Where does Dwight Howard fit with the Charlotte Hornets?
In probably the most exciting news the Charlotte Hornets have had in some time, the team acquired former All-Star, Dwight Howard. On a team with plenty of big men already, where does he fit?
It’s not very often the Charlotte Hornets and their fans have something to be excited about in the offseason. The organization is usually fairly quiet in terms of big name, offseason moves. Yet, last night, the team made some noise when they traded Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, and the 41st pick in this year’s draft to the Atlanta Hawks for Dwight Howard and the 31st pick in this year’s draft.
Fans have been vocal about some of Rich Cho’s decisions and/or lack thereof. I have a feeling, though, this might sit well with most fans. Although Dwight isn’t the superstar he was five or six years ago, he’s still a welcome addition. Moving up in the second round is a nice bonus, as well.
So, where does Dwight fit in with the team? Obviously, he starts, but who starts with him? Does Cody Zeller move to the power forward position or does Marvin Williams stay put? Obviously, this is all tentative as there may be more moves Cho wants to make, like possibly trading Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Marvin.
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A starting five of Dwight, Marvin, MKG, Nicolas Batum, and Kemba Walker would be quite versatile. It could get even more versatile if Dwight really has been working on his three. The biggest difference comes from Howard’s rebounding.
Last season, MKG led the Hornets with only seven rebounds a contest. Compare that to Howard’s 12.7, and a team that was 20th in the league in rebounding percentage could easily move up into the top ten next season.
Another asset Howard brings is size, something the Hornets haven’t had since letting Al Jefferson go. While not demonstrably bigger than Cody or Frank Kaminsky, Howard takes up space in ways Frank or Cody tend not to. Having that type of size and rebounding can help facilitate an “inside-out” style of play. That will help set up open looks on the perimeter.
Something to take note of, however, is his contract. Howard is set to make $23.5 million dollars next year. For a team that was already having cap issues, working around that will be quite a challenge. You have to assume someone else might be on the way out.
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Still, the Hornets are going to look a lot different next season. Perhaps they can give Dwight a fresh start and he can play like the Dwight of old. Only time will tell.