Dwight Howard has a decision to make and Steve Nash believes he knows what Superman will do.
Nash wants Howard to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite Dwight’s first season in Hollywood being described by the big man himself as a “nightmare,” Nash is confident that he’ll return.
Why? Because he believes Los Angeles is the place for Howard (via Mike Bresnahan of the The Los Angeles Times):
Steve Nash couldn’t finish the season because of injuries.
But the Lakers guard thinks he knows where Dwight Howard should start next season.
“I’m very hopeful that Dwight will be back,” Nash said Monday. “I think this is the place for him. He’s in the prime of his career. He’s got his best years ahead of him. He can play for one of the greatest franchises in sports and an amazing city. This has got to be the place for him and I’m hopeful that he sees it that way.”
So is the rest of Los Angeles. Well, that’s actually not true. Bill Plaschke, also of the Los Angeles Times, is hopeful that the Lakers and Howard decide to part ways. He doesn’t believe that Howard can handle being the face of the Lakers. Which is fair.
Dwight hasn’t embodied leadership this season, and we can only attribute so much of the blame to playing next to Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba wasn’t on the floor when he was ejected out of Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs early in the third quarter, in what proved to be Los Angeles’ last game of the season. He wasn’t there to clean up Howard’s mess.
What we must understand, however, is that willingly parting ways with Howard isn’t an option. The Lakers have already invested too much in him. Andrew Bynum’s career is now in jeopardy, but at the time, the Lakers could have traded him for any number of other players.
Think of the Lakers like the Orlando Magic of last year. Even if they didn’t want Howard on their team, they can’t allow the best center in the game to walk away for nothing without a fight.
It doesn’t matter if you believe Howard is fit to play in Tinseltown. It really doesn’t. The Lakers are going to offer him that five-year contract worth nearly $120 million. They have to. And Nash wants them to. And yes, that’s significant.
Nash wouldn’t be one to come out and say that Howard is a lush who will fold under the weight of expectations in Los Angeles, but he was very pointed in his assessment. He didn’t have to say Hollywood was the place for Dwight. He volunteered that information. And if he believes Howard is suited for life as a member of the Lakers, it’s probably a thought that is shared by many within the locker room and organization. That may not include Kobe, but it doesn’t have to.
Nash wants Howard to remain with the Lakers, and you don’t have to agree. But don’t believe for a second that the team won’t push for him to return, and do so hard. They need to.
And let’s face it, they should.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
