Forgiving Dwight Howard Forgiving Us

Photo by Mullenkedheim on Flickr

In essence, Howard ranks as the most efficient, high-volume, back-to-basket player in five seasons, when Yao and O’Neal topped them in their prime and just-past-prime years. Further, those two played in only 48 and 40 games, respectively, that season.

Based on these data, I believe it’s fair to conclude Howard is enjoying the best offensive season of any duraable back-to-basket player in recent NBA history. This is in addition to his dominance as a one-on-one and help defender, and as a rebounder.

Some aspects of his offense are properly rated. He’s a bit too turnover prone, particularly when he brings the ball low after a rebound or on a drive to the basket, to say nothing of his numerous, needless offensive fouls for shoving. He ought to shoot free-throws more accurately than he does, as I reject the belief that he’s simply hopeless at the line, doomed to shoot in the high-fifties every season.

But as far as everything else goes? We have not “properly rated” Howard’s offense. We have severely, woefully, shamefully underrated it.

via No, Dwight Howard is Not “Properly Rated,” Despite Bill Simmons’ Claims – Orlando Pinstriped Post.

(Note: You’ll have to forgive the tardiness for this post. Evan posted this nearly two weeks ago. I was buried in All-Star. Then trade deadline. Then trying to recover from trade deadline. Then trying to sober up from recovering from the trade deadline.)

Are you afraid of Dwight Howard?

I’m not asking that rhetorically. That’s not a cute way of bringing a subject of doubt up. I honestly don’t know. When Memphis plays the Magic, for example, I’m not particularly terrified. I’m worried about Orlando’s defense and the prospect of Jameer Nelson going off or the depth becoming an issue. But I’m not afraid of Dwight Howard laying waste to the countryside.

Conversely, when he plays the Lakers, the Celtics, the Spurs, even the Hornets, I don’t think about how much the opponent should be concerned because there’s a world of hurt headed their way. Dwight Howard’s going to hurt them. That’s of no doubt. But is he going to tear down the castle walls and eat the villagers? Is he knocking over Tokyo and forcing an evacuation? Or is he pretty much tearing down two buildings and then getting forced back to Monster Island?

And yet, without him, the Magic are sunk. Screwed. FUBAR.

Howard has joined the legion of players who I become physically angry at when they fail to surprise me. That one-pause hesitation, right-to-left sweeping side-hook thing he does, it makes me actually physically, visibly angry because it’s so dependent on the defense not anticipating, so dependent on how the ball rolls on the rim, so dependent on everything going right without the slightest moment of improvisation.

His solution? The spoiler on the submarine.

The jumpshot.

When Howard has taken over a game, the way he so rarely has, it’s awe-inspiring. He’s truly unstoppable. You think to yourself, with every falling roller, “God, what if this is it? What if he does this every night?”  And then he goes back to laughing, smiling, getting technicals, missing free throws, and the same awkward-14-year-old-Catholic-school-dance-footwork he seems to think will get better if he just repeats the same steps over and over again.

The free throws, most notably, piss me off. Ray Allen talks a lot about how your jumper and your free throw shot are connected, and that if your free throw shot is off, your jumper is off. For whatever reason, the opposite is true with Howard. There’s no connection between his jumper and his free throw shot. Sebastian’s broken down the hitch, but that only tells the story of why his shot’s off, not why he can’t or won’t improve it. He’s an MVP-candidate center who is shooting the second worst percentage from the stripe of his career. How does that happen? How much better could he be if you couldn’t foul him?

Here’s another one.

Why do I care?

Howard averages 23 points and 14 rebounds per game and is the defensive basketball equivalent of a guy carrying a bazooka during laster tag. No one wants to play with that kid. He’s a phenomenal player, with excellent recognition of the weak-side, the ability to shut down man-up, can run the floor, the pick and roll, and dunks like Zeus his ownself.

So why do I demand more out of him? As Dunlap breaks down, there are tons of reasons why Howard is statistically the most relevant player in the league.

But you don’t marvel at him like you did Shaq, like you did Robinson, like you did Olajuwon. And I’m not one for waxing ecstatic about days gone by. I welcome the new crop. I cherish the idea that we’re seeing great. But I don’t feel that way with Howard. I feel like we’re seeing “great, not elite.” And that would be fine, were it not for the fact that he and his fans want him to be considered as such. And I can’t see it.

Maybe I’m not looking in the right place. Maybe I’m setting the narrative before it’s written. Maybe I’m still scarred from the fact that Pau Gasol muscled him in the Finals. But I can’t see it. I don’t mean to say it’s not there. I think it is there, because more than just Magic fans see it. But enough people don’t see it to beg the question:

Which way do we have to turn the mirror to get that face?

Meanwhile, Howard’s rattling along. Those that watch him every night among palm trees will say you have to see him every night to appreciate what he does. As someone who watches so much of so many players during the year? I can tell you every player in this league has that to a degree. Derek Fisher is not a good point guard, but there are things you’ll come to appreciate that he does that you don’t notice upon first glance. Howard does more of those.

But I’m still asking more. Somewhere beyond that, I know Dwight Howard is awesome. Isn’t this like turning the question of Godzilla being awesome into whether Godzilla is the most awesome thing in the known universe which in and of itself diminishes how awesome Godzilla is? Aren’t I just making a top ten list of things that are awesome, in some drawn out, NBA hispter format? What am I, Bleacher Report?

And even while I’m doing so, I’m setting myself up for when he departs, and the Magic fans are surprised, despite everything that’s gone on, and for when they turn on him and mention his free-throw shooting. And for him to get a superior supporting casts afforded by so-called “smarter” management in a more populous area. And for the blame to suddenly deflect off of him and for him to be appreciated while he doesn’t change anything.

And I wonder if it’s not Dwight Howard who’s truly in need of forgiveness or to be asked for our forgiveness. I wonder if instead that’s Otis we need to turn to.