Celtics Dodged a Bullet By Not Signing Dwight Howard
By JT Clifton
The Celtics dodged a bullet by signing Al Horford instead of Al Horford
Put aside that the Boston Celtics got an early Christmas present in signing Al Horford. That’s the main reason that the Celtics dodged a bullet but not signing Dwight Howard. There’s also some less obvious reasons for anyone that felt like the Celtics should have signed Howard.
Howard will be turning 31-years-old in December and has a back issue. As Tracy McGrady can tell you, back problems never really go away. Howard has missed 63 games the last three years, and his points per game have fallen every year.
He ended up averaging 13.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game last season. This could be credited to the style the Rockets play. They jack up a lot of shots per game, and a lot of bad shots. They also play a run-and-gun offense, which creates more shots for opponents.
Howard also struggles in stretching the floor to around 10 feet. He cannot shoot the mid-range jumper, which is something that Horford excels at. With the Celtics Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder slashing to the basket, a center that clogs the lane is not always the best option. Thomas will find Horford on 8-10 foot jumpers next year, and will also be able to play inside/out with Horford who is a better passer than Howard.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons Howard would have been a bad choice for the Celtics is his attitude and locker room presence. It is well documented that he felt like he should have gotten more touches in the Rockets offense.
Howard and Harden did not get along well, and it seemed as though Howard did not like being the number two option behind Harden. If Howard felt this way, imagine how he would feel being the second or third option behind such younger players like Thomas and Crowder.
It is noted that Howard is not the hardest worker in the league, as well, and that seemed like the reason him and Kobe Bryant butted heads. With the Celtics being a blue-collar, hard-working team, it seems as though Howard might not like having to go to work every single night.
He publicly questioned Stan Van Gundy, a veteran coach, and could do the same to a young upcoming coach like Brad Stevens. The Celtics are a tight-knit young group, and a locker room cancer would cause huge problems with a group like that.
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The Dwight Howard that averaged 22 points and 14 rebounds a game for the Magic is of the past. He’s now a 31-year-old center with chronic back problems. He still believes he should be a number one option in the offense, and will not be happy with less. The Celtics dodged a huge bullet by not signing him, and ended up with one of the best centers in the NBA in Al Horford.