181 replies to this topic

[211275]

No. Because you have no clue what you are talking about. And when defense becomes just about blocks and steals let me know.

So you think Dwight is a great defender? Are you aware the Lakers are giving up 44.2 points in the paint a game? Only team that gives up more is Portland. If hes not blocking shots, getting steals or defending the paint, what IS he doing? Hes garbage.

[Honey Boo Boo]

honestly...

i would take love over howard...

i HATE howard...
all he does is smile...

trade howard for love.. even with love hurt, let pau be Center...

Now people hating people for smiling to much damn this world is going evil lol

[West Coast]

I would easily take Love over Dwight too. Dwights defense is a joke. How many times does some scrub just walk right thru the paint and dunk or layup with Dwight standing there like a confused idiot? At least 10-12 times a game. How many times does Dwight turn it over trying to make a post move? Hes missing point blank shots too. Hes garbage, Earl Clark has a better game. Bynum would be a huge upgrade at this point.

So you think Dwight's defense is a joke but you'd take Love who is a horrendous defender?

Okay.

[djcovi]

Dwights defense is a joke. How many times does some scrub just walk right thru the paint and dunk or layup with Dwight standing there like a confused idiot? At least 10-12 times a game. Hes garbage, Earl Clark has a better game. Bynum would be a huge upgrade at this point.

Dwight's defense is not a problem. If anyone scores in the paint it's because of Pau, Kobe, Nash, etc. We can't stay in front of perimeter players to save our life. A guard will penetrate, Dwight will rotate as the last line of defense, and NOBODY helps the helper. Dwight is averaging 2.5 blocks per game and his turnovers are actually down from the last two seasons. He is scoring less because he doesn't get as many touches as he did before. He still isn't 100% healthy Dwight Howard, but he's averaging only 2 points less than Bynum averaged last season, and Bynum had 3 more shot attempts per game to do it. He also averages slightly more rebounds than Bynum.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5hfYJsQAhl0

[last stand 2.0]

So you think Dwight's defense is a joke but you'd take Love who is a horrendous defender?

Okay.

Yes and apparently a 3 time DPOY is defensively a joke.

[West Coast]

Yes and apparently a 3 time DPOY is defensively a joke.

I feel like this sometimes when reading comments on this board:

[DanishLakerFan]

Sometimes you wonder why Dwight even wanted to leave Orlando in the first place. He wanted to be the man and he wanted everyone to like him. He also had a team perfectly built around him. Guys like Ryan Anderson, Reddick, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, Hedo and Jameer.

Regarding Kevin Love: Obviously not the defender that Dwight is, but he's solid, and he's a fantastic rebounder and 3pt shooter, as well as a decent defender. K-Love can fit into any system and can get 20 points and 15 rebounds without having any plays called for him.

[last stand 2.0]

A fully healthy Dwight can lead a team to the finals and conference championship. A healthy Dwight is on the level of Lebron, Kobe, etc

A healthy Kevin love can't even take his team to the playoffs

[Japago]

Here's the thing, there are currently two sets of fans when it comes to getting rid of Howard:

- The fans that are worried about him walking so they are saying trade him and get a good package for him moving forward so we aren't left with nothing.

- The fans that say "Dwight Howard is garbage" so lets trade him or "I hope he walks" comments.



You know which ones you can take seriously and the ones you can't.

Or the right group, which would trade him only for the right player, which won't happen.

No non-superstars like many people are suggesting who are useless by themselves,

Edited by Japago, January 25, 2013 - 11:23 AM.

[GCMD]

MDA and Pau both go before Dwight...

[West Coast]

Or the right group, which would trade him only for the right player, which won't happen.

No non-superstars like many people are suggesting who are useless by themselves,

Kinda what I meant by the first group. Wrong wording, should have the "right" package, not just a good one.

[LakeShow805]

Damn this season has really messed with people's thinking.

[Japago]

MDA and Pau both go before Dwight...

I would hope so.

Pau should've been gone a long time ago. And they should pick Dwight over MDA if it comes down to that, even if they don't want to fire MDA.

[hotpocket]

MDA and Pau both go before Dwight...

Hopefully.

If we are to concede this season is over (it basically is), MDA needs fired ASAFP, and Gasol can be traded in the off season when he is worth more. If we can find a coach Dwight, Kobe, and Co. are okay with he'll probably stay.

That, and winning a few games. We need MDA outta here to do that though.

[Cj2008nw]

The last thing we should want to do is trade dwight but on the flip side if he doesn't resign in the off season and walks that would be even worst... hopefully we can figure something out to make Dwight stay and get a better defensive minded coach and surrond dwight with basic PFs who can rotate and play defense

[Real Deal]

Why? Because I disagree with you? Larry Sanders, serge Ibaka and older than dirt Tim Duncan are averaging more blocks than Dwight, the supposed best big man in the NBA. Ibaka and Duncan arent even centers. Just let that sink in for a minute.

1) Tim Duncan is a center. He's been playing the position most of his career. This season, both Blair and Diaw have been the power forwards starting next to Duncan, and Splitter is also playing PF when Duncan is in the game. Only when Duncan exists is when you'll see Splitter at the five. If you don't believe me, go watch the tape.

Duncan is also one of the greatest defensive anchors in the last decade. He has been the anchor of Spurs teams that are top ten defensive squads in NBA history.

2) Serge Ibaka is a shot-blocker. Great. Amare Stoudemire is also a shot-blocker.

In 2008, Dwight Howard blocked 2.1 shots a night for the 52-win Orlando Magic (that he led). Amare had a season where he blocked 2.1 shots a game for Phoenix.

Does shot-blocking classify Amare as a defensive player? He's actually pretty bad on the defensive end.

So you think Dwight is a great defender? Are you aware the Lakers are giving up 44.2 points in the paint a game? Only team that gives up more is Portland. If hes not blocking shots, getting steals or defending the paint, what IS he doing? Hes garbage.

Ah, allowed points in the paint...that's fun.

Guess who is #2? The Clippers, who have DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin up front...two bad defensive players.

Here's something even better: guess who's #6? The Sixers.

Something to know about points in the paint: it varies based on many factors. The Clippers have good perimeter defense. The Sixers have that + a head coach that knows how to coach defense. Do you think LaVoy Allen and Thaddeus Young are the reasons why teams have trouble scoring in the paint against Philly?

We have a defensive system that, well...nevermind, we DON'T have a defensive system in place. That's the problem. In professional basketball, you can't just go tell a team to help each other out on defense, because there's 94 feet of floor, baseline to baseline, and 50 feet from one corner to the opposing corner. You have to have a strategy. NO defensive anchor, in NBA history, can play help defense without one.

[DanishLakerFan]

A D12 Rant!
At this point we have 3 more losses than Houston and the 8th seed and according to Hollinger's playoff odds, we still have close to 1 in 3 chance of making the playoffs. Possible, but it'll be tough. We sure as hell needs to start winning and we need Houston, Portland and Utah to start losing a few. Personally i think having the 8th seed is fine, because as Jim Buss said: "If we make the playoffs, that means we're playing well".
Following the grammy trip, we have two games and then the all-star break and rapidly approaching is the trade deadline and here is my problem(s):

Unless we're rolling along and easily winning games and being on a clear path to the playoffs, can we really afford the risk of having Howard leave this summer? Before we answer, we also need to accept that Kobe, Nash, Metta and Pau aren't getting it done by themselves next year and the new CBA makes things increasingly difficult. We also dont have any picks and the assets we do have we need, so we are looking at a first to second round exit, at best, again.

IMO we can't take that risk. Howard wanted to go to either Dallas or Brooklyn, which didn't work out. Now he isn't really happy alongside Kobe and he wants to be "the man" which isn't going to happen as long as Kobe is in purple-and-gold, which hopefully is beyond next season. If Howard wasn't such a head-case i would take that risk because of the possible upside, and because of the money and the awesomeness of the Lakers, but he is, and when he's making statements about "his right to chose", that "right now he is just focused on winning and we'll focus on that when the time comes" and so on, i really think that the chance of him leaving is unacceptably great.

So what am i saying:
Do the Grammy trip and then see where we are in the standings. If we're rolling, fine, keep rollin'. But if we're still a few games out of the playoffs or worse, i think we're better off in the long run if we move him.
Why? Because as i said before: We need to accept that we cant win with only Kobe, Pau and Nash. But we could win if we added Horford or K-Love. We could win if we added Chandler or Lopez.

Am i wrong? Insane?

[Real Deal]

Love may not make it back until early or mid-April, and he's a bad defensive player.

Lopez is a bad defender.

Both of those guys would be nice if we didn't need a defensive anchor, but that's not how things are for us.

Al Horford is an option, no doubt about it. Tyson Chandler could be.

I still think we risk it, though, because he's a superstar. Horford and Chandler are all-stars, at best, and we're going to need someone to build around soon...and I just don't think Howard passes up on an extra $30 million to sign with another team.

[hotpocket]

I don't think you can trade him unless he says he won't resign.

If I were Dwight I wouldn't make any firm commitments right now after this season has played out either. I too, think he'll resign though. Worst comes to worst, Dwight leaves, we suck next year and have an insane amount of caproom that following summer to help rebuild.

[lakerfan0307]

Love may not make it back until early or mid-April, and he's a bad defensive player.

Lopez is a bad defender.

Both of those guys would be nice if we didn't need a defensive anchor, but that's not how things are for us.

Al Horford is an option, no doubt about it. Tyson Chandler could be.

I still think we risk it, though, because he's a superstar. Horford and Chandler are all-stars, at best, and we're going to need someone to build around soon...and I just don't think Howard passes up on an extra $30 million to sign with another team.

I think you're spot on. The biggest options for him this off season other than us are Atlanta and Dallas. Atlanta is on the verge of trading Dwight's best friend and their best player Josh Smith. Dallas is in no better situation than we are. Another thing that Dwight needs to pay attention to is how Kobe is treated by the front office at the end of his career compared to Nowitzki in Dallas. LA will not get rid of Kobe, no matter how much he drops off. Cuban, on the other hand, has entertained the idea of trading Dirk lately.