There was a moment in 2023 when Dwight Howard was inches away from a Warriors jersey. However, he never suited up for the Bay Area team and ended up playing overseas. He’s still playing hoops, just not in the NBA, but one can’t stop imagining what would have been if the Warriors had signed him. Howard is not immune to this fantasy, either.
He’s laying the groundwork for his post-playing media career with his podcast, Above The Rim with DH 12. For the first time, Howard got candid about his almost deal with the Warriors and what that would’ve been like.
Is Dwight Howard the key to keeping the dynasty going?
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There are two uncertainties in the league right now. One makes people wonder if the Warriors dynasty has ended after they were eliminated from the play-ins. The second thought that bothers many is if Dwight Howard can make a domestic comeback. Howard claims the answer to both is Superman himself. Maybe if he had been in the Bay Area sooner, he believes that the Warriors would have a better shot at the playoffs too.
“I felt like I would have made the team a lot better this year with my presence,”he said on his podcast. He further added, “Especially on the defensive end.” That being said, one cannot deny that Howard’s defensive prowess remains unmatched even now. Even if the NBA isn’t utilizing it, other leagues are.
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After winning the 2020 championship in his second stint with the Lakers, he last played in the NBA in 2022. Howard later went to Taiwan, playing the 2022-23 season with the Taoyuan Leopards, where alongside winning titles, he also led the league in rebounds and was All-Defensive First Team.
He was setting the stage for an NBA return when he had the opportunity to work out with the Warriors. Even his notorious critic and fellow Superman, Shaquille O’Neal was enticed. The idea of him playing with Steph Curry and Draymond Green was exhilarating for DubNation. Howard also made subtle social media posts indicating his excitement for the challenge.
However, that contract never came, and he made another subtle remark saying he’s moving on like a “Warrior.” That was shortly before his 38th birthday. He’s now playing for the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional. While diehard fans would argue he’s got a couple of seasons in him, Howard said on the podcast the deal with the Warriors didn’t work out because he wasn’t in “top shape.” On the other hand, it doesn’t seem like retirement is not on the cards for Howard yet.
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Is Dwight Howard and the Warriors, a good mix?
Howard’s NBA career boasted averages of 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds. He’d bring the solid big-man experience of 19 years to any team. Something, until their elimination, the Warriors needed against Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, and Lakers’ Anthony Davis. Kevon Looney and Draymond Green are a little undersized to guard both. It didn’t help that he was suspended when the team needed him most. Hence a bigger defender was what the Dubs needed most. But may be they have too many veterans on the roster at the moment.
Steve Kerr has more veterans than youngsters in rotation. Charles Barkley has been calling them “old”and “cooked“ since the start of the season. Green, Curry, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul, are, to paraphrase Chuck, getting older not healthier. In the play-in game, Klay Thompson went scoreless. It made Shaq, who had been so sure the Warriors would make playoffs, do a 180 and say they need to get younger, both in younger veterans and younger draft picks.
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At this time, adding a 38-year-old Howard (37 at the Warriors workout) would have only reinforced the limitations that the veterans in the team are already under. Curry is a lock for the next season. But fans are pushing for younger talent like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to be his sidekicks.
There’s no way to assert Howard’s defensive capacity in a fantasy setting. He can guard like nobody’s business. Regardless, a veteran is the last thing the Warriors need. But D-Howard back in the NBA? Any day.
