One of the biggest stories in the NBA coming into the season was the talk of Dwight Howard wanting to move on to greener pastures. Initially, it was reported the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Jersey Nets were two teams that Howard would be interested in playing for. However, in recent weeks, there has been talk about Chicago being a potential destination as well. I’ve listened to a lot of fans call into radio shows and they seem to be in favor of bringing the all-star center to the Windy City. However, while the thought of having a dominant big man with Howard’s talents is intriguing, I’m not ready to buy into the notion that he can take us to the next level.
There is no doubt that Howard is the most dominant player at his position in the league today. He averages over 20 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks per game. Needless to say, these numbers are impressive, but there is a downside to this equation as well. First of all, the Bulls would have to give up several pieces in order to acquire Howard. It would be safe to say that the Magic would ask for Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and possibly a third player as well. Luol Deng provides the team with a great all-around game on both ends of the floor and Noah is capable of averaging a double-double when he plays aggressively. In my opinion, giving up these players would not be a wise move for the organization.
Secondly, Howard has publicly questioned the effort of his teammates on more than one occasion this year. I realize it can be frustrating when your team loses by a large margin or you are not satisfied with how the team uses you in the late stages of a game. However, Howard should keep those comments in-house rather than publicly voicing his displeasure. The group of players currently on the Bulls’ roster are a tight-knit bunch, who play well together and have each others’ back. When things don’t go well, they accept responsibility as a team rather than throwing each other under the bus. I think that bringing in Howard would definitely disrupt the chemistry this team has forged over the past few seasons. So with that being said, acquiring Howard would probably do more harm than good.