Most of us have acknowledged that Dwight Howard hasn’t been what he was in Orlando for the Lakers thus far, but two league executives are really going in on the man who was acquired to help bring another title to LA. “Dwight Howard is basically Kosta Koufos,” said one NBA executive on Wednesday (courtesy of RealGM.com via Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register). “If you dropped in from another planet and had no idea who the players were, you would never know that Dwight Howard was one of the best players,” said another executive.
I love it when these front office guys anonymously criticize players on other teams. At least most people would agree that Koufos is one of the league’s most improved players this year, so maybe the comparison isn’t too bad. Sarcasm aside, Howard had 12 points and seven boards before being ejected from last night’s 126-114 Nuggets’ win, while Kosta Koufos countered with 10 points and three rebounds.
Howard is coming off of a serious back injury, but I’d have to agree with the sentiment that Howard needs to get with the program in Los Angeles. He wanted out of Orlando and he got his wish. He may not feel like he’s being used enough, but that’s the reality of playing on a team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash. Howard can’t expect to solve any of his problems by getting sensitive and playing the way he did last night.