If there is one thing Dwight has learned (he hasn’t learned much), is to not make promises he can’t keep. That was his problem in Orlando, he kept saying he wanted to go, when he really wanted to leave. He kept saying he was loyal, when in reality he wasn’t. He kept saying he was honest, when he knows he is a habitual liar.
He isn’t lying to Lakers fan though, because he won’t tell then what they want to hear, which is, he will sign a long term deal with the franchise when he becomes a free agent.
“What’s needed to be said, I’ve said,” Howard said. “Right now I’m committed to this team, and the only thing that matters is right now. Nothing else matters beyond what we do the next game and what we do for the rest of the season. There’s no need for us to go back and forth and cause a circus about anything.”
“I’m here right now, so there’s no need for me to have one foot in and one foot out,” he said. “I’m here. I’m going to do everything I can to help this team win right now, and that’s the only thing that matters.”
I agree that this is the best thing he can say right now, no need to back himself into a corner he can’t get out of. When the season is over he will be a free agent and can go wherever he likes. That is his right, and if he would have been smart about it, he would have been free last year, but no need to dwell on that now.
The problem for Lakers fans and potential teams that might be interested in Dwight, is how healthy will he be? He talks about it a lot, but it is hard to determine if it is more of a mental or physical block he is having.
“I’m nowhere near who I was in Orlando,” he said. “In Orlando, I could play 40 minutes and never get tired. Here I give you about 10 minutes.”
“I had to lie on my back for four or five months and then had four weeks to train before the season started,” he said. “That’s not normal. I’m used to training all summer and coming back in tip-top shape. It didn’t happen this year, so I’m looking forward to having a full summer and training camp.”
Is Howard already quitting on the Lakers, because he is already thinking about his next destination? That is something for you to decide.