After getting a lot of flak for his comments after Chandler Parsons left the Houston Rockets and that he and James Harden allegedly do not mingle with the rest of the Houston Rockets, Dwight Howard is ready to take on the leadership position.
He said in an ESPN article after losing Chandler, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, "It won't affect us at all. We have myself and James. We have the best center and the best two guard in the game on the same team. It's on us."
James Herbert of CBSSports.com commented about Howard's statements, "Speaking from his father's basketball camp, Howard went on to praise newcomer Trevor Ariza, calling him a 'soldier.' That's fine, and there's no reason he shouldn't be confident about Houston's chances. It's just that this is a bit much. Parsons is very, very good. Losing him, a 6-foot-9 forward who can shoot, create and finish, will obviously affect the Rockets. So will the other cap-clearing moves that didn't bring back any assets. It's going to be tough to win as many games as last year."
In an article by Bleacher Report, Howard showed that he was getting back to top form during the 2013-2014 NBA season, reminiscent of his glorious days with the Orlando Magic. He, Harden and Parsons led the team to the 2014 playoffs and although they lost in the first round, Howard filled up his stats quite well, averaging 26 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game.
Howard's strong performance in the previous season is a good sign that he may be able to lead the team. However, some experts question if he can handle double-team defense well and if there are other players on the Rockets that can aid him in defending. Having Trevor Ariza will fill in some of the gap that Parsons left, but Howard still needs another man to defend in the paint area. Hopefully, Terrence Jones can do the job.
If Dwight Howard intends to carry the Houston Rockets on his shoulders, he should at least listen to what head coach Kevin McHale has to say. McHale understands that trading Parsons was a big loss for the team and that the offseason rumors about his isolation from the rest of the team should be addressed.
According to SB Nation, the Houston Rockets will be opening the 2014-2015 NBA season against the Los Angeles Lakers on either October 28, 2014. It will be the first time that Kobe Bryant will face Howard after the center transferred from the Lakers to the Rockets.
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