Has Dwight Howard declined greatly?

[JohnnySic]

He's still averaging 15/12 and shooting 60%+. Is he in steep decline or does he just need to find the right team?

[BarberSchool]

Statistically, and even moreso impact-wise, Dwight was actually never that great.

People are just finally noticing now, since there is a much lower volume, of the only thing he really ever offerred a team, at an elite level: highlight dunks/blocks.

[keep-itreal]

he was never good

[miggyme1]

He's still averaging 15/12 and shooting 60%+. Is he in steep decline or does he just need to find the right team?


don't rely on stats. rely on the eye test. does Dwight look like the same guy that put fear in the hearts of offenses. Does he jump off the screen when you watch him play now? I expect Dwight to be a bench player soon. Its just crazy how one injury can change the trajectory of your career. That back injury really changed him his last year in orlando

[Chadwin]

He still scores pretty efficiently on the pnr but the Rockets don't do it nearly enough.

[Smook A.]

he was never good
These ****ing trolls :oldlol:

[Mawly-G]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that Harden controls so much of the Rockets' offense. Dwight could go to a team where he can get more touches and would probably put up much better numbers.

[DrakeTheSnake]

Yes, of course. How is this even a question?

[Bandito]

He hasn't declined. He just playing normally. He was never an good offensive player only so so.

[alexthegod]

He's never been the same since his finals run in Orlando. Success went to his head. To me, it seems since that point, he "deserved" and "earned" the right to be a superstar who you can build a team around, and he pouted and withdrew when it wasnt given to him. He can't handle being the man.

The next team to sign him to a max deal this summer will regret that entire contract.

not many of his former players care for him....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/03/07/dwight-howard-orlando-magic-los-angeles-lakers/1969913/

[Dragonyeuw]

The nature of his game was never built for longevity. It doesn't help that the game has moved further and further out to the perimeter, and he hasn't evolved his game beyond his prime Magic days, and he's not the same level of athlete post-back surgery. At 30 he should be at his peak, as a big man, had his game evolved the same way past great centers did.

[IncarceratedBob]

I recently bought access to the Pro basketball Focus stats and Dwights were shocking. His defense is 6th worst in the NBA among centers who play more than 15mpg. I was thinking that some team could sell Dwight on being a defensive anchor and not focus on offense but he's trash on defense now. Shame

[miggyme1]

He's never been the same since his finals run in Orlando. Success went to his head. To me, it seems since that point, he "deserved" and "earned" the right to be a superstar who you can build a team around, and he pouted and withdrew when it wasnt given to him. He can't handle being the man.

The next team to sign him to a max deal this summer will regret that entire contract.

not many of his former players care for him....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/03/07/dwight-howard-orlando-magic-los-angeles-lakers/1969913/

I remember this. I think Dwight did not think before he said this but I don't think he meant it. Think about it..if nobody wanted those guys they wouldn't be in the nba...one thing I will say about the nba its not a sympathy league....if you cant make the cut ya ass is in the dleague....its that simple.

[Haymaker]

Has Decline Howard dwighted early?

[scm5]

I hope that Dwight realizes that he had exactly what he wanted in Orlando with SVG coaching.

I believe Dwight still has it in him to play like he did when he was in Orlando, he's just not motivated because he realizes that Harden is a much better offensive player than himself and people view the Rockets as Harden's team.

[Lebron23]

Back injury, and Harden Ball.

[Levity]

when kobe first tried to convince dwight to tell orlando to trade him to LA, he told him he wanted to turn him into a bill russel type. everyone on here freaked out (and rightfully so at the time), as did dwight, who saw himself as the best player on a team on both ends of the court.

fast forward 5 years into the future: dwight would still be a hell of a player and a desired commodity if he decided to embrace that role now.

[HylianNightmare]

Statistically, and even moreso impact-wise, Dwight was actually never that great.

People are just finally noticing now, since there is a much lower volume, of the only thing he really ever offerred a team, at an elite level: highlight dunks/blocks.



Never that great? He was a top 3 player in the NBA for a few years,l? How many people have 3 dpoys?

[miggyme1]

Never that great? He was a top 3 player in the NBA for a few years,l? How many people have 3 dpoys?


lets be honest Dwight winning those awards were a given.....center with the quickness and vertical of a wing player......it would of been sad if he didn't win any. Now lets envision a Dwight that became a complete player...........we talking about a guy that would have had potential to be the greatest center ever. He fell very short of his potential and when you say he has 3 dpoys you sugarcoat the fact that this guy should have been way greater than that and a dunk contest winner. IM SORRY

[stalkerforlife]

People will never learn...SMH.

You can't look at a stat line and determine how good a player is.

Dwight is a shell.

[feyki]

Yes , while trolling Magic ( First Van Gundy and after leave ) .

[ArbitraryWater]

He hasn't declined. He just playing normally. He was never an good offensive player only so so.

The things people say on here :roll:

What is it with Dwight that makes this happen..

And I only quoted bandito cause he a ***

[tpols]

The things people say on here :roll:

What is it with Dwight that makes this happen..

And I only quoted bandito cause he a ***

its true.. dwight has always been a homeless mans shaq on offense, except with a stronger greed for offensive opportunities, pretty crazy stuff.

[PP34Deuce]

His best contribution to a team for a championship is to play team D as an anchor and picking his spots to score.

Dwight being a 15PPG 12RPG guy giving 2-3 blocks a game is still extremely valuable.

the issue is he can't recover as quick on PnR like before.

[bdreason]

The problem is the league is trending away from post-scoring, and has been for years. Howard isn't a good post-scorer, isn't a good passer, and can't hit FT's. That means you're essentially paying Howard the MAX to be a defensive specialist... and he doesn't seem all that interested in being a defensive specialist.

[34-24 Footwork]

Dwights game was good when it was good.

Those times have changed since the LA Days. Team don't let him back down, pivot and dunk anymore. They strip his ass before he gets it above his waist.

[Hey Yo]

I recently bought access to the Pro basketball Focus stats and Dwights were shocking. His defense is 6th worst in the NBA among centers who play more than 15mpg. I was thinking that some team could sell Dwight on being a defensive anchor and not focus on offense but he's trash on defense now. Shame
Basketball Reference ‏@bball_ref 1 hour ago
The #Rockets have a NRtg of -1.0 when D12 is on the floor, his worst since his rookie year

[DukeDelonte13]

He's never been the same since his finals run in Orlando. Success went to his head. To me, it seems since that point, he "deserved" and "earned" the right to be a superstar who you can build a team around, and he pouted and withdrew when it wasnt given to him. He can't handle being the man.

The next team to sign him to a max deal this summer will regret that entire contract.

not many of his former players care for him....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/03/07/dwight-howard-orlando-magic-los-angeles-lakers/1969913/



No he's not as good anymore because he has a slipped disc that required surgery to take the protrusion out. Once that happens your back will never be the same. The vertebrae are still pinching whatever's remaining of that disc.



Dwight was an absolute monster in Orlando and only a few C's in the league had the ability to deal with him one on one. People forget so fast.

[ArbitraryWater]

its true.. dwight has always been a homeless mans shaq on offense, except with a stronger greed for offensive opportunities, pretty crazy stuff.

Man thats crazy

[Tarik One]

No he's not as good anymore because he has a slipped disc that required surgery to take the protrusion out. Once that happens your back will never be the same. The vertebrae are still pinching whatever's remaining of that disc.



Dwight was an absolute monster in Orlando and only a few C's in the league had the ability to deal with him one on one. People forget so fast.
His last couple seasons in Orlando started to work on his inside game with Patrick Ewing as an assistant coach....with some glaring results.

Once he left Orlando, he reverted back to old form.

[theaussieguy]

hes a total head case, when sport science incorporates mental attributes into their scouting process guys like this will be out of the league.

[Smoke117]

He's the kind of player that has to be motivated...and he's clearly deflated right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a resurgence on a different team...he'll never be what he was now that he's 30 and after the back injury, but I think he can be significantly better than what he is right now.

[bizil]

Many of the game's greats were AT THEIR PEAK at age 30. They are in that 28-32 years old range that's the peak area. Even if u slip a bit athletically, your skillset and mental capacity for the game makes up for it.

When Howard was at his best, he was able to be a good scorer down low because of his athletic ability. Unlike Shaq and Wilt, he NEVER developed the footwork, touch, and killer instinct to be a truly dominant scorer. He was a dominant defender and rebounder though, which he is still today.

But scoring wise is where he declined the most. Injuries and THE LACK of developing his scoring arsenal are the biggest reasons why. So instead of being a top 10 player in the world, he's now more of a top 20-25 kind of player in the world. SO YES, as of now he has declined greatly!!

[inclinerator]

yes he fking sucks, usually he can somewhat dominate a player 1 on 1 but not even more these days

[Bankaii]

He hasn't declined. He just playing normally. He was never an good offensive player only so so.

its true.. dwight has always been a homeless mans shaq on offense, except with a stronger greed for offensive opportunities, pretty crazy stuff.
Kobetards... a special breed of stupid.

[4 Inches]

He's got a case over his head that why he's not 100% focused.

[Vancouver-Grizz]

I am just curious to see if there is a team in the league willing to give this guy max or near max contract this summer.

I really dont see any team making a such a huge risky investment in him and he might need to swallow his pride and accept market price on himself. But usually some dumbass owner will plurge on him....cough coug. Dolan & Prov

[warriorfan]

yes he has lost a lot of athleticism and cannot cover as much ground as he once did on defense (which was one of his strengths)

[Bosnian Sajo]

Statistically, and even moreso impact-wise, Dwight was actually never that great.

People are just finally noticing now, since there is a much lower volume, of the only thing he really ever offerred a team, at an elite level: highlight dunks/blocks.


Lol, no Dwight has a broken back and is horrible for chemistry, that's what lowers his value. Because of his back he is now a shell of his former self. But if you're talking about his Orlando days as "he has never been good", then you are a fool. I hate Dwight for what he did to my Lakers, but to say he has never been good? He actually used to have post moves, he can hardly push anyone in the post anymore.

Some people can play into their 30's, some can't. Jermaine O'neal (just an example) and Dwight Howard can't.

[SexSymbol]

He has very low bbal IQ that has been holding his progress down since he came into the league.
There's no offensive skills in that man, he could give as much as his athleticism could. After the back surgery he's just playing like the old dwight, minus the extreme athleticism. Same moves, same general slowness and sluggishness.
Also, a terrible defender, hasn't been good on that end since 11

[alexthegod]

No he's not as good anymore because he has a slipped disc that required surgery to take the protrusion out. Once that happens your back will never be the same. The vertebrae are still pinching whatever's remaining of that disc.



Dwight was an absolute monster in Orlando and only a few C's in the league had the ability to deal with him one on one. People forget so fast.


While I agree that the injury slowed him down a bit, I think his drive to be great vanished. He didnt want to work for it anymore. As a laker fan I saw him on a daily basis for one season, he didnt want to be there because he didnt want to be in Kobe's shadow. He was just going through the motions. Just like he didnt want to be in Orlando and was going through the motions. He didnt want the pressure to win. It really became all about him. I wasnt surprised he went to Houston. He didnt have the pressure to win there like he would with other playoff teams.

[FKAri]

Lol, no Dwight has a broken back and is horrible for chemistry, that's what lowers his value. Because of his back he is now a shell of his former self. But if you're talking about his Orlando days as "he has never been good", then you are a fool. I hate Dwight for what he did to my Lakers, but to say he has never been good? He actually used to have post moves, he can hardly push anyone in the post anymore.

Some people can play into their 30's, some can't. Jermaine O'neal (just an example) and Dwight Howard can't.

Dwight Howard's numbers and impact on the Magic would not have been replicated anywhere else. It made him and everyone on that team look much better than they actually were. Dwight was a top 3 MVP candidate that year but not a top 3 player.