Dwight headed to the lone star state?

Here we go again…Dwightmare 2.0 or even 2.5 as some people are calling it, is among us. New rumors swirling each and every day. The latest basically says that the Houston Rockets, who are probably the strongest competition for the Lakers in the Howard sweepstakes, are getting good signs about him leaving Los Angeles for Houston. Add the recruitment of Rockets star guard James Harden and it seems as if Howard’s days in Los Angeles are numbered. While he hasn’t come out publicly and said it, Howard seems to have trouble playing under coach Mike D’Antoni. Lakers management, who brought in D’Antoni to replace Mike Brown last season, isn’t budging and have decided to keep D’Antoni for next season. It is uncertain at this time whether or not that will be one of the deciding factors in Howard’s decision.

If Dwight Howard doesn’t want to be in Los Angeles, the Lakers don’t need him back. By Howcheng (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

With regard to the D’Antoni mess, I completely understand where Howard is coming from. Despite Howard recovering from an injury, D’Antoni didn’t use him correctly during the first half of the season. After the mid-way point, Howard felt better and something clicked. The Lakers went 28-12 over the last 40 games and had a top-3 record over the second half of the season. Lets not forget that and if not for a bizarre occurrence of consistent injuries to Kobe, Nash, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks right before the end of the season, the Lakers might have made a playoff run. With a starting backcourt of Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock, the Lakers were in no shape to be playing in the playoffs. Watching the series felt like I was watching a really bad D-League game. That being said, in his final game as the Lakers were about to be swept off their home court, Howard got ejected. When Kobe Bryant walked on the court only a few minutes later, fans made it known whose team it really was, and still is.

As a Laker fan, I have decided that I no longer care whether or not Howard stays or leaves the Lakers. Don’t get me wrong, Howard is a great player and I would love to have him stay with the Lakers but if he doesn’t want to be in Los Angeles then good riddance. The Lakers have 16 championships and come with a storied history. If I am the Lakers, I don’t need anyone here who doesn’t want to be here. Dwight Howard could become another Hall of Fame big man to play for the Lakers if he wants too but that all depends on what he does this summer. If Howard really wants to win as bad as he has always said, then he stays in Los Angeles where he has the best chance to win a title (maybe not next season but in 2014 and beyond when the team would only have one or two players under the salary cap.)

I have a message to Howard: “Man up” and finally for the first time in your career take charge and stop complaining about the perfect fit and just win where you are. You left Orlando because they didn’t put pieces around you and now you are thinking of leaving the Lakers? Even after they put Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol around you? What more could you want? Whether or not you stay, the Lakers will revamp the team to be contenders again like they always do. Go ahead and go to Houston but in a few years when you are sitting on your couch watching the Lakers hoist up that trophy you so desperately want, you will regret not being a part of it and don’t say we didn’t tell you so.