Charlotte Hornets: Is Superman Dwight Howard back?
Since joining the Charlotte Hornets, Dwight Howard is looking more and more like the Superman of old as he is dominating games down low.
When the Charlotte Hornets traded for Dwight Howard this offseason, most wrote off the acquisition as they believed the big man was past his prime. And while that still may be true, D12 is looking more and more like his old self. The reunion with Steve Clifford could be a large factor in his outstanding play.
Only four games into his Hornets’ career, the trade already looks like a steal for Charlotte. Dwight is putting up 13.3 points per game, 17.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. It remains to be seen if he can keep this up for an entire season but the strong start is promising.
Howard is currently leading the league in total rebounds at 71. The most impressive part is that he’s doing so in one less game than every other player in the top-five. The 31-year old is grabbing more boards than the likes of Andre Drummond, Rudy Gobert and Kevin Love.
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Dwight probably won’t ever average 20+ PPG and 13+ RPG again but at this point in his career, putting up the numbers he is with the Hornets is far better than most expected. Especially in an age where the new style of play in the NBA is moving away from true big men in the post. He is proving to still be a top-10 center in the league.
Having Howard focus on rebounding and defending while not prioritizing offense yet still getting consistent touches is proving to be an effective formula for Coach Clifford. After years of bad scheme fits in LA, Houston and Atlanta and multiple injuries, “The Daily Double” looks healthy and on a mission to revitalize his career.
Along with averaging a double-double, Howard is also shooting 61.8% from the field. He’s also breaking Hornets’ records left and right. From ESPN, “In four games this season, Howard has collected 71 rebounds. That’s not only the highest total by any Charlotte player over his first four career games with the team or his first four games of a season. It matches the most rebounds by a player in franchise history over any four-game span.”
The last player to grab 71 rebounds through four games for the Hornets was Emeka Okafor in 2007.
Despite his play, there are still the noticeable downfalls. Free throw shooting is still a problem as Dwight is only shooting 36.7% from the charity stripe and he is also turning the ball over at an alarming rate of 4.5 times per game.
So, no. Superman is not back. But a lesser version of him is alive and well. Awhile he isn’t as dominant as he once was, he is effective and making a positive impact with the Queen City team.
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It’s incredible to think that Rich Cho only had to give up Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee and a swap of second round picks to get the future Hall of Famer. While Superman may not be fully back, he is playing at a high level and bringing a new buzz to the Charlotte Hornets. If he can keep this up, Dwight Howard may make his ninth all-star appearance this season.