Numerous videos of new Atlanta Hawks signing Dwight Howard have been making the rounds onthe internet. Apparently the 12-year pro is working on his jump shot with a shooting coach – even during a trip to China to promote his new sneakers.

The video shows Howard actually being fairly effective in his mid-range game, saying he doesn't want to be put in a box as a traditional center that merely plays out of the post.

“It’s all about being able to grow and just having confidence,” Howard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Coach (Mike Budenholzer) has total confidence in me shooting the basketball. So, that’s not an issue. I think in the past I’ve started to shoot and then I’ve stopped. I can’t allow missing or anything like that to affect how I play on the floor.”

Howard enjoyed the highest field goal percentage of his career (62 percent) with the Houston Rockets last season. His average distance for field goal attempts was 2.6 feet. His shooting percentage was 62.6 percent from 0-2 feet, .37.8 percent from 3-9 feet, 40 percent from 10-15 feet and zero percent from 16 feet and beyond.

While he's not trying to become a LaMarcus Aldridge or a Karl-Anthony Towns — centers who can stretch their game to the three-point line — he will certainly try to mix up his game a little more to give opponents something else to think about.

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“It’s the mentality,” Howard said. “In my younger years, when I shot those shots I laughed and joked. I don’t think people took it serious when I did that even if I made it. If people see that I’m taking that part of my game seriously, then they’ll get used to it. I think it’s something that they’ve never really seen, especially since I’ve been playing in the NBA. It’s all about how I do it.”

Howard was a guard for half of his high school career, eventually growing into his 6-foot-11 body and having to transition to the center position.

Perhaps the long-tenured shot-blocker would be best served working on his free-throw game, which has declined since shooting at a 59-percent clip for the first seven years of his career.

Dwight Howard's free-throw attempts have gone down along with his percentage, having led the league in attempts for consecutive years, the big man saw his worst career free-throw percentage last season, making only 48.9 percent while going to the line 6.7 times per game.