About two weeks into NBA free agency, the pool has nearly dried up, but there are still a couple of possibly viable players out there waiting to be signed.
The Golden State Warriors are looking to repeat as NBA champs and bring home their fifth title in nine years, and one possible weakness they have is frontcourt size.
James Wiseman is expected back healthy, but the team could use a backup center who has legitimate height, especially after Nemanja Bjelica, who was the team’s backup 5 this past season, has departed.
Kevon Looney is back, but at 6-foot-9, he could be undersized in certain situations, as he seemed during the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
One big man who is still available is Dwight Howard, a veteran who has played 18 seasons in the league.
Perhaps the Warriors should consider signing him to give their roster a bit more depth up front.
Howard Has Had Quite The Odyssey
Howard, a native of Atlanta, was the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic straight out of high school.
By 2008, he had developed into one of the best centers in the game, especially on the defensive end and on the boards.
The following season, he won the first of three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, and he would league the NBA in rebounding from 2008 to 2010 and in blocked shots per game in 2009 and 2010.
Although he had a lack of refined offensive moves, he managed to average roughly 20 points a game each season in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
People forget how prime Dwight Howard was pic.twitter.com/bdvgTSROLH
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) July 14, 2022
The Magic built a nice team around him based on defense and 3-point shooting, and it was good enough to get them to the 2009 NBA Finals, where they fell to Kobe Bryant and a more talented Los Angeles Lakers squad.
Howard himself was traded to the Lakers in 2012, and it started a downward spiral for him.
Amidst rumors that he had trouble getting along with superstars such as Bryant and James Harden, Howard would bounce around from team to team for several years, and at least once, when he found a new team, members of his former team reportedly celebrated his departure.
By 2019, he was down to what seemed like his final chance, and of all teams, the Lakers came knocking.
Against seemingly all odds, he accepted a greatly reduced role and helped them win the 2020 NBA championship, thus resurrecting his tarnished legacy.
Let's not forget that the Lakers' final shot before winning the championship was Dwight Howard logo 3 🏆🔥#LakeShownpic.twitter.com/AvBB3kh5Ef
— Matt Evans (@MattEvansBBall) October 21, 2020
How Could Howard Help The Warriors
During his stint with the Lakers during the 2019-20 season, Howard proved that he had the ability to put his ego to the side and direct his energy toward being a good teammate instead of being a diva.
That is the type of mentality that someone needs to have to make it on Steve Kerr’s squad.
Perhaps Howard could play a role similar to Looney’s where he would be used as a screener offensively, and even though he is 36 years of age, he can still box out and grab rebounds, especially on the offensive boards.
Howard also has a knack for drawing fouls when going after rebounds, which can help get the opponent into the penalty and send teammates such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to the free throw line.
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