We can all exhale now: Dwight Howard is a Laker

Posted by Unknown on Friday, August 10, 2012 with 15 comments
       Well that didn't take long or did it?  The feeling is that this could have been completed months ago but alas it's finally done; Dwight Howard is a Los Angeles Laker and it's the right choice.  Lets forget about all of the posturing it took from the Magic and other franchises to get to this point and lets focus on the future which is now much brighter for the Lakers and Howard.  Simply put, the Lakers needed Howard to be relative again because we all know that Kobe is slowing down and the Lakers would have simply faded away if they'd stay on the current course that they were on.  This trade will give the Lakers life for years to come and eventually LA
will become Howard's town but he must embrace the greatness and not run from it.

Why run from legacy, face it, own it, add to it, that's the task that Dwight Howard faces now.  Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq all made their names and won championships as members of the Los Angeles Lakers and now it's Howard's turn to add championships to his resume'.  For the longest time it seemed as if Howard was running away from his "destiny", not wanting to be called a follower of Shaq but all of that ill will can be erased.  It is said that in order to lead one must learn how to follow and that's another task ahead for Howard now as he must learn what he can from Kobe because soon Kobe will be no more and Howard will have the opportunity to be the dominant force that he's meant to be.

Howard has to understand that the time for excuses is over and that he needs to be what the league needs right now, a dominant big man.  Some may say that Howard is already a dominant big man but the truth is that he has no competition at the position.  If coached right, Dwight Howard has a chance to be far superior to what Shaq ever was on offense and defense but it's a huge if.  Simply put, the pieces are in place and the Lakers will only go as far as Dwight Howard takes them.  This is not the time to make any predictions but I will say this.....those who follow the NBA closely should know what the "money matchup" will be for the NBA Finals.  Will it happen, maybe but there will be a learning a curve.  The Lakers will be a factor in the west again just based on the matchup problems that they'll create but it is entirely too early to pick them as the favorites to win the 2012/13 NBA Championship.