Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers have made a big mistake this season and it took place before the season started. The decision to have Dwight Howard come back at the start of the season instead of in December or even January is becoming a real issue.
Howard is still playing at a relatively high level but we can all tell that he isn’t his normal self. He is even having a hard time dunking a basketball in some instances where in the past he would dunk over multiple players.
This Lakers team needs Howard to be at or close to 100% as possible. It is a very flawed team that needs its stars to cover up those flaws as much as possible. Howard on defense hasn’t been his normal self either. We are used to seeing him defend pick and rolls and also protect the rim in the same possession but he has been unable to due to his back.
One of the questions this creates, does Howard trust the Lakers medical staff and front office with his future? There is a large elephant in the room and that is the extension that Howard has yet to sign. Howard is a peculiar guy and we have seen how he has handled things in the past. Only one is to guess how this whole situation may affect his decision making in a few months.
The Lakers can only hope that Howard can regain into his dominant force once again, especially if they are able to sign him to a maximum contract this summer. Rushing Howard into this season was a risk that the team is paying the price for now.
