Los Angeles Lakers fans certainly would like to forget Dwight Howard's first stint with the team. When the team signed the 6-foot-10 center in August, not much was expected from the 34-year-old who only played in nine games the year prior.
To the surprise of many, Howard has become one of the best role players in the league coming off the bench for the Lakers. The same can be said for Howard's teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The 26-year-old guard had been declining in both role and production the last few years and had a disastrous start to the season.
Now 29 games into the season, both Howard and KCP are two of the most important pieces to the Lakers hype train that is steamrolling through the rest of the NBA. Most fans have been surprised by the seasons of these two players, but perhaps no one is more surprised than Lakers shooting guard Danny Green.
“Nothing surprised me, but I guess I'm surprised with how great of a year Dwight is having… and KCP… People have been criticizing him for the last couple years here, he's having an unbelievable stretch for himself,” Green said during an appearance on ESPN Los Angeles.
Adjusting to a bench role for the first time in his career, Howard has tapped into a newfound sense of energy and defense. The veteran big man is averaging just 6.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game but is shooting an astronomical 74.3 percent from the field while playing only 20 minutes per contest.
Caldwell-Pope is putting up just 9.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game but is shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the field and starting in 19 of 29 games for the Purple and Gold franchise.
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