Hypothetically, If We Signed Dwight Howard To Minimum, Would You Be Upset?

[action781]

People realize that Howard complained to the media about his lack of touches in Orlando, LA, Houston and Atlanta, right?

Yet he’ll be just fine as a 5th option here?

If we're operating under the hypothetical that he signs here for the vet min, that means he's passing on places that would pay him more money and give him more touches.  That would say something to me about how he feels about the need to get touches.  Also, if he signs here for any amount of money I would trust that Danny and Brad have taken long hard looks into gauging how he'll fit in.

So under this hypothetical, no I wouldn't be upset.  We've brought in lots of players before like Shaq, Sheed, Kris Humphries, KG, Darko Milicic, Sam Cassell, Stephon Marbury... some of them being older vets who you couldn't imagine settling for fewer touches/lesser role and some of them having very questionable attitudes.  Some of them worked out just fine, some didn't work out at all, but none of them you look back at like "Man, I can't believe we signed that guy for the vet min, he destroyed our entire team".

[Yoki_IsTheName]

People realize that Howard complained to the media about his lack of touches in Orlando, LA, Houston and Atlanta, right?

Yet he’ll be just fine as a 5th option here?

Then we release him if he won't be. But for a player like him, and what he provides, I'd like to atleast give it a shot, especially for the minimum.

Who do we replace him with mid-season when he becomes a problem?  At that point, all the good part-time starting centers are long gone, including Baynes.

Robert Williams?

Contenders should have a more reliable plan.

There will be buyout candidates. We found a Center thru that last year, albeit it didn't work, but there will always be availability. We have pieces to be able to make a trade, if we come to the very worst case.

And this is all assuming that Robert Williams can't be a contributor right away. What if he is? For the role that he will play, he could easily contribute to this team.

Lastly, what if Dwight works out?

What are the odds that Dwight works out? 10%? That’s probably too high. 3%?

I’d stick with the guy who plays elite defense (Baynes did, Dwight didn’t last year), who can space the floor, who fits in the locker room, and who doesn’t complain about touches.

And if we don't get to sign Aaron Baynes?

Then sign O’Quinn, or some other capable center.

We don’t need a malcontent coach killer who has delusions about his offensive grandeur.

I'm with you with Aaron Baynes over Dwight.

But picking Kyle O'Quinn over Howard? Howard is clearly more talented and much better. Again, this is for the minimum we are talking about here. Assuming Baynes can't be signed, why not take a flier on a guy who can average 16-12? Release him if he acts up. . .

We most likely can't afford to rely on a somewhat raw #27 pick rookie to be our main backup center though.

On the absolute worst case scenario, we play Al at Center and have Williams play spot up minutes. We could sign a free agent. . .

I just think the risks for taking Dwight, at the minimum ins't high, and the reward is plenty.

[Beat LA]

People realize that Howard complained to the media about his lack of touches in Orlando, LA, Houston and Atlanta, right?

Yet he’ll be just fine as a 5th option here?

But not in Charlotte , so he's clearly put all of that behind him and has become, umm, a new man? Lol .

[Rakulp]

Anybody that thinks Dwight Howard would ever join the Celtics and bring with him the baggage of his past truly underestimates both Danny Ainge and Coach Brad Stevens.

If they sign him, they will make it clear what his role is, and where the door is if he doesn't like it.  If he wants to be part of a special team, and contribute to it where needed, he'd be a great minimum pickup. 

I believe he could help the Celtics in that case...but ONLY under those rules.

[celticsclay]

People realize that Howard complained to the media about his lack of touches in Orlando, LA, Houston and Atlanta, right?

Yet he’ll be just fine as a 5th option here?

If we're operating under the hypothetical that he signs here for the vet min, that means he's passing on places that would pay him more money and give him more touches.  That would say something to me about how he feels about the need to get touches.  Also, if he signs here for any amount of money I would trust that Danny and Brad have taken long hard looks into gauging how he'll fit in.

So under this hypothetical, no I wouldn't be upset.  We've brought in lots of players before like Shaq, Sheed, Kris Humphries, KG, Darko Milicic, Sam Cassell, Stephon Marbury... some of them being older vets who you couldn't imagine settling for fewer touches/lesser role and some of them having very questionable attitudes.  Some of them worked out just fine, some didn't work out at all, but none of them you look back at like "Man, I can't believe we signed that guy for the vet min, he destroyed our entire team".

m
Great post and great point

[MJohnnyboy]

As long as its the minimum, no. If it's anything more than that, yes. The concerns about him are justified, but having Dwight as your #2 big on a veteran's minimum contract would be hard to pass up if you ask me.

Having said all that, I'm pretty certain the Celtics will bring back Baynes on the MLE because he's the safer bet both for chemistry and in the locker room.

[mr. dee]

Nope. Danny can easily waive him off if he does something stupid like disrupting the locker room or constantly complaining about playing time.

[Roy H.]

Speaking on his podcast, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe (h/t Dime Magazine's Jamie Cooper) said he had been told stories of "Hawks players learning about the trade and screaming with jubilation into their phones." Lowe added some Hawks players had grown irritated with Howard:

"You ask why, and one account was that Dwight would give these speeches before the game about how everyone is playing hard, we want unity, we're going to... and then go out and play like a blah game where he demands post touches and doesn't rotate as hard as he could. And everyone is like, 'Why are you speaking in the locker room?' But that's all anecdotal. It's just crazy how these stories come out after every stop in his career."

"The (Hornets) locker room did not like Dwight Howard," @bwood_33 says on @SiriusXMNBA "Guys were just sick and tired of his act."

Back then Houston’s locker room was divided along the fault line separating Harden and Dwight Howard, and factions were so pronounced that one veteran told a new acquisition, “When you come here, you have to pick your side.”

He's repeatedly butted heads with incumbent superstar Kobe Bryant. Despite Bryant's enduring Howard's woeful free-throw numbers (career-worst 48.3 percent) and determination to involve the big man offensively far more than his stats say he should, Howard has been unable to find a common ground for the two.

Instead, he's chastised the five-time champion. He's reportedly mocked Bryant's shooting stats behind the former MVP's back, putting their teammates in a tremendously uncomfortable position (via Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register).


He then clowned his teammate in front of several Western Conference rivals (and again behind Bryant's back) at All-Star weekend (via Ben Golliver of SI.com). He reportedly "grabbed Kobe’s uniform, put it on, and imitated him in front of all the other players on the West team."

"At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?" Magic point guard Jameer Nelson told theOrlando Sentinel on Wednesday.

"I'm not surprised by it," Redick, now with the Milwaukee Bucks, told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday. "I would be more surprised when Dwight starts taking responsibility. That would be the most negative thing I can say, but that's the truth.

He’s 5/5 in terms of franchises hating him. There’s a reason KG called him a clown.

if he would just do what the Rockets ask Clint Capela to do that he would be a force, but instead he likes snakes, Skittles, farting, and grabbing other men's junk on the bench...

[2short]

Howard is one of those anti celtic players i wouldn't want on the team for free.  Give me Baynes every day over him

[Roy H.]

Here’s how I see Dwight Howard.

He’s the hot girl from high school. She’s kind of dumb and annoying, but she’s incredibly hot, so nobody cares.  Her boyfriend puts up with all the negatives, until she tries to “trade up”, cheating on her boyfriend in an epic breakup.

In college, same thing. Still hot, still cheats.

At 25, she’s looking like she spent too much time tanning and smoking cigarettes. Still hot, but a bit “rode hard and put away wet”. Her personality still sucks, and she still cheats.

At 30, she’s got 4 kids with fathers unknown. She’s a regular at the local bar, where she’s popular with 50 year old bar flys.

Now, she’s 35. Recently she got herself back in shape, she got a makeover. She says she’s sick of losers, she’s interested in settling down.

So, what do you think? You’re Mike Brady, with three boys at home. Do you invite her in?

If yes, you want D12.

[SHAQATTACK]

Here’s how I see Dwight Howard.

He’s the hot girl from high school. She’s kind of dumb and annoying, but she’s incredibly hot, so nobody cares.  Her boyfriend puts up with all the negatives, until she tries to “trade up”, cheating on her boyfriend in an epic breakup.

In college, same thing. Still hot, still cheats.

At 25, she’s looking like she spent too much time tanning and smoking cigarettes. Still hot, but a bit “rode hard and put away wet”. Her personality still sucks, and she still cheats.

At 30, she’s got 4 kids with fathers unknown. She’s a regular at the local bar, where she’s popular with 50 year old bar flys.

Now, she’s 35. Recently she got herself back in shape, she got a makeover. She says she’s sick of losers, she’s interested in settling down.

So, what do you think? You’re Mike Brady, with three boys at home. Do you invite her in?

If yes, you want D12.

good analysis, 

Im at the age all those "hot" gold digging fluzzies are working hard to sign a contract with their 3rd or 4th husband .    seems  there are always plenty of guys with more money than brains standing in line to get abused and used.

Some dreamer team will take him

[gouki88]

Here’s how I see Dwight Howard.

He’s the hot girl from high school. She’s kind of dumb and annoying, but she’s incredibly hot, so nobody cares.  Her boyfriend puts up with all the negatives, until she tries to “trade up”, cheating on her boyfriend in an epic breakup.

In college, same thing. Still hot, still cheats.

At 25, she’s looking like she spent too much time tanning and smoking cigarettes. Still hot, but a bit “rode hard and put away wet”. Her personality still sucks, and she still cheats.

At 30, she’s got 4 kids with fathers unknown. She’s a regular at the local bar, where she’s popular with 50 year old bar flys.

Now, she’s 35. Recently she got herself back in shape, she got a makeover. She says she’s sick of losers, she’s interested in settling down.

So, what do you think? You’re Mike Brady, with three boys at home. Do you invite her in?

If yes, you want D12.

Bahaha, TP

[Jiri Welsch]

The funny thing about Roy’s little analogy is that Dwight has something like five children from five different women.

[green_bballers13]

He would make this current Celtics team better.

I'm not sure about all of the personality "stuff" that I have read. I haven't met Dwight Howard, and I don't know anyone that has met him. I'll pass on adopting the popular blog boy take that Dwight Howard is the worst person in the world. As long as keyboard haters come up with reasons not to like Lebron or even KD, I'm sure there will be plenty of reasons to hate on a guy that would be a clear upgrade.

[Jiri Welsch]

He would make this current Celtics team better.

I'm not sure about all of the personality "stuff" that I have read. I haven't met Dwight Howard, and I don't know anyone that has met him. I'll pass on adopting the popular blog boy take that Dwight Howard is the worst person in the world. As long as keyboard haters come up with reasons not to like Lebron or even KD, I'm sure there will be plenty of reasons to hate on a guy that would be a clear upgrade.

I think there are some clues, though, that Howard isn’t often liked by his teammates. Would you say the same?