After winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards and appearing in the 2009 NBA Finals, Dwight Howard has not had much success. Since leaving the Orlando Magic, Howard is set to play for his fourth team in six seasons following his trade to the Charlotte Hornets.
At 31 years old, Howard is no longer considered one of the best centers in the league. However, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, who was a Magic assistant coach, still believes in the former eight-time All-Star according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer:
“Dwight is still an elite defender,” Clifford said. “He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. He’s Marvin Williams” as a traffic cop on defense.
After trading Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and a 2017 second round draft pick for Howard, the Hornets are hoping he can still be an elite rebounder and defender. While the three-time Defensive Player of the Year would be better of focusing on defense at this stage of his career, he has wanted to be the focal point of a team's offense despite limited post moves.
Heading into the 2017-18 NBA season, Howard is projected to start alongside Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum, and Kemba Walker. If Howard is able to regain his form, the Hornets have a legitimate chance of returning to the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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