Dwight Howard missed the first seven games of the season due to a back/piriformis injury, but the former All-NBA center made his Washington Wizards debut Friday night at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Howard signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Wizards in the offseason after getting traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Brooklyn Nets, and then reaching a buyout agreement with the Nets. Washington traded Marcin Gortat to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Austin Rivers, and was in need of a starting big man.

It looks like Dwight Howard's back is doing well, as his first basket as a Wizard was a dunk, and the former All-Star also caught an alley-oop from point guard John Wall.

Last season with the Hornets, Dwight Howard averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 55.5 percent from the field in 81 regular-season games. It was Howard’s highest scoring average since the 2013-14 season, when he posted 18.3 points per game with the Houston Rockets.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Chris Paul surrounded by piles of cash.

Paolo Songco ·

Can Howard resurrect his image and career with the Wizards? Only time will tell, but he's off to a good start in the nation's capital.

However, the Wizards are one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NBA, and adding Dwight Howard to the locker room might not help with that.

Furthermore, despite the strong start, Washington trailed by 29 points at halftime.