All Star centre not putting any timeline on his return; says he needs to be completely sure about his back before he plays.....
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking forward to putting Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol on the floor together to see what kind of magic they produce and get an assessment if the huge amount of money they are
spending to keep them together is worth it or not.
The Lakers added Howard and Nash to the roster in the offseason, resulting in a heavy tax penalty as they crossed their salary cap by some distance. However, the addition of the two players has also given them a realistic opportunity
to win an NBA title next season.
The Lakers however face a small bump on the road as Dwight Howard, after undergoing back surgery, has been unable to recover fast enough to be ready for training camp. The Lakers have already started their training camp, and Howard’s
workout is restricted to less contact drills. The coaching staff is being cautious to not overwork him or expose him to full contact, as they do not want their newest acquisition to be sidelined for more than the base minimum.
Howard is itching to get back on the basketball floor, but the Lakers are monitoring him very closely and are in no mood of taking any risk that might complicate his injury. Hence, the superman is expected to miss the preseason
games, and his availability for the season opener on October 30th is also undecided.
The Los Angeles Daily News has reported that although Howard wants to play for the Lakers as soon as possible, he does not want to risk complicating the injury which can come back to haunt him later in the season.
“I don’t know the date when I’m going to return, but I’m looking forward to (today’s) practice to see how my body feels when I wake up. We can only go by time right now and how I feel after practice. We’re not in a rush. These
guys need me for the whole season and not a couple of preseason games,” said Howard.
Although there is no denying the fact that the Lakers need to have their core on the court as early as possible so that they can develop the team chemistry which is critical for a team filled with superstars. However, Howard is
a huge asset who has come at an even bigger cost, and the Lakers will not put their asset at risk.
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