Why Dwight Howard to the Warriors Makes Sense
All stats were taken from ESPN, Statmuse, and Teamrankings.com
San Francisco, CA (PSF) - Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that veteran center and 2020 NBA Champion Dwight Howard would be visiting the Golden State Warriors this week.
Taking a look at the Warriors’ roster construction, the Howard fit is obvious. They do not have a center on the roster. Their tallest listed active player is forward Dario Saric at 6’10”, but Saric’s player archetype is quite different from Howard’s. Saric, a stretch-four, not a center, has solid passing ability and shot 39.1% from three last year, but he is not a paint defender and at the defensive level of Howard.
The Warriors’ only “true center” is Iron Man Kevon Looney (actually listed as a forward), who quality NBA starter and fulfills his role incredibly well, but relying on him for 82 games plus potentially the playoffs is unsustainable. This means the Warriors must find another player who can play the Looney role for the other approximately 15-20 minutes when Looney is not on the Court, or Draymond Green is not playing center.
Howard, even at age 37, can still provide quality minutes off the bench, similar to Javale McGee’s tenure during the Warriors’ championship years, who provided paint defense and rebounding and was an important spot starter during times. He can improve the Warriors’ 18th-ranked rebounding success rate (49.7%), and improve their interior defense and overall defense, as Howard had a 109.4 Defensive Rating in his last NBA season (and a 102.6 DRTG during the Lakers’ title year) while the Warriors had a 114.4 Team Defensive Rating during the 2022-2023 season.
He also seems to be in great shape, and still committed to the game.
In terms of team fit, Howard should be perfect. With the two greatest shooters of all time Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the perimeter, and an active pick-and-roll game with Draymond Green and Chris Paul, Howard should have open lanes all game for lobs off rolls, and plenty of mismatches in the paint against guards. Defensively, under the direction of Draymond Green, the Warriors’ defensive switchability on the perimeter should allow Howard to have a relatively easy time focusing on the paint, just like Kevon Looney. With the Warriors’ high-level defensive chemistry, Howard can also switch onto smaller defenders with the guarantee that Draymond Green will direct rotations to help on the bigger matchup.
Although the Warriors have a cast full of distinct and powerful personalities, with their Big Three and Chris Paul, Howard seems to have matured with his years and committed to adopting the roles that are most beneficial to the team. We saw this with the Lakers, where he was an integral piece to their title in 2020. Coming to a highly respected organization like the Warriors, who will likely treat him right, there is no reason why Howard cannot contribute to another potential title, just as he did in Los Angeles.
Howard may be past his prime, but he can still be a valuable piece. It will be interesting to see what happens in the following days.
