Dwight Howard ditching Rockets for Bulls?
As the summer nears, trade rumors going on about Houston Rockets center, Dwight Howard, have been going around and intensifying. Howard will be a free agent then, and he will have to make a decision as to which team to play for. For a while there had been talk of Houston Rockets ending his stay with them, but, after all, the former All Star center finished this season. While Howard will possibly be looking for the max contract, speculations are going toward the possible teams which may benefit most from his skills, Chicago Bulls or New York Knicks.
A former Defensive Player of the Year, Howard has shown dissatisfaction in his role in the Houston Rockets where the defensive play does not suit him and the offensive play can do without him. But if Chicago Bulls' players Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol both decide to go somewhere else, the team would need a center, and that is where he could go in as someone who is needed and be that go-to offensive player he is primed for.
Michael Rene Kanoy writes of Dwight, "Given that Howard is only as old as Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah, he isn't some aging relic like Kendrick Perkins. He can still anchor the defense and defensive rebounding chores for the Bulls if partnered with Bobby Portis and even Cristiano Felicio in Hoiberg's rotating lineups …"
If they do get hold of Howard and place him on the defensive end, the Bulls would not have to rely on double teaming their players so much. With Howard protecting the basket, the other players on perimeter could go out and take gambles and steals.
Said to be one of the best centers in the NBA, Howard could become one of the best players available if he gives up his player option next season. He may be going low in points, but that may be because of his lack of ability or skill. On the Houston team, James Harden is the number one defensive option, not Howard.
There have been questions though about Howard's mental and physical state. His discontent with not being able to play enough on the offensive end while with Houston has been evident. This has somehow affected his defensive play. Plus, he has had some injuries, including that one to his knee last season which made him miss half the year.
And then there is also that Monday game with the Golden State Warriors. He fouled out of Game two, believing he could not get the treatment the Warriors got.
Howard said, "Sometimes we get caught up in not getting the call, upset that they miss certain plays that we don't concentrate on the next play, so we have to keep moving forward … It's just like a boxing match. If you want to beat the champ, you have to knock them out. If you expect to win a decision, it's going to be hard. So you have to knock them out."
Come trade season, Howard fans will see where the center will finally end up with.