The Dwight Howard effect on the Rockets
Dwight Howard will make the Rockets better, but how? Coach Nick breaks down the numbers and game tape.
If you've been able to look past the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers only ended up as the No. 7 seed after being anointed as preseason NBA champions in his lone season in with the team, you have to acknowledge that the acquisition of a player of Dwight Howard's caliber makes the Rockets a better team. But how?
Coach Nick provides a breakdown of how Howard compares with Houston's starting center last season, Omer Asik, why the two of them need to occasionally play together, and what types of action Houston will run and defend better.
The conclusion? Howard’s a brilliant post defender and scorer out of pick-and-roll plays due to his athleticism, with few big men capable of keeping up with him rolling to the basket and fewer capable of scoring over him. Asik’s quite a capable defender as well, but a healthy Howard probably trumps him and there isn’t really much of a competition offensively.
Watch the video for the full breakdown, featuring Synergy stats of each player’s capabilities, video breakdowns of specific plays, and analysis of whether or not Howard can mesh with the team’s personality.
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