As Jameer Nelson has had to play and talk and interact with Dwight Howard all year, it is difficult not to feel bad for him. Nelson has loved nothing more than playing with Howard, but Howard obviously does not feel the same way as road game after road game Dwight has said how much he would love playing in one city or another and then in the same week echoes how his teammates need to give better effort.
Why?
What does Jameer Nelson stand to gain from playing hard with a center who cannot wait to get away from him. As a professional the answer is easy: that is Jameer’s job and he will continue to do it to the best of his ability.
What casual fans of the game don’t always understand is that it is not just playing together. These guys talk, travel, and go out to dinner together all year. They see each other far more than they see their own families, and so at times it can be difficult to make the distinction between work and play.
Despite talking about all the other superstars he would love to play with next year, Howard maintains that he wants to be the man on whatever team he signs with.
“I don’t think there’s a player in the NBA that wants to be a nobody,” Howard said “I think everybody wants to be that guy to take the last shot or be that guy that everybody is leaning on, for whatever reason.”
Howard insists that he wants to be on a winning team, despite the fact his Magic are currently 3rd place in the East.
“My thing is I want to win and I want to put my team in the best position,” Howard said. “I’ve given Orlando eight hard years, everything I’ve got, and they all understand that.
“So that’s where I’ll keep it and not focus on what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day but just focus on the moment and that’s the game tonight.”
He did say that though he would be open to playing with Derrick Rose, he probably would not live in Chicago.
“No, it’s pretty cold here,” he said. “It was cool here (on Wednesday), so I had a chance to go out and see the city a little bit. It’s a beautiful place. I’ve been here a couple of times.”‘
Howard might not like the weather in Chicago, or the fact that if he joined the Bulls, the guy who would still get the ball in the fourth-quarter is none other than Derrick Rose.
