Dwight Howard has built an undesirable reputation over the past several years. His exits with his previous teams — Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks — have all been awful. He either clashed with the coaches or just played lazy when things didn't go his way.

It's a big reason why fans didn't buy Howard's off-season move to the Charlotte Hornets last summer, even when a lot of people knew that the team's head coach, Steve Clifford, was among the guys that helped mold him into a star big man while with the Magic (also coached him on the Lakers).

Well, all that doubt is now getting thrown out of the window. D12 is again shining under Clifford's guidance, and he has been the Hornets' solid muscle down low, so much so that an All-Star selection would've made sense.

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Clifford spoke to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer about Howard after Monday's 112-107 home win against the Sacramento Kings — a game where the 32-year-old center tallied 14 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks (tied a season-high).

“This might be his best (season) since his second year in Houston.”
“That was some impressive stuff. He owned the rim: Blocking shots, changing shots and getting the rebounds… He showed you why he was Defensive Player of the Year three times.”

Howard is averaging 15.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game in 45 games this season. Through his presence on defense, the Hornets have jumped into eighth in defensive rating, six spots higher from where they were at the end of last season.