Does Dwight Howard’s baggage outweigh his talent?
When it came to survival, Stan Van Gundy should've known he wasn't going to win a battle with Dwight Howard. (AP photo)
Last November, I proposed a trade for the Hawks: Deal any two players on their roster for Dwight Howard.
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Josh Smith and Al Horford. Johnson and Al Horford. Marvin Williams, several Mediterranean islands and the undying gratitude of every Atlanta resident.
But given what just occurred, I’m wondering how much better off the Hawks would be in the long run with such a diva on the roster.
The Orlando Magic, in an expected move, fired coach Stan Van Gundy, ostensibly because Howard wanted him out. Even before Van Gundy went public late in the season that Howard was trying to get him fired, it was clear the two were in an unworkable situation.
Ownership knows firing their coach and general manager (Otis Smith) won’t lose them any ticket sales. Losing Howard would. So this was an easy choice. Of course, if Howard leaves any way, they will fired Van Gundy for nothing.
Van Gundy is a terrific coach, one of the NBA’s best, in my opinion. Critics banged on him for outing Howard publicly. But given that the franchise centerpiece had been stabbing him in the back for months to management, undermined his authority in the locker room and wrecked any conceivable chance Orlando had of succeeding this season, I had no problem with it. Fact is, Van Gundy probably gained a lot respect around the league for it (certainly within the coaching fraternity and with the media).
It seems strange to suggest this. But Howard, despite being the world’s most dominant center and one of the five best players in the world, period, may nonetheless be poison for a franchise. Whether he remains in Orlando or ultimately is traded or leaves in free agency, there is reason to believe he will wield too much power wherever he ends up.
When it gets to the point that an athlete has the call on who the coach is and how a team is built, it’s an unhealthy situation. Ultimately, the owner is bowing to ever whim of the player because he’s worried about turnstile counts. It doesn’t play well in the front office or the locker room, and that spills onto the court.
The way the Magic have been operating lately, they might as well let Howard interview the candidates to replace Van Gundy. Better yet, let them march, one by one, into the Roman Coliseum, while Howard sits on a throne and gives the thumbs up or thumbs down signal.
Have the lions ready.
It sounds extreme to suggest an NBA team would be better off without Dwight Howard. But it speaks to the player’s prima donna tendencies that it’s suddenly something worth thinking about.
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
143 comments Add your comment
T
May 22nd, 2012
9:10 am
Howard being called one of the “five best players” is a bit generous, Schultz.
GaStBen
May 22nd, 2012
9:27 am
Don’t act like this is the first time a player or players got an NBA coach fired. lol How many coaches did the Detroit Pistons players run out of town? Larry Brown was the only one to leave on his own, the rest was player initiated.
GaStBen
May 22nd, 2012
9:27 am
Not to mention Howard has no desire to come to a team to celebrates losing in the 1st round.
JJ2405
May 22nd, 2012
9:33 am
There is no reason to consider Howard. He wants to play for max money in a big city. No thanks.
Everytime a team loses in the playoffs everyone wants to make trades, but what can we realistically get in return to improve the team. I thought the make up of the team this year was very strong. Injuries killed us.
monroe
May 22nd, 2012
9:38 am
in atlanta, dwight will want control over the coach and gm—if not, he’s heading to LA, showtime and all that money!!
bali
May 22nd, 2012
9:56 am
so what s the bib deal..star player does not like the coach so the coach is fired…nba is a players league…look at the nba coaches that are out there today…how many former players are now the head coach of an nba franchise….how many nba coaches out there can you really say ,hey he is a really good coach..not many…throw the basketball on the floor and the players play…star players dominate nba basketballl like never before…star players are never at fault…blame it on the coach or throw a teammate or two under the bus when you lose…wish the nba was a team league instead of a players league
Paddy
May 22nd, 2012
9:56 am
monroe……..LA can have him and any player like him! Check out Bill Bradley’s comments on the state of the NBA and what it really takes to win a championship with regularity. Any person who can memorize the NJ phone book should get our attention. The guy is flat out brilliant and he has won those championships to back it up!
George I.A.
May 22nd, 2012
10:13 am
Only World War II lasted longer than the NBA season and the horror stories like Howard.
Ryder
May 22nd, 2012
10:20 am
It’s amazing how many people on here are actually defending Dwight Howard. Is he really that talented, or is it because he is the only true center left in the NBA? Andrew Bynum is ok, but nothing special. How many MVP’s has Howard even been in contention for? He doesn’t make his teams better the way a Shaq or even a Hakeem Olajuwon did. His best bet for a title is to go to LA where he doesn’t have to be the man, because he lacks the “it” factor needed to take charge when it matters.
If I’m the Hawks GM I pull the trigger on a Gasol trade and get Josh Smith out of town. No way Smith stays here and it may be just the thing to motivate Gasol to take his game to another level.
ryan
May 22nd, 2012
10:42 am
I agree we need to keep Josh Smith or trade him and get something for him it would be stupid to just let him go .
KevinM
May 22nd, 2012
10:45 am
Paddy, wasn’t it Jerry Lucas who was the memorizing guru? I think you’ve crossed up 2 different issues.
Jeff, you sure know how to get Hawks fans riled up. There is no chance a DHoward would end up here, no matter the circumstances. Why would anyone consider Howard and Josh to be a good match? All they have to do is foul them with the Hack-a-Shaq rule and take them out of any game plan. Both are horrid and leave a lot of points at the line.
Howard is going to get his wish and go elsewhere. If I was Orlando, I would dump Dwight in Charlotte and let MJ deal with him and take that #1 pick, next year’s #1 pick, and any talent they have on that roster and start reloading. I wouldn’t give Dwight what he wants.
Dwight isn’t coming to Atlanta if you go get him and drive him here.
Move on and wait for Sund or his minion to bring in the next wave of Hawks min vets.
jroll1
May 22nd, 2012
10:50 am
DWIGHT HAS MADE IT PRETTY CLEAR…..ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO PLAY FOR HIS HOMETOWN TEAM!
O'Brien
May 22nd, 2012
10:51 am
Jeff,
What do we have to do (or not do) to keep a Hawks beat blog open?
KevinM
May 22nd, 2012
10:53 am
OB, thanks for the LD interview tip….he defended every mistake the Hawks have made this year….
On the Celtics series, LD truly did not have good answers for what went wrong. On the Game 2 where Rondo was suspended….he said he would rather have Rondo play….this guy has no strategy to take advantage.
On Al missing the FT, yes, it was discussed on the bench to miss the 2nd one intentionally, but he said it was okay to go ahead and make it and win it with defense…..wow! No clue here…..now I know why our players answer how they answer questions.
On Josh shooting 25% from 3….100 attempts in the NBA isn’t really that many…..no one talks about how good Josh is at the other things like being able to guard 5 positions.
We are in for another repeat of last year and the year before and the year before.
LD said if he has his choice, he wouldn’t break up this roster. He said we just need 1 or 2 more guys to make a serious run.
Where in the HAIL is LD going to get 1 or 2 players? Especially ones that could make an impact?
KevinM
May 22nd, 2012
10:57 am
OB, great review of how the draft has shaped the Hawks and OKC…that and the fact that the GM of OKC is the guy who replaced Sund in Seattle…Sam Presti. That in itself should prove how opposite the 2 teams are in the NBA culture.
Thunder top Lakers 106-90 to reach West finals – Atlanta Journal Constitution | The Time of Press
May 22nd, 2012
11:08 am
[...] Does Dwight Howard’s baggage outweigh his talent? [...]
Trojan
May 22nd, 2012
11:51 am
Go get Gasol, at least he is not the poison that DH has become. I can’t wait to see how the Hawks mess up the upcoming draft.
Sell picks, trade for cash, trade for exceptions that will not be used, draft players that will never even dress out for the Hawks?
Sund is horrible.
Josh, for 3!
May 22nd, 2012
12:52 pm
just build the entire roster around Josh Smith shooting 3s! He’s the man outside the circle and if giving enough shots, can really light it up!
O'Brien
May 22nd, 2012
1:16 pm
KevinM,
Exactly. Maybe we are one or 2 players away, but this past season, we had 8 players at the vet min salary. We are not going to find that one or 2 players for the vet min to help get us over the hump.
But LD’s interview reminds me of why the ASG like guys like him and Sund. They will not rock the boact, and will be content with status quo.
Heisenberg
May 22nd, 2012
1:19 pm
I would still trade Joe & Josh for Dwight. Best thing it does is gets rid of THAT contract.
Worst case Howard plays a year and leaves for nothing in return (unless he is dealt at deadline). I like Josh and would prefer he stay but the odds are probably > 90% he plays out his contract on moves on just like Dwight would. So that would wash out but still with a lot of cap space with Joe gone.
Best case Dwight likes playing in the ATL, matures, & signs an extension. Then you have one of the five best players and a little bit of cap space with Joe gone.
Rock Buzzard
May 22nd, 2012
1:41 pm
The Hawks should make the trade for Howard, giving the Magic Joe Johnson and anything else they want. This trade would get Joe Johnson’s salary off the books and some cap relief. Let Dwight Howard leave during his free agency and then start all over again. Also maybe Howard’s one year tenure in Atlanta would hasten L Drew’s departure.
W Reid Whitaker, Jr.
May 22nd, 2012
1:55 pm
I could not agree with you more wholeheartedly. Anyone who takes DH is in for long or short term trouble. Please don’t bring him to Atlanta. The most sickeningly picture is the one with DH’s arm around Van Gundy.
Jimmy Crack
May 22nd, 2012
2:02 pm
This might as well be a story about Andrew Bynum for all I care about Howard and especially Orlando.
If he’s not coming to the Hawks, then this story is click money for SCHUUUULTZ!!
Heisenberg
May 22nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Hey Jeff if you are still there…does Yahoo owe you royalties for the use of the photo at the bottom of this?
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/track-officials-counting-error-costs-british-hurdler-jessica-115116830.html
David
May 22nd, 2012
2:18 pm
Hawks: Please hire Stan Van Gundy!
Delbert D.
May 22nd, 2012
2:53 pm
Delta would charge an outrageous amount for Howard’s baggage.
The truth
May 22nd, 2012
3:06 pm
What is this NBA you speak of?
KevinM
May 22nd, 2012
3:10 pm
More ammunition to pound on the ASG for hiring Sund:
He was called inept in 2007 by Seattle Weekly…….he totally handcuffed that franchise with his decisions.
As of 2008, none of Sund’s draft picks were all-stars and 1/2 were out of the league. 2 of those picks, Radmonivich and Green played for us last year….incredible to say the least.
He did bring in Rashard Lewis who eventually had his success elsewhere.
When Sund came to Atlanta, he had no draft pick and had to negotiate with Josh and Childress about reupping?
Fast forward and who has Sund drafted in 3 drafts that are still employed? Teague.
And this is a guy who will return if he chooses to, not because the ASG is re-evaluating.
So I guess we have to develop our young guys here going forward…oh, we’re the 2nd oldest team in the league last year and we had the 2nd most playoff experience?
We sure have a lot to be excited about going forward. We get to keep our coach and if all goes well, Sund will come off the beach and put together another vet bench that gets to watch Marvin, Josh and Joe perform their usual stunts they are paid so well to do.
Someone buy this team and punt this ownership team. It’s an embarrassment to the city and the franchise continues to flounder.
J.R. Atlanta
May 22nd, 2012
4:02 pm
Funny you would condem a pretty good player for not getting along with his coach! Did’nt we experience this with a guy named “Magic Johnson” with the Laker’s and a pretty good dang coach years ago? We have to realize that all major league sports is nothing but a business and we will never stop seeing these crazy deals, firing and trades in major league sports!
cdog
May 22nd, 2012
4:14 pm
a trade of marvin williams, joe johnson and a future draft pick for dwight howard would work i think.he would play with josh smith and win for atlanta
Delbert D.
May 22nd, 2012
4:19 pm
Just sell $18 million worth of contracts and buy the guy.
Lakers will debate overhaul after playoff exit – Atlanta Journal Constitution | The Time of Press
May 22nd, 2012
4:25 pm
[...] Does Dwight Howard’s baggage outweigh his talent? [...]
Ronald Millsaps
May 22nd, 2012
5:43 pm
Make a move for Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol. Maybe make a secondary trade for a high draft pick.
Speaking of “Andrew”, the Braves showed a lack of class in giving Randall Delgado Andruw’s number. Arguably the best outfielder of all time and a strong offensive player for a long time, he definitely will be a Braves Hall of Famer and should be one intrinsically, factoring in very good offense and exceptional defense. By the way, Mike Minor needs to be ousted from the rotation. Here’s a novel idea: Make him EARN his way back in. Being patient with someone is great, but being patient in the face of no progress calls for action.
The Hawks need someone you can build an offense around and just do not have that player. I’ve never before seen a team that just hoisted up random shots like this one.
Get Dwight!
May 22nd, 2012
6:10 pm
pay dwight whatever he wants to come to ATL, even for 1 year–he can pack the place with his homies. Get isiah thomas as GM to make some moves to get better players.
Skeezix
May 22nd, 2012
6:21 pm
After getting a very good coach fired, we hear that the overrated Dwight Howard has now decided that he wants out of Orlando. Orlando ownership, having also run off the GM, now looks so, so foolish.
This is one more sad example of why the public is getting turned off on pro sports.
Disgusted
May 22nd, 2012
6:36 pm
I’d be more concerned about his injury, no, I do know if Dwight is the answer at this time to jump start this franchise and drive fan intereest and passion.
If it were not for the back issue, I’d say jump all over it, but you cannot be 100 pct sure he really wants to be here anyway.
So, we have to look in another direction. If they can add to this existing mix, it is probable to make a substantial playoff run. Like at least getting to the confrence final. It could have been done this yr.
OKC might be around for a while, like three or 4 championships in a 5-7 yr stretch. The Lakers are always a threat because they can retool in little time.
Disgusted
May 22nd, 2012
6:37 pm
I mean I do not know if Dwight is the fit here.
Disgusted
May 22nd, 2012
6:38 pm
How about Josh Smith and Horford for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol?
Don’t know how the $$$$$ would fit in, but hey, its a thought.
Disgusted
May 22nd, 2012
6:41 pm
“a trade of marvin williams, joe johnson and a future draft pick for dwight howard would work i think.he would play with josh smith and win for atlanta”
cdog–It would be a lose lose for Orlando, but hey, great thought. I wish that Orlando would do it and all can fit in the $$$$$$$ structure. Still concerned about the Howard back injury.
ninja
May 22nd, 2012
7:07 pm
Get Dwight in Atl, I don’t think he acts that way in his hometown. Especially with his parents nearby. And if we are able to couple him with Josh, it would translate into a city excited about basketball again. Would be the first time since Dominique was around has this city truly cared. If Gearon truly wants to build a winner and sell lots of tix, hope he considers, instead of trying to save money. And hopefully Sund will leave, and give Steve Smith a front office job!
hjay
May 24th, 2012
10:00 am
If Howard had to play in a league where you had to follow the rules and didn’t get away with murder he would only be an average player. He commits about 40 or 50 fouls a game. He pushes people out of the way for rebounds comes over the back gives hip checks that knock people off the court and sets moving screens that look like a lineman trying to block the opposition in football. How many of these does he get called for maybe 3 a game. Meanwhile the ref makes up for it by calling that many more on the opposition unless they happen to have a big draw player on their team…
MistyJones
May 25th, 2012
1:45 pm
I saw the blog where somebody said, Hawks..PLEASE hire stan van gundy. I agree with that but before you hire stan, interview jerry sloan first.. because SLOAN IS A CERTAIN HALL OF FAME COACH. Stan Van Gundy is not. Sloan can win a championship NOW with the current hawks roster, and yes, the blogger who said the hawks would draft marvin williams now ahead of chris paul, i agree with that. Right now Marvin is a better player than Chris Paul. Chris Paul’s team (la clippers) got CLOBBERED in the playoffs, while the Hawks played great and just got beaten because joe johson wouldnt step up to the plate and take over the games. Joe is the second best closer in the league behind Kobe and Joe Johnson is a better closer than Kevin Durant AND LaBron James. Joe Johnson deserved his max contract and Joe deserves to be the highest players in the league. Actually if the Hawks dont hire jerry sloan, they should hire either stan van gundy or jeff van gundy. they are both GREAT coaches and either would do a remarkable job with the hawks.
LuellaPatterson
May 30th, 2012
11:07 am
I wouldnt necessarily bring Dwight Howard into atlanta. Dwight is CERTAINLY overrated and does not have much of a game besides DUNKING THE BASKETBALL. Howards game is very similar to Shaquille O’Neals game when Shaq first came into the league. Shaq could get you 10 dunks per game. THATS ABOUT IT. Dwight has no perimeter game to speak of and is just as inept as Josh Smith. I say trade Josh Smith for Pao Gasol or trade marvin williams for Chris Paul.