It might seem nearly impossible that someone with the career achievements of future hall of famer, center Dwight Howard could be considered underrated. However, the reveal of the recent NBA 75th anniversary team members has shown otherwise. Of course with the long and storied history of the NBA many players can at times be forgotten about for various reasons. At times it could be due to the era they played in or how the game has changed in recent years. Still, there simply is no way you can have a list of the NBA's greatest and not have Dwight Howard on that list. Though Dwight Howard is no longer the high flying superstar he once was his long list of accolades and the sheer force of nature he was in his prime still deserves admiration and respect.
Dwight Howard was a star before even reaching the NBA as he was first a dominant high school player. He attended Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy where he showed a glimpse of what he would become as in his senior season he averaged 25 points,18 rebounds,8.1 blocks and 3.5 assists. Not only did he put up these great numbers but he also led his team to a 31-2 record and won the state title in 2004. This led to him being considered the best high school player in the nation earning him numerous awards such as the Naismith Prep player of the year award and McDonald's All-American honors. In the McDonald's All American game he won co-MVP honors alongside J.R Smith that year.
The tremendous success of his high school career made him a highly touted NBA prospect giving him the option to go straight to the NBA, an option that only select few players ever had. One of those select few was his idol Kevin Garnett who inspired him to come out of high school as he did. This ended up being a great decision as he was first overall in the NBA draft to the Orland Magic over Emeka Okafor which was significant as at the time it was a debate of who the better prospect was. The Magic were in dire need of a star having lost 61 games the previous season along with losing future hall of famer Tracy McGrady in free agency. Fortunately for the Magic. Howard showed his potential right away as he was the first rookie out of high school to play all 82 games. He also earned a unanimous All-Rookie team by averaging a solid 12 points per game and 10 rebounds per game.
In the early years of his career Howard showed improvement averaging 15.8 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game in his second season. He ranked second in the NBA in rebound per game and was also a double double machine as he ranked second in that category as well. Another example at his potential to be a dominant center came early in his second season where had his first 20 point 20 rebound. Accomplishing this feat so early in his career made him the youngest ever to record a 20-20 game in NBA history. Not only did he have another excellent season but also started in all 82 games which was a bright spot in an otherwise unsuccessful season for the Magic.
For Howard's third season he took another big step by once again improving his game while playing all 82 games for the 3rd consecutive season. Howard, this season averaged 17.6 points per game and and 12.3rebounds per game which earned him his first all star nod as a reserve. Continuing to improve his offensive game, Howard set a new career high in scoring with a 35 point performance versus the Sixers. Not only did Howard improve his own game but also helped to lead the Magic to the playoffs. Though they were swept in the the first round by the Detroit Pistons, the emergence of Orlando's young star was just a sign of a bright future in Orlando.
Just a couple seasons later the Orlando Magic went from being swept in the first round to making their first appearance in the finals since the Shaq-Penny era. At this point, Howard at this point in his career was in his prime becoming not just an all-star starter for the second straight time but an MVP candidate. He led the Magic to a 59-23 record which was good enough for the third seed in the eastern conference. Howard also put up the best individual numbers of his career to that point averaging 20.6 points per game and 13.8 rebounds per game. Howard and the Magic then went on a dominant playoff run defeating the defending champion Celtics and the Lebron led Cavaliers. Howard put up a playoff career high 40 points in a decisive game 6 win against the Cavaliers to send the Magic to the NBA finals. The Magic then faced the daunting task of going up against the Kobe Bryant led Lakers who were in the finals for the second straight year. The Magic faced a early 2-0 deficit before a much needed bounce back win at home in game 3. Still, the Lakers proved to be to much as they won the series in 5 games. Despite a disappointing finals loss Howard still showed his greatness by leading a team to the finals and with multiple individual accolades. He became the youngest player ever to win the defensive player of the year award while also earning NBA first team All-Defense and first team All-NBA honors, respectively.
Howard would spend 3 more season with the Magic with great individual success, winning 3 straight defensive player awards and was voted as an all star starter every year. Unfortunately the Orland Magic could not match a similar level of team success as they only went as far as the eastern conference one more time with Howard. That appearance came against the Boston Celtics in the 2009-10 season where they lost in 6 games. This loss proved to be specifically disappointing as the Magic as well as Howard in particular had a dominant season. They responded to their loss in the finals by acquiring future hall of famer Vince Carter in a trade. Howard bounced back the following season as he posted career highs in both scoring and field goal percentage. He also led the league in double-doubles averaging over 14.3 rebounds cementing himself as one of the most dominant players in the league. Despite Howard leading the Magic to another 50+ win season they fell short once again this time losing in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks. This disappointing loss likely led to the rift that began between the Magic and Dwight in the beginning of the lockout shortened 2011-12. He grew increasingly frustrated with the Magic front office as he felt the organization was not doing enough to build a contending team around him. Although he stated he did not want to leave Orlando, he did demand a trade to the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks Further drama began to build as it was rumored that Howard wanted his coach, Stan Van Gundy fired which Howard denied. Even with all the internal drama within the franchise Howard still was having another great season averaging 20.6 points per game and 14.5 rebounds per game. A back injury forced him to miss the rest of the season which would end up being his last in a Magic Uniform as he once again requested a trade.
Dwight Howard eventually got his wish as he was traded on August 10th, 2012, to the Los Angeles Lakers where he would team up with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. With the forming of a big 3 in Los Angeles championship expectations immediately started. Howard unfortunately did not get off to a great start as the offseason back surgery kept him away from basketball activities for majority of the offseason. Howard faced even more challenges as not only did the Lakers have a disappointing start to the season but Howard acquired a shoulder injury that lingered through the second half of the season. Howard and Bryant also did not have the best on-court relationship as Howard complained of Bryant's shot selection. Howard and the Lakers fortunately began to resemble the team they were expected be as they got off to hot start after the all-star break going 8-2. Dwight ended up having his best game during this stretch at the expense of his former team, the Orlando Magic. Howard was booed throughout the game but responded by finishing with a season high 39 points and 16 rebounds in a Lakers' win. The Lakers late season surge put them in 8th place in the conference where they eventually remained although they had lost Kobe Bryant to a severe achilles injury. The Lakers finished the season falling well under expectation as they were swept by San Antonio in the first round. Howard did not have a great season for his standard as he finished with his lowest scoring average since his second season in the NBA but did manage to lead the league in rebounds. Howard became a free agent in the off season and was offered a five year $118 million max contract by the Lakers.
Howard decided to leave the Lakers and go to the Houston Rockets where he became part of a all star duo with James Harden. the combination of Howard and Harden looked special as they finished with 54-28 record. This was Dwight Howard's final year earning an all star nod and he finished the season with 18.3 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game. Howard followed up with a dominant performance in his playoff series against the Portland Trailblazers averaging 26.7 points and 13.7 rebounds. The Rockets still ended up losing the series in 6 games off an incredible series clinching shot by Damian Lillard. The Houston Rockets would bounce back the following season and make another deep playoff this time making the Western Conference finals where they lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. Howard missed a total of 41 games this season with a persistent knee injury where he finished with his lowest scoring average since his second year with 15.8 points per game. His 3rd and final year on the Rockets proved to be the most disappointing as he averaged just 13.7 points per game while the Rockets finished 41-41. The Rockets made the playoffs as an eight seed but ended up losing 4-1 to the Golden State Warriors.
In the summer of 2016, Howard chose to decline his player option and become a free agent. At this point in his career, Howard was not quite the star he once was but still had plenty of value as a starting center in the NBA. He was not a free agent for long as he signed a deal three year, 70 million dollar deal with his hometown Atlanta Hawks. Howard had a solid season for the starting all 74 of the games he played and averaged 13.5 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game. He once again was on a playoff team and the Hawks finished with the 5th seed in the east. They did not go far unfortunately as they were defeated by their division rival Washington Wizards in the first round. Howard's time with the Hawks did not last long as he was traded in the offseason the Charlotte Hornets.
Howard had an excellent season averaging 16.6 points per game which were his best numbers since his first season with the Rockets back in the 2013-14 season. Still, Howard once again could not stick with the same team for consecutive years despite putting up solid numbers on the Charlotte Hornets. Dwight Howard for back to back off-seasons was traded, this time being sent to the Washington where he only played nine games due to various injuries. He was traded in the offseason for the 2nd straight year as he was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies but was later waived.
I believe at this point in Dwight Howard's career the way the game had changed had negatively impacted his value as the game became less reliant on back to the basket playing centers. Due to the increased skill and volume of shooting around the NBA, players who scored mainly around the rim were not valued as highly in years past. With the game changing along with him become an older player coming off injuries, he would have to take a lesser role to keep his NBA career alive.
Howard's next opportunity would be a return to a familiar place as he came back to the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in a much different role. Howard showed his humility and desire to be a team player as he offered to sign a non-guaranteed contract to show that he was more than willing to accept whatever role he was given. This gamble ended up being a great decision for Howard as he gave good effort off the bench and was ready when his number was called specifically in the post season. Howard's signature moment of the post season was in the Western Conference Finals where he started multiple games against Nikola Jokic. Head Coach of the Lakers, Frank Vogel liked Howard's physicality defensively against Jokic which made a huge difference helping the Lakers win the series 4-1. From there the Lakers advanced to the NBA finals, winning the series 4-2 over the Miami Heat with Howard earning his first NBA title.
With Howard finally adding a championship to his resume along with his tremendous amount of individual accolades, their is little reason to justify Howard being snubbed from the NBA 75th anniversary team. Howard's greatness, specifically during his time with the Magic where he won 3 consecutive defensive player of the year awards he was far and away the best big man in the league. The eight time all star was arguably a top 5 player in the NBA at a time when top players included a prime Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. A prime Dwight Howard was simply one of the most dominant players of much of the 2000's and early 2010's. It is a shame how quickly his greatness was forgotten to the point that a player with a Hall of Fame career has now become underrated.
Source: National Basketball Association YouTube channel.
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