The Dwight Howard saga in Atlanta is only going to get worse
I have to say I was somewhat excited last summer when the Hawks signed eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard to a three-year, $70.5 million deal.
The Hawks had been trying to get their hands on Howard since he was a free agent back in 2013. Howard was understandably not going to be the player he was in Orlando, but Atlanta had gotten their hometown prize ans someone who had been a true star in the NBA for quite some time.
The Dwight signing came just days before fellow All-Star and free agent Al Horford decided to leave Atlanta for the Boston Celtics. The swap seemed right at the time. Horford's play in the playoffs the previous two seasons was extremely frustrating to watch, especially against Cleveland. Horford was dominated on the glass by Tristan Thompson, and I did not want him back because I felt he was too soft. Howard would surely not be soft. He has been known for his shot blocking and rebounding since he came into the league.
Howard had a decent regular season statistically for the Hawks. He averaged 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. However, the season ended, and the Howard experiment is not in a good place.
He was benched down the stretch multiple times in the Hawks playoff series against the Wizards - including Game 6 in Atlanta - which eliminated the Hawks from the playoffs. Howard was visibly upset with coach Mike Budenholzer after the series.
Howard simply does not fit in with the system Mike Budenholzer wants to run. He does not have the versatility to spread the floor or keep ball movement flowing smoothly. However, the 31-year-old thinks he has found the solution.
Howard on ESPN's "The Jump" Tuesday told the world he would be shooting three-pointers when the 2017-18 season comes. The notion that he thinks this is a smart thing to do is more than alarming. Howard will be beginning his fourteenth season NBA season in October, and just one summer of working on some jumpers does not quite give a high probability he will suddenly become Steph Curry.
The Hawks already went through years of watching Josh Smith's persistent and miserable attempts at three-point shots. Hearing the fans actually groan before the shot went up is something Atlanta really does not need to go through again.
The disorganization among the front office the last few seasons led to the signing of Howard, and now they have to deal with it.
Sure, it was a great story seeing Dwight play for his hometown team at the start, but that feeling has worn away at this point. Now Dwight is just an overpaid player, misfit in his offense and obviously out of his prime. Saying he is going to start shooting threes on national television is just adding salt to the wound of Atlanta's mistake.
