garbage on offense. He's always been a great rebounder and defender. Heart of a loser crybaby..

[plowking]

17 pts on 14 shots and 4 turnovers vs the Bobcats. Legendary stuff. :bowdown:

Way to try and make it look like a poor game.

It was 17 points on 58% shooting. That's efficient any way you want to look at it. Not to mention 26 boards.

It was a great game, and is considered one against any NBA team.

[All Net]

Big game but no surprise.. Dwight is Healthy

[Nick Young]

Can't wait to see what Rockets fans think of him after watching him laughing on the bench during blowout losses in the playoffs:lol

[pnyozzzoo]

Can't wait to see what Rockets fans think of him after watching him laughing on the bench during blowout losses in the playoffs:lol
Rockets wont, rockets does not have a shit kicker defense to lose by that much in the playoff that its hopeless and you have to sit the starters, win or lose he will do battle out there.

Stay salty. And drink more water.:cheers:

[Mr Exlax]

Lakers fans altering stats and just being salty smh.

:coleman:

[Nick Young]

No salt. Enjoy this scrub. He will lead you nowhere and ultimately destroy team chemistry.

A new Dwightmare is about to begin:banana:

[fiddy]

Just wait for close games, FT time baby

[Wavves]

Yep, Laker fans mad as hell

[fiddy]

Yep, Laker fans mad as hell
Actually we are pretty happy, team chemistry cancer is gone, no more drama queen, no more dwightmare.

[YouGotServed]

Can somebody post a picture of the billboards begging Dwight to stay? lol hilarious and pathetic at the same time. No matter how many times you bash Dwight he's not coming back. We get it. Dwight pissed all over the city of LA and you're mad.

Get over it.

[East_Stone_Ya]

Dwight and Asik with more rebounds than entire Bobcats team :applause:

[fiddy]

Can somebody post a picture of the billboards begging Dwight to stay? lol hilarious and pathetic at the same time. No matter how many times you bash Dwight he's not coming back. We get it. Dwight pissed all over the city of LA and you're mad.

Get over it.

Just wait
:roll:

[Mr Exlax]

I honestly believe at least 5 lakers fans will comment on Dwight every single game from here on out.

[HurricaneKid]

Honestly, talking about Dwight is exasperating. People look at his box score to see his impact. But no one has ever said he was a good offensive player.

But WOW is he a defensive juggernaut. Sure it is just Charlotte but Al Jeff is probably the best offensive C in the league and he was held to 6/19 and the team was held to as few points as any team in the league has scored in any game this season. And Houston was not exactly elite defensively last year.

[HoopsFanNumero1]

As expected, all of the resident Kobesexuals show up on this thread.

[HylianNightmare]

everyone should have known dwight was just injured last year

[rufuspaul]

Honestly, talking about Dwight is exasperating. People look at his box score to see his impact. But no one has ever said he was a good offensive player.

But WOW is he a defensive juggernaut. Sure it is just Charlotte but Al Jeff is probably the best offensive C in the league and he was held to 6/19 and the team was held to as few points as any team in the league has scored in any game this season. And Houston was not exactly elite defensively last year.


Big Al missed all of the preseason with an ankle sprain. This was his 1st game back and you could see he was winded and actually limping up court in the 4th quarter. They shouldn't have played him imo. Why risk re-injuring the ankle this early in the season?

[Nick Young]

Dont worry fools, the Dwightmare will soon engulf Houston. I will pray for their fans in advance.

[Nick Young]

I honestly believe at least 5 lakers fans will comment on Dwight every single game from here on out.
lol we dont give that much of a shit. We know him and Houston will fail badly.

[Pointguard]

everyone should have known dwight was just injured last year
The concept of injury is asking too much for a lot here. If he has an injury he is not suppose to favor it, and if he doesn't play he's abandoning his team. This is the level of sophistication for some of the posters here. The concept of weighing in the future can't be factored in for some.

I think Dwight Howard likes to have fun when he plays and he now has that in Houston. And he will have the spacing to do it in Houston and the center position is a playground. They are going to win a ton of games and he's going to have way more monster games than anybody else. He's the most active player in the game. He keeps moving toward the ball. As I said earlier I think he will deserve the MVP this year but is likely to get too much backlash for his conduct over the last three years.

He will demolish all but DMC, Lopez and Bynum, but at least he has some real comp this year with those guys.

[rezznor]

HOUSTON – For a fleeting moment, the truth washed over Dwight Howard and it felt downright transformational. Before the opening tip to the season, his eyes glanced to those Houston Rockets walking out with him: James Harden. Chandler Parsons. Loaded lineup, loaded bench. Championship contender.

"When I stood there and looked around, I thought to myself, 'I've got an amazing opportunity here, and I'm not going to let it go to waste," Howard told Yahoo Sports late Wednesday in a quiet corner of the locker room.

"It hit me there: This is what I chose. This is what I decided to do."

He smiled a knowing smile, nodded and repeated himself.

"I'm not going to let it go to waste," Howard said.

Howard wants everything this season, and everything began with the best rebounding night of his career: muscling, cajoling, clutching 26 rebounds and 17 points in the Rockets' 96-83 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

"I wanted to get 30 rebounds," Howard said. "I was upset I didn't do it."


View gallery
.
Dwight Howard matched his career high with 26 rebounds against the Bobcats. (USA Today)
After back surgery two summers ago, Howard's body was battered and never found its fitness until those final weeks of the Los Angeles Lakers' lost season. Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash never did see the real Dwight Howard, the force of nature who could dominate games without ever taking a shot. Between a torn labrum, a regenerating back and bad chemistry, Howard was too often fighting himself and his surroundings. He was physically unfit to fight for the ball.
"My mind was on the ball," Howard told Yahoo Sports, "but my body was still on the other side."

No one inside the Toyota Center on Wednesday night has watched Howard play more basketball games over the past six seasons than Bobcats coach Steve Clifford. For five seasons in Orlando and another in Los Angeles, he was on the coaching staffs with the game's best center. The Lakers never did see the center who Clifford watched dominate for weeks and months in Orlando, nor the center who they'll see in Houston.

"He never moved last season like he's moved in this preseason," Clifford said. "He looks like a different guy."

Three weeks before the start of free agency in June, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey sat down with Harden and watched tape of Howard in the playoffs. They witnessed Howard's body beginning to transform, witnessed increasing flashes of who Howard had been and who he could be in Houston again.

"Everyone focused on him getting thrown out of the game at the end, and nobody was watching that he was playing well at the end," Morey told Yahoo Sports. "James and I were talking and we both agreed: He looked great and we were going to keep going after him."

Between that June day and Howard's commitment to the Rockets, the biggest obstacle for the Rockets to complete this free-agent coup remained the relentless negative campaigning on the parts of rival organizations. Houston had become the faraway leader, afforded the best chance for Howard to win in the short and long term, and when no one could assail Harden's talent, teams turned to his character.

Morey doesn't forget it, and it became understandably difficult for him to separate the professional posturing with what became increasingly nasty, personal vitriol. From Golden State to Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers, there were pockets of people taking turns calling Harden a selfish player, a bad teammate, a non-leader. Harden would never pass the ball to Howard, they told him. They'd never win together.


View gallery
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Howard signed with the Rockets in large part because of the talent on their roster. (AP)
"After we had our meeting, we heard second-hand about what went in the others," Morey said. "In one of them, we know a team tried to portray the fact [to Howard] that James was the same as Kobe. It kind of blew my mind. I mean, you're saying the fact that he's like one of the greatest players ever is actually an insult?
"In the end, that was one of the main ways teams were trying to get Dwight to not come to Houston."

And, well, here's Howard in Houston anyway. First-hand sources corroborated to Yahoo Sports what those second-hand sources told Morey in the aftermath of the meetings. In one instance, Golden State Warriors adviser Jerry West had been disparaging of Harden in the organization's presentation to Howard, sources said. When asked about West's dissection of Harden recently, Howard simply laughed and told Yahoo, "Well, Jerry West said a lot of things."

When Morey left the Rockets' meeting with Howard, his hopes were fortified with the methodical, substantive nature of Howard's questions for Houston officials. From the construction of the roster, to salary-cap space to luxury-tax implications, Morey sensed that Howard wouldn't be susceptible to those kind of desperate bids.

"If it was about winning – and it was with Dwight – we were going to be the choice," Morey told Yahoo Sports. "If it was about winning, we were the choice.

"We were the overwhelming choice."

And with 18,000 people standing and cheering him near the opening tip to the season on Wednesday night, Dwight Howard found himself momentarily alone with his thoughts and validated in his vision. All around him, there was so much talent. All around him, so much opportunity. Yes, everything washed over him and it felt downright transformational: His choice, his decision. Maybe, just maybe, it is finally his time.

[spiegel]

Honestly, talking about Dwight is exasperating. People look at his box score to see his impact. But no one has ever said he was a good offensive player.

But WOW is he a defensive juggernaut. Sure it is just Charlotte but Al Jeff is probably the best offensive C in the league and he was held to 6/19 and the team was held to as few points as any team in the league has scored in any game this season. And Houston was not exactly elite defensively last year.


Omer was guarding and doing a great job on Al. Dwight played on him is spurts.Omer btw finished with 14 rebounds in 26 to go with 2 and a ton of alterd shots. Omer is probably the best or at worst the second best interior defender in the entire league and the second one is Dwight.

[Mr Exlax]

lol we dont give that much of a shit. We know him and Houston will fail badly.

Yall might not give that much of a shit, but there were indeed at least 5 of yall in here. Stay salty. Yo bitch chose me!

[Rooster]

Omer was guarding and doing a great job on Al. Dwight played on him is spurts.Omer btw finished with 14 rebounds in 26 to go with 2 and a ton of alterd shots. Omer is probably the best or at worst the second best interior defender in the entire league and the second one is Dwight.

Teams gonna have to make jumpshots and take this players out from the paint in order to win because they will clog the lanes and either one of then will alter shots or make shots difficult in that shaded lane. Rockets made a good decision to keep both.

[game3524]

Dwight has always been an elite rebounder and defender. The issue is he absolute blows as an offensive player, yet thinks he should be the focal point of an offense.

Honestly, if he focused on being Bill Russell 2.0 instead of Hakeem, then Houston got a steal.....if not this isn't going to end well.

[CavaliersFTW]

Opponent:

Bobcats

/thread

[Unbiased_one]

If he were to have 26 rebounds in every game this season he would not break the single season record average.

How the game has changed...

[rufuspaul]

Dwight crushed the Bobcats fans spirits lol http://www.morningpickup.com/the-dwightmare-before-christmas/


What a stupid article. First of all the dude doesn't even know the game was played in Houston. :confusedshrug: Then he actually praises the play of Sessions. :wtf:

It's gonna take more than one road game and a doofus blogger from South Cackalacky to break our spirits.

[Heavincent]

Still pretending not to be a Lakers fan yet hes in every thread about them. :roll:

This thread is about the Rockets and Dwight. Try to keep up genius.

Also pretty cute how you follow me around ISH.

[CanYouDigIt]

This year's Rockets squad would of shyt on OKC in the playoffs w/ a healthy Westbrook.

We're stacked. :banana:

[Eric Cartman]

This year's Rockets squad would of shyt on OKC in the playoffs w/ a healthy Westbrook.

We're stacked. :banana:

Go get them.

[ILLsmak]

Why are people saying 4 turnovers like that's a huge number?

-Smak

[Lateralus]

This year's Rockets squad would of shyt on OKC in the playoffs w/ a healthy Westbrook.

We're stacked. :banana:

:bowdown: :bowdown:

[rodman91]

What a stupid article. First of all the dude doesn't even know the game was played in Houston. :confusedshrug: Then he actually praises the play of Sessions. :wtf:

It's gonna take more than one road game and a doofus blogger from South Cackalacky to break our spirits.

Everybody writes an article in these days.Bad part of Internet. I think Bobcats did great job in first 3 quarter despite bad match ups & talent difference.

Rockets is worst team for Bobcats to match up with. Bobcats don't have sharp shooters, Rockets has 2 best interior defenders & rebounders.

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

This year's Rockets squad would of shyt on OKC in the playoffs w/ a healthy Westbrook.

We're stacked. :banana:

1 game...come back when this passive aggressive mutha fcuka ruins the chemistry of the whole team when he doesnt get any shots....

[rezznor]

1 game...come back when this passive aggressive mutha fcuka ruins the chemistry of the whole team when he doesnt get any shots... don't worry, kobe won't be back for a few months

[spiegel]

What a stupid article. First of all the dude doesn't even know the game was played in Houston. :confusedshrug: Then he actually praises the play of Sessions. :wtf:

It's gonna take more than one road game and a doofus blogger from South Cackalacky to break our spirits.

If anything games like these should give the Bobcats more heart because they were fantastic on the defensive end.Clifford being an JVG assistant I guess is no surprise seeing how well the Bobcats rotated on the weakside to limit Harden dribble penetration.

[All Net]

Dwight may need more big games given they have 4 games in 5 nights coming up and with Beverly and harden carrying knocks/injures.