Howard has been named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Award three times, but he was not give that honor last season. Instead, Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks was presented the award. After last night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Howard spoke to ESPN and talked about how he is still upset that he did not win the award.
“I thought I should have won it last year, to be honest with you,” Howard told reporters after practice Monday. “I was a little bit upset about that.”
“I felt like I did my job to win it. I also feel like I didn’t because of the whole situation,” Howard said, referring to the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Magic and the distraction it became. “That played a factor in it.”
According to the NBA’s general managers, Howard is both the best center in the league and also the best defender playing right now. Although Howard may not be fully polished on the offensive end, he does so much as a defender that is value is on the court is unmeasurable.The Lakers will be a defensive force this upcoming season, and with a defensive minded coach in Mike Brown, the Lakers will have a lot of success on that end of the court.
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Last season, Howard had to deal with career problems with the Orlando Magic which could have had serious ramifications for his play. Even with all the off-the-court distractions, Howard managed to average 10.8 defensive rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
However, there is no question Howard will be the favorite to win the award this season. With a healthy back and a championship quality team, Howard will experience a lot of success in Los Angeles.
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In case you missed it: Dwight Howard talks about his Lakers debut.
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