Dwight Howard Discussion: The Taiwan Terror

cachooka ftw.

i watched this, and...i don't know...he seemed very much like the howard we've known in many ways. he did take some level of accountability for his tendency to take himself out of games, though.

very annoying to me as a laker fan to watch the guy who was waving stat sheets around and trying to get kobe dumped to basically avoid saying anything negative about harden despite barkley's obvious attempts to bait him into doing so. harden dominates the offense far more than kobe ever did in la, yet we're all cool with it now?

the one constant with howard for me is that he wants to be liked. they addressed that he isn't, and he claims he doesn't really care, but he's full of it. he OBVIOUSLY wants that. he basically told on himself just a few seconds after denying that it drives him, imo. it would be more refreshing if he just admitted that he wished people liked him more.

i will say that chuck and kenny telling him to be himself was good advice. i don't think he's really tried that. even in the interview, he talks about how he tries to manage smiling and not smiling, etc.

his FA decision is indeed important, too. i wonder if he'll make the choice based on what he really wants this time, instead of what he thinks the public wants him to do. that's burned him twice (his opt-in in orlando and his move to houston).

 

They told him what he was gonna do in free agency..told him he was wrong about Steph vs Jordan and told him he was a d******..

 

Lol that must have been painful for Dwight to sit there and just take whatever Charles and Kenny were saying to him. It was interesting to see Dwight not really trash the Rockets....it seems like he's thinking about opting in potentially to give it one more go with the Rockets. If he does that, he's dumber than we all thought. He has to opt out. Too much money out there and lots of teams that have cap space and a need at center in a diluted big man market....Dwight will get paid from someone, even if it isn't the best winning situation for him. A team I could see him going to that isn't being mentioned? The San Antonio Spurs (and that's if the Spurs somehow strike out on Pau Gasol).

 

The replies to Shaq's tweet were pretty great. You know I was chiming in lol

 

I made this early this year, and it makes me chuckle how perfect they would be for each other. Both clueless in their own way, and they have no idea.

 

The thing that hit me the most was how he talks about hitting the gym in order to improve. As if not being in the best shape of his life was the main issue with his game. How about improving the FT% and working on some actual post moves Dwight? It's amazing how clueless he is about his own strengths and weaknesses.

Agree with those of you who assume this is just a way of selling himself to the potential new employer. I don't buy that he really wants to improve. I wish him to sign for the max in Boston for the reminder of his career.

 

His type of game is nearly extinct... GSW resurgence has made him almost irrelevant in today's NBA

 

His type of game is extinct because he doesn't put the work in.

^Do you really think Draymond Green could defend prime Shaq? Prime Hakeem? I doubt he could defend prime Bynum (2011-2012) either. A few years ago Gasol and Randolph scored in the paint against the Warriors, but their teammates couldn't give them any help besides Conley. The Warriors are successful partly because of their system, but also because they are a deep team with owners who are willing to shell out the cash ($95 million payroll) to win championships. Gasol and Randolph would have more help if the Grizzlies ever paid out that much $$. IMO that probably led to the split between Joeger and the Grizzlies. Not just his coaching salary, but the team salary too.

 

There will be no Shaq or Hakeem in the near future, or maybe ever again. Everybody will play pace and space. Dinosaurs are dead.

 

yeah, folks, you can't be prisoner to the zeitgeist. as i said in another thread, it's not like you can just *poof* pace and space yourself into the next gs. they have a very unique roster. other pace and space attempts have met with varying degrees of success (and failure).

if another transcendent center comes on the scene (or demarcus cousins gets a good therapist), i could totally see a successful team playing slower and pounding the ball inside as a primary option.

in fact, many of the recent good teams don't play a "stretch 4" heavy minutes. SA this year is a good example. memphis prior to all the injuries is another example. the clips are another. these are perennial 50+ win teams that play a rather traditional style, imo. one that everyone says is dead. i don't believe it. i think the best team in the league just happens to be built a certain way.