Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard is set to make his season debut on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: Wizards center Dwight Howard is planning to make his season debut in Washington on Friday against OKC — allowing the team to view roster with an important starter in lineup.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 31, 2018
Howard, now 32 years of age, has been dealing with a back/butt injury. More specifically, the former No 1 overall pick has been experiencing pain related to the piriformis muscle, which is a muscle that helps the hip rotate. Problems in that region can cause pain to shoot from the lower back up the sciatic nerve.
The Wizards officially announced Howard's signing back in July. In the team's official press release, Wizards president Ernie Grunfield noted Howard's defensive prowess.
“Dwight has been known throughout his career as one of the league’s best defenders, rebounders and finishers around the rim, all areas that we needed to improve heading into next season,” Grunfeld said on the day of Howard's signing. “His inside presence and athleticism will give us a much different look and will open up opportunities for us on both ends of the floor.”
Howard made 81 appearances with the Charlotte Hornets last season, racking up averages of 16.6 points on 55.5 percent shooting from the field, 12.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 30.4 minutes per outing.
The Wizards are off to a sluggish start this season (1-6 through their first seven games). Perhaps Howard's presence around the rim and on the boards can help them get back on track. Washington has been one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA.
Friday night's Wizards-Thunder game is scheduled to tip inside Capital One Arena at 8:00 p.m. ET with ESPN having live broadcast coverage.
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