It’s no secret that the Houston Rockets are off to a miserable start, highlighted by James Harden’s inefficiency, Dwight Howard’s decline, and Ty Lawson’s disastrous season. After advancing to the Western Conference Finals last year, a 4-7 start was alarming enough for management to fire head coach Kevin McHale, replacing him with J.B. Bickerstaff. Even with new leadership on the sidelines, the Rockets continue to struggle, especially defensively, and they now sit at 13-14. Houston is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, which is surprising for a defense that is supposedly anchored by the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard. With Howard’s “elite” defense proving to make little, if any, impact on the Rockets’ team defense, and his offense in steep decline, should GM Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office consider moving Howard?
Dwight Howard was once on top of the NBA world – he was Superman, a fun and energetic young player whose ability to laugh and smile on the basketball court was contagious to his teammates and fans alike. In a sense, it was Howard’s immaturity and childish personality that made him so well-liked; now, it’s that exact same immaturity that has caused Howard to be one of the most troublesome teammates to play with. His battles for authority with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles were well-documented, and Howard’s lack of chemistry with James Harden off the court seems as if it has started to take a toll on Houston’s productivity on the court, too. Of course, not all of the blame for these issues can be placed on Howard, but it is rather fascinating how his reputation around the NBA has changed so dramatically.
Aside from Howard’s character, it is clear that he isn’t remotely close to the type of player he was four years ago. Whether it be due to the natural effects of having so many back procedures the past few years, or the fact that Howard is now on the wrong side of 30 in terms of age, Dwight Howard just isn’t as explosive or effective on the basketball court as he used to be. Remember when he averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds per game in 2011? This season he’s averaging just 12.7 points per game, his lowest mark since his rookie season, to go along with 11.8 rebounds. Howard was never the most skilled big man, and now that his athleticism isn’t quite what it used to be, other teams have been able to expose his flaws.
So if Houston’s defense, which sits at 30th in opponent field goal percentage and 27th in opponent scoring, is dreadful with Howard on the roster, why not explore potential trade ideas in order to bring back talent at other positions? Clint Capela, the 21-year old center out of Switzerland, has been playing extremely well, averaging 8.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20 minutes of game action each night. Additionally, while this doesn’t necessarily mean he is a better basketball player than Dwight Howard, Capela’s PER is 21.83 and Howard’s is just 18.65, a rather telling statistic. If Howard were to be moved, the door would open for Capela to see more playing time and assume a larger role with the Rockets.
General Manager Daryl Morey should definitely start reaching out to other teams in order to acquire some young pieces on the wing and at point guard. After numerous attempts to acquire big name centers, most notably DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard himself, maybe Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks would be interested in potentially bringing Howard to Big D. The window with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas is nearing a close, and the Mavericks have shown their willingness to make a splash with major mid-season acquisitions in the past. The once-coveted trio of Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, and Dirk Nowitzki may finally be a realistic option in Dallas. Another potential trade partner for Howard (I’m not crazy, I promise) could be the Boston Celtics. With so many future assets to spare, I’m sure Danny Ainge could put together a package that is appropriate to land Dwight Howard, who would be able to help provide veteran leadership and take over as “the man” in Beantown. Is Boston the best fit for Dwight Howard? Probably not, but with so much young talent and depth on the Celtics’ roster, he could be the missing piece they need to take the next step.
Dwight Howard is not the only one to blame for the struggles in Houston, but it appears as if he is more of the problem than he is of the solution. Even though he isn’t the dominant force he once was, many teams should consider trading for Howard should the Rockets decide to move him, with the hope that a change in scenery may be all he needs. In the meantime, it will be interesting to monitor Dwight Howard’s decline and the roller coaster ride that the Houston Rockets are taking us on.
