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Dwight Howard went through a crazy offseason this year, changing teams twice. After being traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Brooklyn Nets, Howard was bought out of his contract and allowed to test the open free agency market. Soon after hitting the market, Howard decided to sign a contract with the Washington Wizards.
According to a report from Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, Howard will miss the Wizards' first preseason game of the 2018-19 NBA season on Monday night.
Dwight Howard (sore back) ruled out for the #Wizards’ first preseason game on Monday, per Scott Brooks.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) September 29, 2018
There is a lot of excitement and intrigue in Washington to see what Howard is able to bring to the team. One of the biggest issues that the Wizards have had over the past few years has been not having a legitimate post presence. Marcin Gortat was solid, but Howard is a massive improvement over him.
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Last season with the Hornets, Howard put together a solid all-around season. He averaged 16.6 points per game to go along with 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Howard shot 55.5 percent from the floor overall and also showed a much-improved attitude from what he had before his tenure in Charlotte.
Washington looks to be one of the teams that can contend with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. John Wall and Bradley Beal are one of the most dominant back-court duos in the NBA and adding Howard to that group will simply strengthen their roster.
Add in Otto Porter and the Wizards are an extremely intriguing team to watch this season.
All of that being said, don't expect this issue to be a long-term problem for Howard. Keeping him out is more precautionary than anything and Howard doesn't need too many preseason minutes to get ready for the regular season.
