Takeaway #2: Dwight Howard Looks to Repair His Image

If you look at Dwight Howard’s career stats and accomplishments without realizing who they belong to, you see the resume of a first ballot Hall of Fame center. Howard is an eight time All-Star, a five-time All-Defensive Team member, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He’s led the league in blocks twice and in rebounds five times. Howard has also led a team to the Finals, an accomplishment he achieved before the age of 24. By all accounts, Dwight Howard is one of the greatest players of his era.

Unfortunately, after a relatively drama-free beginning to his tenure in Orlando, things began to take a turn for the negative around the 2011-12 season. Howard began to butt heads with then-Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, and vocally expressed a desire to leave the Magic via trade. Howard would do exactly that, joining Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers. Many expected Bryant and Howard to lead the Lakers to championship success, but the pairing fizzled out after the two never seemed to get along. After three tenuous seasons with the Rockets, Howard opted for season-long stints in both Atlanta and Charlotte. He showed flashes of the player he can be in both destinations, but never seemed to reach the heights of his initial run with the Magic.

With a fresh start in DC, Howard is looking to change that this season. After being waived by the Nets this offseason, Howard had his pick of teams around the league to sign with, including the Warriors. Signing with Golden State would have likely given him the best chance in his career to capture a championship and cement his legacy as one of the greatest players of the last two decades. Instead, Howard opted to sign with the Wizards, as he believes winning in Washington will mean more than doing so in Golden State.

If Howard is genuine about his ambition to win as a Wizard, it could mean good things in Washington.

Next Up: No. 3