Dwight Howard not an ideal pick for the Chicago Bulls – NBA Feature
The NBA playoffs have delivered a few surprises to the fans this year. And the biggest of the surprises was the injury to Derrick Rose that sidelined him for the rest of the post season, and the absence of Dwight Howard from the
post season after he decided to opt for season ending back surgery right before the playoffs.
Howard has been involved with a list of controversies this season, starting from his request to be traded, to his eventual contract extension with the Orlando Magic, to his falling off with Coach Stan Van Gundy. The Orlando Magic
were placed third in the Eastern Conference and seemed solid contenders for the Eastern Conference Finals. However, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy openly declared that a high ranking official of the Magic team had told him that Howard had asked the team management
to fire him as a condition of him signing an extended contract.
Howard denied the claim but the coach and center could not develop the same chemistry as before after the incident, leading to a poor stretch of performances by the Magic team that saw them drop to sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Van Gundy was fired after the Magic were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs in an attempt to sign Howard, who is in California recovering from his back injury. Howard has said before that he would love to play alongside Derrick
Rose for the Chicago Bulls.
Although at first glance, getting Dwight Howard would seem like a great deal to the Bulls, but a careful evaluation shows that Howard is not the right guy for the Bulls at present. Firstly, the Bulls are already the best defensive
team in the NBA, with the highest number of rebounds per game. Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and backups such as Omer Asik and Taj Gibson are doing a good job on the glass as well as defence. Howard’s addition would only upset a combination that seems to be working
quite well for the Bulls.
Secondly, the Bulls require an addition that can make them faster and more explosive. They need another scoring option, but if the scoring option is in the form of Howard, it will make them even slower. Instead, they need a player
who is explosive, can run the court on fast breaks and transitions and match the pace of Rose.
Thirdly, Howard is too much of a superstar to play alongside Derrick Rose under Tom Thibodeau. Thibs is a no nonsense grind hard type of coach who expects his players to give their 100% in a daily basis without making excuses and
asking questions. And that is what seems to be working for the Bulls, as Thibs has led them to back to back league leading season records.
Howard will find it difficult to settle in the Bulls, especially after what has transpired in Orlando between him and Van Gundy. Also, in an attempt to acquire Howard, the Bulls would have to go so much away that the balance of
the team would be disturbed and the Bulls would be relying too much on Rose and Howard. That is not how the Bulls play basketball. That is not the philosophy of that team.
Hence, it would be more suitable for the Bulls to go after a player such as Josh Smith, who could give them an edge in athleticism, and work with Rose on the court.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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