Dwight Howard Would Consider Coming To Boston
by Jeff Clark on Jan 26, 2012 8:58 AM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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There have been plenty of rumors that indicated that Boston was not on his short list of preferred destinations, but Dwight Howard was asked point blank if he would answer the phone if Danny Ainge came calling in the offseason. Here's what he had to say.
Dwight Howard to Hub? - BostonHerald.com
"Always. Always," Howard told the Herald. "I’d always listen to a team like that. "My thing is I want to win. It’s not something like I’m doing this for money. I win. I want to do it my way."
This is the collective response from Celtics nation.
"So you're telling me there's a chance... *YEAH!* " (see here)
Before we get too carried away (yeah, right), consider that there are still many miles before this decision can be made and that is assuming that Howard isn't traded somewhere before then (where he could potentially sign a longer contract in the offseason). Still, it is hard to read the following quotes and not get at least a little hopeful.
"You know," said Howard, "you look at a team like Boston and look at a team like LA who's won . . . especially Boston. Man, those guys came together and they didn't care who scored all the points. They had done all the individual stuff.
"You know, for me, I've done a lot of things individually, but I want a championship. All those accolades that I've got over the years, they mean a lot, but it's just different watching teams hold up that trophy and knowing how hard you have to work to get it.
"They have the championship mentality," he said of the Celts. "It means a lot. Like I said, I like the team. They play hard and they go after it, and that's what I like."
So here's my pitch to Howard if I'm Danny Ainge.
You and Rondo would solidify the two most critical positions on the basketball court. Everything else is relatively easy from that point on. We'll still have some money to spend to bring in other players (and we'll spend it more wisely than Otis Smith did). You talk about championships, well we've got a championship organization with one of the best coaches in the business locked in for the long haul. With you in place, we can build a new dynasty.
And here's the kicker. You can learn from the best from the start. You saw first hand that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce can still be dominant at times. Ray Allen is going to be draining 3 pointers when he's 50. Pierce is already locked in for a couple of years and we can bring back Ray and KG for a song.
They won't be the stars that they were a couple years ago, but that'll be your job now. Some of them might even be coming off the bench, if you can imagine that. You can soak up all their knowledge and experience for a year or two and if all goes well win a title or two before they officially retire. Then it will be your team and along the way we'll develop or acquire another couple of championship pieces to continue the pursuit of banners.
Speaking of banners, lets take a tour of the facilities. Oh, look who's here, Mr. Bill Russell. I'm sure you remember that heart warming video of him talking to Kevin Garnett and accepting him into the Celtic family. Imagine if that were you sitting across from him. Think about it.
If championships are really what is most important to you, Boston needs to be at the top of your list. We know championships.
(Will this pitch work? I don't know, I guess there's a chance. And that's all that we can ask.)
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This is Awkward
Considering we already have some of the magic’s players
Then how is it awkward O_o
Go Pats. Celtics. Red Sox. Bruins.
Brady. Pierce. Thomas. How you doing?
since you opened the can
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=73vfwm6
this leaves us with 25 million signed for next year we have 35 million in cap room 20 to dwight a combined 5 to hinrich and thompson leaves us 10 to sign another player
our starters are
Rondo/hinrich/bradley
?/Moore (allen)
??? (wallace/pietrus)
Smith/ Jajuan
Howard/ thompson
so we could resign allen for 2 million( if he accepts that) then we just have to find a SF
gerald wallace or batum should be available this offseason we could probably get him and sign pietrus and weve got a championship team
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 7:07 AM EST reply actions
that doesnt include our two draft picks
we could trade our two picks, our second round pick and avery bradley to detroit (or any other team with a 4-8 pick) for their pick and take kidd-gilchrist to play SF for us
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 7:18 AM EST up reply actions
Don't forget...
to add Jeff Green into the mix. He should be able to sign real cheap for a trial year because of his health issue.
man i hope we can get him back
but hes an unrestricted free agent now so we will see
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 5:37 PM EST up reply actions
Jeff's not going to take less money.
Look, I’m sure he appreciates how the Celtics handled the situation, heck Boston might even be his #1 choice.
But if you really think he’s going to take significantly less money just to come back here, you’re kidding yourself.
If the Celtics offer similar money to another team, I think his first choice would be to show some loyalty to the team after the way they handled the situation. But the money has to be similar.
How about this trade???
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6lwfvbw
The Heat have shown they do well without Wade (Wade and James don’t fit together IMO) I think Ray would fit their team much better.
This only works if the Magic believe they are going to loss Howard for nothing and should trade him now. Throw some draft picks their way to increase the value they get.
Yes it is a crazy trade but what the heck right. I think all 3 teams get something out of it. And we keep Paul!!!
by warriorspirit on Jan 26, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions
The magic
Trade Richardson anddddddd Dwight for Avery Bradley? And there is no way in hell wade gets traded. Paul pierce is more likely to suit up for the lakers than wade getting traded
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 5:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
make it happen dwight you will have a bright future ahead of you in boston.
celtics is all about winning championship and its a team environment.
I think
he might come here if we had another All-Star in his prime to go along with Rondo. So how does AInge achieve that? It might require theone thing that so many here are against…. trading away Paul Pierce.
exactly trade pierce for josh smith .
rondo, josh smith and dwight howard will be the next celtics big three if it happens.
by reb0undwins18 on Jan 26, 2012 7:56 AM EST up reply actions
nope
not a good fit. Howard and Rondo need to be surrounded by shooters and that is the weakest part of Josh Smith’s game….although he doesn’t seem to realize it because he keeps jacking them up.
by CelticsFanNC on Jan 26, 2012 8:38 AM EST up reply actions
good point
we will have offensive problems if 3/5 of our starting five will not be a shooter or atleast a player who can create his own shot/offensive minded. just imagine, who will hold the ball for a last shot? still, i’m skeptic with the idea of trading paul pierce. he provides too many intangibles for this team that cannot be seen on stats like leadership, stability, etc. but, a very big BUT, a trade for paul pierce is inevitable, i trade him for kevin love. they match salaries, then get dwight. a big 3 of howard, love and rondo, not bad? (pipe dream)
by ball is green on Jan 26, 2012 9:26 AM EST up reply actions
I think that PP would be a good piece to hang on to in this DH12 scenario
DH12 + RR + PP, even with PP fading over the next couple of years, is still a hell of trio. DH12 has never had a combination of PG plus scoring forward like that two work with – he carried a much lesser cast deep into the playoffs.
DH would provide a boost to PP’s career, being able to draw doubles up front – that would make PP’s elbow jumper / slash move even more effective, because there would be less help behind his defender to pick up the slash.
Add onto that maybe Ray and a stretch PF (even Bass and definitely JJ as he matures) and that’s a very balanced 5-man unit.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
I think DH pretty clearly said no to that--rightly IMO--back in December.
Ray and Pierce yet another year older are not enticements for a top-5 player looking for a long-term home. He needs two in-their-prime All-Stars to run with—and Danny and Wyc ought to provide that.
How can anyone agree with this
You’re basically replicating the Orlando Magic. Please tell me this is a joke
not true
like we said, rondo’s offense depends nearly 100% about his play near the rim. you need shooters around howard to keep the double team from happening in crunch time and at bay for most the game. the magic it was essentially four distance shooters and howard, some of those shooters could slash too. i like rondo and howard combination.
also, i don’t know if howard is renown at all for setting picks or if an offense can run with him setting high picks, but i would love to see him run some sort of pick and roll with rondo. hell, even pierce and howard on the pick and roll could be great.
Rondo excels with an elite around the rim finisher.
The whole “put shooters around him” stuff is exaggerated.
We saw it when Shaq was healthy for the first 30 games of last season. That unit was by one of the very best in offensive efficiency in the entire league.
When Rondo is driving and getting guys to collapse on him, there might not be anyone better in the league at finding ways to get the ball to the open man. So when you have a guy underneath who is nearly impossible to stop if he gets the ball in good position with the defense out of position (i.e. an elite around the rim finisher like Shaq or Howard) then Rondo is at his absolute best.
Step in the Right Direction
But, still, this caveat: D, if you want to win, really want it, do it now. Make your mates better, dont just clock another 20 -10. If he expects to go someplace and let his mates do the lifting ….
"Celtics bring order and structure to a chaotic world"
But will he learn?
No sign the habits are there. He’s got the tools, sho’ nuff. But the head to win?
"Celtics bring order and structure to a chaotic world"
Howard is not needed in Boston!
I know a lot of fans have been panting over the possibility of Dwight Howard joining the team at some point in the next 6 months, but why? What would a team of Rondo and Howard accomplish?
The entire point of having a true center that draws double-teams is that he can kick it out to open shooters. That is a system that is near-impossible to defend when done right. What good would Rondo be with Howard? Rondo cannot hit open shots. And a true PG of Rondo’s nature won’t be needed to dump the ball into Howard for alley-oops and dunks. Jameer Nelson can do that just fine. Will Dwight be running the fast break with Rondo? Not likely. Will Dwight clog up the lane, making it more difficult for Rondo to penetrate? Absolutely. Rondo would be better served alongside PFs/Cs like Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Al Horford, or Marc Gasol, guys who can do an equal measure of running the floor and hitting the outside shot.
Did Shaq ever win with a top-flight PG? No, he won with score-first SGs. Did Hakeem win with a top-flight PG? No, he won with a stable of shooters (but mostly he did things himself). Tim Duncan (not a true C, but often played the position) won with both a score-first PG and a terrific SG. No other center-dominated team has won the title in the past 30 years, unless you count Moses Malone’s 76ers back in 1983 (and they had Dr. J, Andrew Toney, and Maurice Cheeks). There is no precedent for a pass-first PG and a true C ever winning the championship during the past 30 years.
I think these fans have on beer goggles, thinking how great it would be to have the Big-3 and Rondo and Dwight Howard. That’s an unlikely scenario, even if only for next season. But that roster – Rondo + Big 3 + Howard – would be the only one that could possibly win a championship. Once the Big 3 leave, we’ll basically have Orlando North.
"Rondo cannot hit open shots."
That statement is simply not true.
Over his career, Rondo is an above-average shooter from 16-23 feet. He doesn’t take a lot of jump shots (why should he when he has had 3 fantastic shooters to dish too?) but when he does take them he has been better than most PGs at that range. These are facts supported by hard real numbers, not suppositions and opinion.
As for your other comments, as I recall, Shaq and Rondo played pretty well together in the first half of last season.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
Rondo’s career shooting % is .487 and his career 3-pt shooting % is .246, one of the worst for any PG in the league over the past six years. How does that space the floor for Howard? Rondo can’t even space the floor with the Big 3, who already draw all the attention away from him. How will he handle that burden when they’re gone and it’s him and Howard?
Shaq and Rondo played together for all of 37 games last season. That’s a very small sample size.
True centers don’t need pass-first PGs. They need either one exceptional scorer (preferably a SG/SF) or a stable of consistent shooters. It’s not that difficult to dump the ball into a center in the post. Rondo’s main talent (passing) would be wasted on a clog-the-lane behemoth like Howard.
Celtics fans talking themselves into wanting/needing Howard is as pathetic as Magic fans thinking they can win a title with him in Orlando. Howard needs a player like Kobe, Wade, or Durant to win a title, not a Rondo.
The clog the lane theory
Has already been proven false with Shaq last year, 37 games was enough to see that. Everyone thought Shaq would take away Rondo’s drives by “clogging the paint” but it was just the opposite. I laugh when I here pundits say the Celts lost a low post scoring threat when Shaq retired. He had zero low post game left as far as backing his man down one-on-one, he cold barely make a jump hook. Where he did thrive was in the pick and roll with Rondo and the big to big passing of KG.
If this formula allowed a 38 year old Shaq to get multiple easy buckets per game, imagine how well it would work with DH? Besides, although he has improved in this area, DH’s strength is not his one-on-one game in the post. That is why Perk excelled at covering him and didn’t require the Celts to use double teams. Howard won’t run the floor? I beg to differ, he is a gazelle for a big man and could get many easy points in semi transition. If he played with Rondo and an even an aging Big 3, he could put up 20 every game without the pounding on every possession, grab 15 and anchor the D like no other. I think it would be a great fit for everyone.
by KJ33 on Jan 26, 2012 11:12 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
+1
True about Shaq. He was a great finisher as the 4th option in that starting lineup
You're clouding the truth.
Shaq wasn’t successful in his 37 games because he and Rondo were playing pick-and-roll games on the other team. Shaq had Ray, Paul, and Kevin moving the ball and drawing his defender away. Many of Shaq’s easy dunks came off passes from Garnett, not Rondo.
And, at 37 years-old, Shaq is still a more intelligent player than Howard will ever be. Shaq knows where to position himself and how to position himself. Howard acts like a baby giraffe out there half the time, just throwing elbows and flailing his body all over.
rondo's a better shooter than people think
compare his shooting stats to most players, they arent that far off. his main problem is 3-9 feet and FT’s of course.
by craziness@analltimehigh on Jan 26, 2012 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
so many things
a) If you look at Rondo’s actual shot distribution you would see that he takes the bulk of his shots either at the rim or between 16-23 feet. The fact that his FG% is low outside the 3PT line is meaningless because he barely takes any shots out there. In the two ranges where he DOES take a lot of shots, he is above average. That is part of what makes him a smart ball player is that he does not waste shot attempts when he has better shooting options to pass to. From 16-23 feet, Rondo is a consistent >40% shooter (42% so far this year) whereas league average is just over 38% for all players and just a hair over 39% for PGs. I made no claim that he would ‘space the floor’. That has as much to do with defensive team perception as it does with how good he is.
Last year, Rondo shot 41% from that range. Notable names who shot WORSE from that range include Derrick Rose, Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Devin Harris – yet I’ll bet you don’t think of them as players who “can’t hit open shots.”.
You criticize Rondo’s career shooting percentage for only being 48.7% – but do you realize that last year the average FG% for Point Guards was just 43.5%? That only 5 PGs (Parker, Lawson, Udrih, Nash & Curry) posted a higher FG% than Rondo last year?
Before you toss out a stat and use it to support your point – you should make certain that it doesn’t cut the legs out from under your assertion.
I never said anywhere that the Celtics need Howard so you can take your ‘pathetic’ comment and … well do something pathetic with it. I am only pointing out that you are incorrect about Rondo’s ability to shoot jump shots. You also don’t have any real evidence to support the contention that a true big man and a true point guard can’t be the basis for a title team – easily disproven by the several examples folks have cited here.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
Sure, “Rondo cannot hit open shots” is an exaggeration but Rondo is an above-average shooter is also pretty misleading as well.
FIrst of all, Rondo probably takes the fewest shots from the 16-23 foot range out of any point guard and a sample size that small isn’t as trustworthy as you’d expect. And when he does it’s usually as a bail out option or simply because he’s completely wide open. When was the last time you’ve seen a point guard open that much and that often? The simple truth is that every time Rondo takes a jump shot the other team wins.
If Rondo was even a respectable shooter from mid range, three point range, or anywhere outside of the paint then why do point guards time and time again sag so far off of him and go under every pick and roll? Rondo’s lack of a jumpshot is why pick and rolls with him aren’t as effective as a pick and roll with Rose, Paul, Nash, or Williams.
Rondo’s quick and when he’s on he can finish magnificently in the paint, but he isn’t any quicker than Westbrook, Rose, or Paul. Rondo, even considering all his gifts and a game manager, makes the spacing on that Celtics offense incredibly tedious. Statistically, yes, he may be an above-average jump shooter but can you really say with a straight face that he’s even an average jump shooter?
Doc doesn't agree with you
Which is fine for you to disagree with the paid coach of the team, but just know that you do. He is always saying it will be a big help if Rondo does take those shots, he doesn’t necessarily need to make a really high percentage, but has to be willing to take it when open. So Doc has said just the opposite of you, that the other team wins when Rondo continually turns down open looks.
So...
How does the team win a championship with Rondo taking all his open shots, but NOT hitting them at a high percentage?
Look, I agree with Doc that Rondo needs to take that open 16-footer when he gets it, but Rondo taking it 8-12 times a game is not going to lead to a championship. Doc is hoping that if Rondo only hits 35-40% of those shots (when only taking 3-6 per game), it will open things up a bit more for Ray, Paul, and Kevin. He doesn’t expect Rondo to begin hitting them at an above-average rate.
And, with Howard in the paint and Rondo hitting that shot at a league average or below-league average rate, how does that equal championship? Orlando has had some fantastic shooters on their team and they can’t win a championship with Howard.
"Rondo is an above-average shooter" is not at all misleading.
It is simple fact that is measured and done.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
First of all, dude, Rondo is not that bad of a shooter. Second of all, you realize that there are more than TWO positions on a basketball court? Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Pietrus, neither of them can hit open shots?
Also, do you even WATCH basketball? Remember the beginning of last year when Shaq was healthy, how dominant he and Rondo were? That was a Shaq PAST HIS PRIME, and because of him Rondo was putting up HISTORICALLY good assist numbers. You don’t think that having a superstar center IN HIS PRIME wouldn’t be a good thing? What’s the difference between Shaq and Dwight Howard that would nullify play that we have SEEN on the court? This isn’t theoretical, we saw it only a year ago.
As for the no precedent thing, that is bullshit for so many reasons. The Houston Rockets two championships were carried by just such a combo. Oscar Robertson/Jerry Lucas? Cliff Hagan/Bob Pettit? It’s also disingenuous to discount combos that never won championships … Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone never won, but they were up against MICHAEL JORDAN. You really think we are going to have to deal with Michael? Nobody in the league now is that dominant, not even the Miami Heat.
For your first two paragraphs – see above. And, if you sign Howard to the max deal, you’re going to have Pierce for two years (maybe), Allen for one (probably), and Pietrus is most likely gone after this season. So, after next season the team loses most of those shooters. Also, the Shaq argument is simply ridiculous. The sample size is too small. If that’s your best argument then you have no argument at all.
As for your precedent rebuttal – did you even read what I wrote? The Rockets did NOT win with a true center and a top-flight PG. Hakeem didn’t have a top-flight PG. He had a stable of shooters. And, Hakeem was far, far better than Howard ever will be. Howard is nearly inept on the offensive end. He scores 20+ppg simply because the talent pool for centers in the league is so weak. Hakeem was an efficient offensive and defensive machine. Hakeem delivered 26ppg/12rpg for a number of seasons. Howard, going against a weak pool of center talent, only averaged more than 21ppg once in his career. Hakeem today, against the centers in this league, could probably go for 30ppg/16rpg.
As for your Oscar/Lucas and Hagan/Pettit argument – did I say the past 60 years? No, I said the past 30 years. You know, the era of modern basketball.
Oscar was an all-time great scorer and passer. He averaged 30ppg/12apg for the majority of his prime (which happened to be in the 1960s). Lucas, all 6’8" of him, averaged 20ppg/20rpg playing with Oscar. I’m sorry, but can Rondo score with the likes of Oscar? No. Oscar/Lucas isn’t even comparable to Rondo/Howard. The eras were too different.
Ewing never had a top-flight PG, and though Malone did (Stockton), he was a PF, not a C. It’d be harder to run the pick-and-roll Malone/Stockton ran with a Howard/Rondo combo. Howard is not nearly as athletic as Malone.
I am curious though, disregarding the 1950s-60s and players who have never won a championship, what makes you believe a Rondo/Howard combo would have any better chance of winning a championship than any of the teams Howard has been on down in Orlando over the past eight years? What makes you think pairing him with Rondo is going to make a difference?
I'm not guaranteeing any championships,
and I don’t think Rondo/Howard is an ideal fit.
But Rondo is better at basketball than any PG DH has played with in the past. So that alone makes SOME difference.
"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."
by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 26, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
I agree, Rondo is better than any ORL point.
But, Howard doesn’t need a fantastic PG to be successful. He needs an elite scorer at either PG/SG/SF.
It’s that inside/out balance that Rondo cannot offer.
I agree with this,
to an extent. RR/DH would be a wicked defensive combo. However, they simply do not compliment each other’s games on the offensive side. I mentioned the spacing issue for both of them, and I agree with that. I’m far from sold as Rondo as a shooter either, and the number of missed free throws between those 2 would be mind-boggling.
That said, it’s tough to imagine NOT bringing in the most dominant big man in the game if given the opportunity, and I don’t think your historical data actually means anything.
Also, I’m not sure why you’re knocking the potential fast break, either. That would be awesome to watch.
"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."
by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 26, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
OH
I don’t think he’s coming to Boston anyway, so this convo is probably all for naught. He says he wants to win, but he wants to be a celeb.
"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."
by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 26, 2012 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
Actually not having a true PG is holding Dwight Howard back
Over the years in the Orlando he has not gotten enough touches and shot attempts given how much better he is than the rest of the team, they know he attracts a lot of attention and jack up too many jumpers. Jameer Nelson is a decent playmaker but is more comfortable shooting. Dwight will be better on offense with Rondo feeding him, I can guarantee that. Neither person being good at jumpshots can hurt the spacing but howard will always command double teams in the post. Rondo can blow by most people 1v1. Also you can have the 2/3/4 be shooters and there will be no issues. The big problem will always be can we get Dwight Howard, not do we want Dwight Howard.
Howard not getting enough touches is on the coach, not the PG. If the coach wants Howard to get more touches, he directs that initiative to his players.
And, you quote “Also you can have the 2/3/4 be shooters and there will be no issues.” is ludicrous. ORL has shooters at 1-4, and has for five+ years, and they’re just an average Eastern Conference team.
Howard needs someone like Wade, Kobe, or Durant. He doesn’t have enough Hakeem in him to do it on his own with a squad full of shooters. Howard needs to be a second banana, relying on someone else to carry the heavy weight – kind of like LeBron in Miami.
so..
Your saying a team first mentality wouldn’t work when having rondo/?/pierce/?/howard… Fill in the ? with young talent, FAs that will play D but also understand its a team concept on Offense. and he needs to play the perk role to wade, kobe or durant. I guess the billups led piston team. The 07-08 celtics team didn’t prove that if you have a little of everything and play as a team won’t work. its 1 vs 1. And Howard can’t do it.
I didn't know that was the ENTIRE point of having a center
You’re not the sharpest crayon are you? :p
Believe
by Green Oracle on Jan 26, 2012 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
you really just hate rondo
You keep bringing up he can’t shoot, he can’t hit the jumper..how about the fact that he scores 13, 10, 5, 2 with out that deadly jumper and throwing 30 shots up a game..
Kidd was never considered a great shooter, he has a ring. Rondo has a ring. So your pass first pg argument doesn’t hold up.
They actually have more rings than rose, westbrook, nelson, nash, bobby, iverson, Ellis, curry, Williams, Paul, hinrich, wall, lebron, Andre miller, Ty. Lawson… etc combined and they all have a better jump shot than rondo and kidd.
What you still don’t get its about a TEAM! If they were able to surround Howard/rondo with good shooters. Than it could work. Example – Shaq led Orlando magic. Scott, Anderson etc hit open three point shots cause Shaq was getting wide open ducks so people double teamed him and passed it out. Rondo doesn’t have to be the one he passes it to, there can be 3 other players out there with those 2. And if rondo has the ball and running (which he is the best pg at doing) he will find a trailing 3 point shooter. (ray allen, pierce) or lob it to the middle (kg, perk (in the past, Davis) or hopefully Howard.
Look, it's not impossible to find shooters.
Keep Rondo, Get Howard, we’ll still have Pierce signed, bring back Ray Allen for a year, and fill the bench with decent shooters. This isn’t a bad idea.
That said I’m still looking forward to the rest of THIS year.
Sounds like he's just talking good PR
From a business perspective, of course he’ll keep his options open and take the free dinners from GMs. But it still feels like he has his heart/mind set on NY, LA, or Dallas. He can make the same statements in the Charlotte Observer and Bobcat fans would drool with anticipation, but everyone knows he’s not signing with Charlotte.
There is a huge difference.
If he put “winning” and Charlotte in the same sentence, he would be lying. I don’t think Dwight Howard lies a lot, if ever.
by European NBA fan on Jan 26, 2012 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
If he is sincere and it is about championships rather than money,
then those teams that have the pedigree and/or most likely remain in contention are:
Boston
LA
Dallas
Miami
OKC
Chicago
San Antonio
From this group, we can eliminate Miami unless they trade one of their stars. Also delete OKC since they would never part with Westbrook (just signed huge extension) or Durant. San Antonio is on the down swing with Duncan near retirement and Manu hurt. That leaves the Lakers, Bulls, Dallas and the Celtics. I could see him consider Dallas, but who is he going to play with? Kidd? I doubt Kidd is there next year. I guess Cuban will go after Deron Williams but has Dwight ever expressed a desire to play with him? If so, then Deron’s signing could tip it to Dallas. As for the Lakers, there is the glitz and glam of LA and Kobe still have a couple of good years left. But then Bynum goes to make room for Howard and they still do not have a point guard to dish to him. The Bulls are 18-3 without Howard and without key players in spurts. Do they need him? Thibs is a defensive minded coach and would mold Howard into a beast. He would also pair with Rose which would dominate the East for years.
Celtics? We have all analyzed Howard on this team. What stands out is his pairing with Rondo and the other max deal we can offer, as well as Doc.
I think it comes down to us and the Bulls, since Rose and Rondo are the best PG’s of all the teams. Also, Rivers and Thibs are excellent coaches and both teams have a rich championship history.
Want to tip the scales in our favor? Sit him down with Bill Russell.
Hard for me to leave the Clippers off that list, when I look at their roster on paper.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
should we surprise?
Even if he’s yanking the chain there’s a lot of players around the league that respect the Celtics. Since Garnett and Allen joined Pierce along with the development of Rondo, Perkins and Davis the Celtics have become a serious team. But I don’t see what Boston has to offer at this time as far as trade pieces.
The Celtics will have to get lucky during the off-season to land DH12.
Goin' All Optimistic on your buttocks
OK, I will break out of my normally pessimistic POV and say if we got Howard and were able to re-sign ray and kg for one year deals making a lot less I think we would have legit shot at a title. consider that we could have:
Pierce, Green and Pietrus at small forward
KG, Bass and JOhnson at PF
Howard, Wilcox and Steimsmas at center
rondo, moore at pg
ray, bradley and dooling at SG
plus we get a couple of good draft picks so who knows.
I like that team!
Looks good to me… sign him up! :)
Told you so!!
Had to say that to all the people out there that said there was no way he was coming here…
I still don't think he'll end up here
but it is nice to hear him finally say something that leaves the door open.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
It makes too much sense
Dwight Howard to Boston makes way too much sense. It seems to me as if it has been Danny’s plan to get Howard this whole time. He traded Perkins after he turned down the contract extension into Jeff Green, who does not play the same position as Howard (and Krstic, who was a temporary fix). Also, he has cleared his cap room for this season, and gave Ray Allen a very respectable payday on his last free agency so he might be willing to take much less.
My hope is that we sign Howard, re-sign Ray and KG to cheap contracts, and fill in the gaps. With two first round picks in a strong draft, we can either serve to bolster our bench and future, OR we can package those picks along with a developing Avery Bradley to another team with a higher pick (or a proven player). I personally have my eye on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out of Kentucky, he is unselfish and can flat out play. This is kind of a pipedream, but now since Eric Gordon has refused the Hornets’ extension, maybe we could muster up the cash to land him as well.
It makes too much sense only from our perspective
For Dwight it’s just one of many options, it seems like he doesn’t care purely about glamour (he is willing to be traded to Texas, not just LA/New Jersey(Brooklyn)) but I am sure the biggest markets are still a high priority.
dream on guys...
not gonna happen..if kevin was a longshot then, dwight would be light years away from beantown..
Also,
that picture on the top of the page is creeping me out. I don’t care what PP and Dwight do on their own time, but…get a room.
"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."
by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 26, 2012 11:12 AM EST reply actions
now Dwight has the right idea.
I think he would really thrive here. I also think you would see a much more mature Dwight. As long as our vets stay for a discount.
by forever_green on Jan 26, 2012 1:55 PM EST via mobile reply actions
im not holding up my breath
unless ainge can get some other rly good player(s) in the summer or show signs of that happening, I just dont see how howard will view us as a better fit for winning championships. He’s looking at the next 4-5 years not the past or this current season. As it stands now with only rondo and an aging pierce on our book next season it does not look good enough i am afraid
Well say we can get him (More likely in the offseason if he holds off, unless we are able to pull a trade)
Go out and bring in Eric Gordon? The man can score and looks like he wants out of New Orleans, well at least he denied to sign an extension.
hes a restricted free agent
so not signing an extension only means he is willing to wait to get a bigger contract now he can see if any team will give him a max contract and make New Orleans match it
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 5:41 PM EST up reply actions
Howard
Van Gundy has always done Howard a disservice. He thought that surrounding him with trigger happy 3 point shooters would make a team. And after failing as a team year after year, Van Gundy brings back the same plan over and over. Howard has needed a point guard. Howard also would benefit greatly from another defensive minded forward. It’s all been geared toward scoring and thinking that Howard can be the defense for the entire team.
Boston is a completely different team. The idea that if Howard comes to Boston, we suddenly become Orlando is laugh out loud silly. Unless we ship away Rondo, Allen, Pierce and KG to get Howard, we are world’s away from Orlando. Not to mention, we have a real coach and a core of players who will overshadow “Superman” and let the basketball player in Howard emerge.
Having said all of that, I think it’s a slim chance. I do think he fits in here though. I’ve never been the biggest fan of his smiling bully persona but if he’s wearing green, it could grow on me. Doc could make him better and we have enough aging stars to counter his growing ego.
didnt they get to the finals
with that coach and that plan?
by JuJuan some moore on Jan 26, 2012 5:39 PM EST up reply actions
I'm surprised, the Celtics have an outside chance
I kinda thought the Celtics had absolutely no shot at Howard, but this gives Celtics fans reason for some cautious optimism.
At some level Howard was just telling a Boston reporter what they wanted to hear but even so, he wouldn’t have elaborated as much if he had no real interest in Boston as a destination.
If he was being asked this question about joining the Sacramento Kings he probably would have dismissed the question by saying something along the lines of “Orlando is where my heart is” or “I’m with the Magic, that’s all that matters now”.
Orlando would be crazy not to trade him before the deadline though. There’s been talk of the Knicks trading Amare for Howard, which would be a much better deal then trading with the Lakers for Bynum.
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