Lakers scared about Howard leaving; don't know what to with him

Jerz-2

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...who is that a worst reflection upon?

The front office?

Kobe?

How about Dwight himself. This nikka drug this thing out for two years, then finally gets traded and whines like a hoe about the team not being "close like the Clippers".

(LOL....Broussard just said on "Mike & Mike" that D'Antoni would get fired before Dwight would get traded....can you imagine the Lakers firing TWO coaches in less than six months? :smh: )

ESPN Los Angeles reports that while the Los Angeles Lakers believe they have a strong chance of re-signing Dwight Howard this offseason, they may consider moving him due to his growing unhappiness with head coach Mike D'Antoni.

The report states that the Lakers have fielded multiple trade inquiries for Howard, but have obviously rejected all of them. Howard has not publicly stated that he would sign elsewhere when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but he has recently hinted that he's not comfortable with his role in D'Antoni's system. If things do not improve, there's a chance that he could move on.
Lakes general manager Mitch Kupchak says a trade is not coming in the near future:

"I don't think we're at the point where you say, 'It's time for a trade,' and a trade happens in three to four days. That's just not how this league works," Kupchak said in a phone interview with ESPN.

Howard caused a big fuss in Orlando before the Magic finally traded him to Los Angeles in a four-way blockbuster deal in August. The big man did not sign an immediate extension with the Lakers because stipulations in the new CBA make it more financially advantageous to wait until free agency to re-sign with the team. Many figured that would not be an issue considering the expected success of the Lakers, but with this season going haywire, uncertainty has settled in.

Howard himself has been up-and-down. His averages of 17.1 points and 12.3 rebounds are almost on par with his career averages, and he's shooting a stellar 58.2 percent from the field. But it's apparent that his back injury has robbed him of some of his explosiveness, which has hurt him on both ends of the floor. There have been times where it simply looks like he's giving minimal effort, and it's hard to tell whether that really is the case or if it's the back bothering him.

Furthermore, Howard and several others have reportedly "soured" on D'Antoni's offense. The Lakers hired D'Antoni with the idea that Howard and Steve Nash could run a dominant pick-and-roll game together. The offense has actually had quite a bit of success, but Howard and Nash have not been able to find a consistent chemistry on the pick-and-roll. Pau Gasol's effectiveness has also taken a big hit, and the fact that he and Howard have not figured out how to play together is a pretty large problem. D'Antoni recently moved Gasol to the bench in hopes of getting more out of the Spaniard at the center position.

Several Lakers, including Howard, would rather slow the tempo and run a more inside-out game that takes advantage of the talented bigs. While does that make some sense, it also seems clear that offense is not the main problem in Los Angeles. The Lakers are still near the top of the league in scoring. If they do not focus on improving on the defensive end of the floor, all this talk about changing the offense is irrelevant. Although maybe changing the offense to cater to Howard means he stays.

Seriously...if you're a Nets fan, why would you want that guy?
 

DStyles

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Dwight wanted to play in one place only and that wasn't in Staples Center :heh:






























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Jerz-2

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Could the mods merge my thread into Von Doom's? Thanks.

Dwight for Demarcus Cousins. :laugh:

Nah but seriously...I think they're forcing themselves into a position where they HAVE to fire D'Antoni. Either that, or they'd better be prepared to write off this season and hope Dwight resigns in the offseason once they fire D'Antoni THEN.

But let's be real.....if they don't fire D'Antoni that just SMACKS of egoism (which is why they didn't hire Phil in the first place).
 

OG Talk

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Let's be honest dude just wants to have fun..He could have fun in Houston and still be in a big city that has a small town feel without all the pressure...Plus they have more pieces than Dallas and Atlanta and more flexibility than Brooklyn..

Even if they turn it around and win in L.A. he will never have fun with Kobe and being happy is more important to him than winning rings...
 

Skip b

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Need to fire D'antoni.

:heh: @ paying 2 coaches to do nothing,

The have to cut bait now with Mike, now that he knows that Lakers wont trade Gasol because they need his expiring contract for the end of next season, he turned his target on Dwight


:pacspit: at D'antoni and his scapegoating ass
 
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