Lakers player season grades: Dwight Howard
In the 2019-20 season, Dwight Howard became one of the better redemption stories in NBA history when he atoned for a poor first stint with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013.
Unlike back then, he was team-oriented and infused the squad with positive energy while accepting and even embracing a much-reduced role.
With Howard manning the middle in a reserve role, the Lakers won the NBA championship.
After spending a year with the Philadelphia 76ers, Howard came back to the Lakers again for a third stint.
He may not be the player he was even two years ago, but he performed his role solidly.
Howard is still a force defensively and on the boards
Back in the day, the Atlanta, Georgia, native was considered by many to be the best rebounder and defender in basketball.
He’s not quite the intimidator he was when he won three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards, but when he got out on the floor this season, he made an impact.
Howard put up 5.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 16.2 minutes per game this season. Per 36 minutes, that translates to 13.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks a game.
Even if he’s not a very effective shot-blocker anymore, he still puts his body on opponents and boxes out strong while grabbing rebounds on both ends, getting second-chance points and drawing loose ball fouls.
Offensively, he was not exactly a featured player, but late in the season, he had his moments.
On March 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Howard helped pick up the slack for an injured LeBron James by scoring 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Three games later, he made 9-of-13 shots en route to 21 points versus the Utah Jazz.
The one thing that limited Howard's impact this season
Throughout the 2021-22 campaign, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel played Howard inconsistently, giving him heavy minutes on occasion, but mostly playing him far less than he did two years ago.
Much of that probably wasn’t Howard’s fault. Vogel favored lineups with as many shooters as possible, presumably to accommodate Russell Westbrook and give him room to drive to the hoop when the game slowed down.
Overall grade
When Howard gained enough playing time to get into a rhythm, he proved he is still capable of being an adequate backup center.
The Lakers were an unmitigated disaster this season, but none of that was Howard’s fault, as he still had something left in his tank, unlike a few of his teammates.
Final grade: B-minues
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