Hall of Famer... Dwight Howard.

[Plainview1981]

32 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

One of my good friends from high school is a huge Rockets fan and when I was kind of down at first about the Dwight signing he was quick to point out that Dwight steps up in the playoffs when it counts, unlike Alicia.

Have to say that you're right about that.

[Plainview1981]

48 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

I understand what you're saying.   And I do have rose colored glasses but Dwight is one year removed from when the Rockets went to the WCF and he average 16/14/2 in that playoff run.  I mean that was 14 months ago.     So I don't see that he failed in Houston.  

Because he once had the talent to be even better than that, but he just never developed his skills. There is a reason he has so much heat on him.  He accomplished less with Houston than what the Hawks accomplished. They only won 41 games last year in a way weaker WC (as compared to what it was the year before) and he honestly didn't play with much heart last year.

But we'll see. Hopefully the results are better here.

[macdaddy]

44 minutes ago, Hotlanta1981 said:

Because he once had the talent to be even better than that, but he just never developed his skills. There is a reason he has so much heat on him.  He accomplished less with Houston than what the Hawks accomplished. They only won 41 games last year in a way weaker WC (as compared to what it was the year before) and he honestly didn't play with much heart last year.

But we'll see. Hopefully the results are better here.

Not really disagreeing with any of that, but i think the excuse that the Rockets suck is a real one.     I think Harden can lead a team but he needs a lot better supporting cast and coach because he defense is awful.   D'antoni will be interesting.   

[AHF]

3 hours ago, Hotlanta1981 said:

Dwight didn't make much of an impact with them though.

And it's only got worse since then. Every makes excuses for why Dwight failed in LA and Houston. He has left his last three teams on bad terms. Maybe it's not everyone else that is the problem. Dwight got by in large part because of his athleticism in his younger days. He has lost some of that, but he hasn't developed skills to help make up for it. So, you got a big man that is less athletic, and he wants to play inside, but he doesn't have the polished skills to do it.

I think we have to hope that Bud will find other ways of using him other than just trying to throw the ball down to him down there all the time. If he wants to be that kind of player he will have to make changes quick. If he hasn't done it in the last decade (while working with some of the games best big men ever) then I have a hard time believing that he will do it now.

It's up to him and Bud to figure it out. However, the skeptics have plenty of reasons to have doubts.

We haven't seen post-Dwight Houston but let's look at LA and see how badly he failed.

Dwight in LA (12-13) - 45-37, made the playoffs

Dwight gone from LA (13-14) - 27-55, 14th out of 15 teams in the West

 

Likewise, how bad an influence was he when he came on board in Houston?

Before Dwight in Hou (12-13):  45-37, 8th in the West

With Dwight in Hou (13-14): 54-28, 4th in the West

 

I hope we finish 4 to 7 slots higher in the East in our first season with Dwight!

[macdaddy]

15 hours ago, AHF said:

We haven't seen post-Dwight Houston but let's look at LA and see how badly he failed.

Dwight in LA (12-13) - 45-37, made the playoffs

Dwight gone from LA (13-14) - 27-55, 14th out of 15 teams in the West

 

Likewise, how bad an influence was he when he came on board in Houston?

Before Dwight in Hou (12-13):  45-37, 8th in the West

With Dwight in Hou (13-14): 54-28, 4th in the West

 

I hope we finish 4 to 7 slots higher in the East in our first season with Dwight!

Good stuff.  Even if he isn't a superstar he'll give us some things we were sorely lacking.   Let's face it, we were sending out a whole team of spot up shooters last year.   Sap was the only one really effective at rebounding.   Dwight, Splitter, and Hump should change that.   

[Plainview1981]

23 hours ago, AHF said:

We haven't seen post-Dwight Houston but let's look at LA and see how badly he failed.

Dwight in LA (12-13) - 45-37, made the playoffs

Dwight gone from LA (13-14) - 27-55, 14th out of 15 teams in the West

 

Likewise, how bad an influence was he when he came on board in Houston?

Before Dwight in Hou (12-13):  45-37, 8th in the West

With Dwight in Hou (13-14): 54-28, 4th in the West

 

I hope we finish 4 to 7 slots higher in the East in our first season with Dwight!

As for 13-14

Well, that can happen when Nick Young and Jodie Meeks become two of your three leading scorers. Honestly, 27 wins was probably overachieving that year.

Houston did seem to take a step up in wins during Howard's first year, but they also won more games the next year despite Howard missing 30 games.

So, the evidence is kind of iffy.

[AHF]

17 minutes ago, Hotlanta1981 said:

As for 13-14

Well, that can happen when Nick Young and Jodie Meeks become two of your three leading scorers. Honestly, 27 wins was probably overachieving that year.

Houston did seem to take a step up in wins during Howard's first year, but they also won more games the next year despite Howard missing 30 games.

So, the evidence is kind of iffy.

I don't think it is an absolute slam dunk for us -- I am just saying that Howard has had a string of winning teams for his career (several of which cratered after he left) so I am hesitating to put all the blame on him for Laker mismanagement and Harden ball-hoggery.