Dwight Howard is enjoying a revival season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni is not one bit surprised by the way his former player is performing.
Prior to Sunday's showdown between the Rockets and Lakers, D'Antoni acknowledged how talented of a player Howard is. He added that there's nothing Dwight can't do if he put his heart into it.
“Dwight’s a very talented basketball player,” Mike D’Antoni said per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “If he is happy and willing to do it, which obviously he is, there’s no reason he wouldn’t be successful.”
The Rockets head coach added that nothing in the NBA surprises him anymore, citing Carmelo Anthony's own redemption season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“You’re talking about the NBA. Anything is possible. Nothing surprises me. There’s no reason not to. I don’t think he left on bad terms. It was a tough year on everybody. A little bit (surprised) but not (a great deal.) Same with Melo (Carmelo Anthony) shows up in Portland and (is) having a great year. The NBA is all about finding an opportunity and making the most of it.”
Howard and the Lakers bested D'Antoni's Rockets with a 124-115 win on the road on Saturday. The 2004 first overall pick played a solid 25 minutes off the bench and finished with six points and 10 rebounds.
Howard's numbers don't necessarily jump off the page. In fact, he is actually putting up career-lows across the board in his first season with the Purple and Gold with nightly averages of 7.7 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Nevertheless, many still consider this season as a success story for the 34-year old big man. The biggest thing about Dwight Howard's turnaround is his maturity and willingness to accept his role. The eight-time All-Star has been all class the entire season so far, as he just does his job to the best of his abilities.
Now, he is one of the reasons why the Lakers are enjoying the best record in the Western Conference.
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