Dwight Howard is no longer the NBA's best center.

[syfy9]

Andrew Bynum is the best center in the league right now, when fully healthy.



It pains me to admit it, but Bynum is the best center in the league right now. Here is why :

Bynum is a superior post player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S7se-tB8i4

If you have ever watched an Orlando Magic game, you'd be very frustrated with Howard's lack of post moves. While the camps with Hakeem has improved his game, he is not refined, unlike Bynum. He is constantly attempting his signature running hook and fade instead of lunging forward.
Bynum has a developed post game, with a good hook and a series of fake moves. He finishes just as well as Howard at the age of 24, 2 years younger than Howard. Just think how much he could improve with workouts with McHale and Hakeem.

Statistical wise, Bynum is just as dominant as Howard.


Bynum - 18.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.0 BPG, and 58.3% FG shooting.
Howard - 20.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 2.2 BPG, and 57.9% FG shooting.

On first glance, you can easily assume Howard is the better player. But take into account these losers :



Howard is not playing with an all star caliber PF in Pau and a dominant shooter (in quantity, not quality). Pau's presence commands at least 15 and 8, which diminish Bynum's numbers. Pau has been deferring lately to Bynum, but I see why. He knows his teammate is a top center in this league now. If you place Bynum on the Magic, he'll put up higher numbers than he's averaging now.
Another thing Howard does not experience in Orlando is Jason Richardson shooting 20+ shots a game. While Kobe is a piece of poop, he is still the league leader in PPG. Would Dwight's numbers be as high as they are now if the league's leading scorer was on the Magic?




Howard - 2.2 BPG, Bynum - 2.0 BPG

Also, if you want to argue that Howard is the better defender, that may or may not be true. Howard and Bynum are averaging similar BPG numbers this year, though Howard's presence is more powerful than Bynum's. Still, Bynum has Pau on his team.

If Bynum was on the Magic, he'd be better than Howard now.

I understand that I am making a very bold statement, but Bynum's post game and eerily similar numbers tell the story. The one thing that made me think twice was how Howard gets double teamed constantly and how Bynum would behave in constant double teams.
But then I researched a key term that completely convinced me that Bynum is the better center : free throws.

Andrew Bynum : 3.7 FTM, 5.4 FTA, 68.4% FTS
Dwight Howard : 5.1 FTM, 10.5 FTA, 48.6% FTS
 
This is it. Theoretically, your free throw percentage will not substantially change despite changing teams. Howard gets doubled constantly, which often results to hack-a-howard, due to his very low free throw percentage. He averages twice as many attempts per game as Bynum. While he makes more, he shoots sub 50%. Bynum shoots sub 70%. If Bynum gets 10.5 attempts per game, he would make around 7 FTM per game - +4 points. Add that to his 18 PPG average and you get 22 PPG. Then take into consideration how many more touches Howard gets than him. That's how dominant Bynum would be, at the age of 24.


http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=bynuman01&y1=2012&p2=howardw01&y2=2012

[Smutzy#9]

The major error of your article is that fact that Howard has been the most dominant big man for several consecutive seasons now. Where as this is definatly the emerging year for Andrew Bynum and he will be the dominant centre of the West if he stays healthy.

And you cant forget the 3 years in a row as the defensive player of the year.

But cheers for the stats. And i totaly agree with you about how frustrating it is to see a big man with sub par post game and under developed hook shot.

[guava_wrench]

Bynum is a headcase right now. He is transforming into Cousins.

[thestackshow]

So your saying that if Orlando called LA and said "Hey lets swap Bynum for Howard" that LA would say "No thanks, we have the best center in the league, you keep howard, were gonna stay with bynum"?

[chambers]

Bynum is a superior basketball player. He's smarter and he has better post moves, and he is younger. If he were 100% healthy with no health issues he would clearly be the best center in the NBA and possibly one of the best all time. Can you imagine this guy with a pass first PG like Rondo? He would completely destroy everyone.
Sharing the paint with another 7 footer and the scoreboard with a guy who shoots the most shots in the NBA hurts his numbers as you pointed out.
I think I agree with you to the extent that he has been the best center this year. It remains to be seen if he can stay healthy whether or not he becomes more dominant that Howard.
Just think if they had this kid in the 08 finals.
I doubt we win to be honest.

[Smutzy#9]

Bynum is a superior basketball player. He's smarter and he has better post moves, and he is younger. If he were 100% healthy with no health issues he would clearly be the best center in the NBA and possibly one of the best all time. Can you imagine this guy with a pass first PG like Rondo? He would completely destroy everyone.
Sharing the paint with another 7 footer and the scoreboard with a guy who shoots the most shots in the NBA hurts his numbers as you pointed out.
I think I agree with you to the extent that he has been the best center this year. It remains to be seen if he can stay healthy whether or not he becomes more dominant that Howard.
Just think if they had this kid in the 08 finals.
I doubt we win to be honest.

Just think Shaq and JO stayed healthy last year, and KG didnt blow his knee out in 09. Dynasty...

I doubt Bynum is a smarter basketball player, bot have shown immaturity at times but i think Howard is the better basketballer

The fact that howard has put up the numbers he has over the years is a tribute to his skill considering he has never really had the weapons surrounding him (ie Kobe and Gasol) to really make the opponents think about not double and triple teaming him. Orlando just surround him with a bunch of chuckers to free the paint up and they dont have the punch apart from Anderson this year to make the opposition really worry about playing proper Man on Man defence.

[chambers]

Bynum is a superior basketball player. He's smarter and he has better post moves, and he is younger. If he were 100% healthy with no health issues he would clearly be the best center in the NBA and possibly one of the best all time. Can you imagine this guy with a pass first PG like Rondo? He would completely destroy everyone.
Sharing the paint with another 7 footer and the scoreboard with a guy who shoots the most shots in the NBA hurts his numbers as you pointed out.
I think I agree with you to the extent that he has been the best center this year. It remains to be seen if he can stay healthy whether or not he becomes more dominant that Howard.
Just think if they had this kid in the 08 finals.
I doubt we win to be honest.

Just think Shaq and JO stayed healthy last year, and KG didnt blow his knee out in 09. Dynasty...

I doubt Bynum is a smarter basketball player, bot have shown immaturity at times but i think Howard is the better basketballer

The fact that howard has put up the numbers he has over the years is a tribute to his skill considering he has never really had the weapons surrounding him (ie Kobe and Gasol) to really make the opponents think about not double and triple teaming him. Orlando just surround him with a bunch of chuckers to free the paint up and they dont have the punch apart from Anderson this year to make the opposition really worry about playing proper Man on Man defence.

If we have Shaq and JO vs Bynum at Gasol (all at full health), who are you giving the edge to?
Even with KG, it's hard to get past that Lakers team if Bynum is healthy.

Bynum is by far the superior player. His basketball IQ is higher and his offensive skill set is much wider. Howard has 2 'moves', his third move being 'dunk'. He can't shoot and his free throws are Rondo territory.
Howards Athleticism is pretty much the only thing going for him.
Give Bynum and Howard the same knee problems and do you think Howard gets anywhere near Bynums numbers?
If you put a healthy Bynum on the Magic I guarantee he scores more points and gets just as many rebounds.
The two edges Howard has are athleticism and defensive ability that is attributed to that athleticism.

[gift]

understand that if you take kobe and pau away, bynum gets more touches.  but then team is likely in the lottery.  then people start criticizing bynum for not being able to carry a team. it's the cycle of being an nba star... all about perception.

howard has made (or contributed to) overachieving teams at least.  he's been the best player on an nba finalist.  unlike bynum, he could never be the third best player on an nba champ simply because it would be nearly impossible to construct an nba team where dwight howard is the third best player.

plus, he outplays (and frustrates) bynum head to head.

but, yes, the lack of a post game for howard does annoy me.  everyone in the nba should have a post game.  the fact that you can be the best center in the league and have such a flawed one is mind altering.

[LB3533]

I don't think "dominant" when I think about Dwight Howard.

[ChefEricT]

And here I thought, when I read the heading, that this was an article about Stiemsma.
I am not a Howard or Bynum fan, but do agree that they are the top 2 Centers in the league right now.  I just think Howard has more tools in his tool box.  I understand your argument that Bynum is surrounded by better players, but that can hurt stats as well as help them.  If you swapped Bynum for Howard straight up, Orlando wouldn't be as good as they are now.

[SHAQATTACK]

Bynum is thug . He is the king of cheap shots. DH is king of the can't concentrate on basketball , head not into the game , playing games with the coachs and media.

Far as offense, Bynum , he is better than DH , more polished , and of course can shoot freethrows decent.

Interior defense , its hands down DH.  He compeltey changes the game , sorta like Shaq did.  He can pretty much shut down the inside for long periods on teams....IF ..IF he wants. He is so much faster and quicker and can leap like a 6'5" guard.

Bynum plays harder and gives more effort and takes his basketball far more serious than DH. This may haunt DH until he matures and decides his life is all about Basketball and nothing else.

DH just coasts though games , he rarely turns it all on.. he can overcome most teams will a average leasurely effort. But can't help his team at the end of the game casue he can't shoot freethrows.

IF Dwight Howard ever "REALLY" truely decides to get a killer attitude like Russell , Wade , KG, Bird, MJ... and play like each play is critical he could dominate like nobodies business.
Howard seems to wrapped up in making himself happy and not about his team winning. He maynot be a basketball junkie , like Kevin Love . DH likes the attention and money best.

Lakers clearly have the best pair Bynum and Pau...why they would want to trade them for DH is beyond me.  

Just becasue of Bynums freethrow abilitiy I would give the nod to him....becasue he can STAY IN THE GAME  for his team and be an asset the last 5 minutes and not a liaibility.

DH kills his team the last quarter of a game.  

[pearljammer10]

Bynum is a headcase right now. He is transforming into Cousins.

I completely agree... But how can you not say that Howard is being an even BIGGER headcase in Orlando this season.

[KGs Knee]

Dwight just reminds me of Shaq in so many ways.  Obviously there's the Orlando connection, and of course there's Dwight usurping Shaq's superman moniker.

What people forget about Shaq is, for much of his early career Shaq was seen as a bit of an under-achiever due to his goofy nature, rap albums, and movie roles.  Shaq was notorious for putting in very little work during the offseason.  Sure, Shaq disengaged was still eons better than Dwight, but it wasn't until Phil Jackson took over in LA that Shaq finally got serious.

I see Dwight the same way.  He needs a coach and an enviroment where he will be told to get serious and focus.  Orlando has done nothing but enable Dwight out of fear of losing him.

[Greenbean]

Bynum is a headcase right now. He is transforming into Cousins.

I completely agree... But how can you not say that Howard is being an even BIGGER headcase in Orlando this season.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Swoopz]

Dwight's 'thing' has always been his defense. Although Bynum is a  more polished offensive player, he is just not as good on the other end of the floor.