At the second day of Lakers training camp the Lakers participated in some 5-on-5 drills near the end of their session. Every player participated, including center Dwight Howard. While at one point it was believed that Dwight would be out until midway through the season with a back injury, there’s now chatter that he could suit up as early as Sunday night for the team’s first pre-season game.
On Thursday, Howard’s fellow big man on the Lakers starting roster, Pau Gasol, talked about Howard’s impact on the team and how he’s looked so far in training camp.
“He looks good. He’s a dynamic player. He’s a center and he’s powerful, but he’s a quick center. He rolls and he attracts a lot of attention when he rolls to the basket because of his speed and his quickness. He’s doing great. He doesn’t look like he’s hurting a bit. It’s very good news for us.”
It’s definitely good news for Los Angeles, who will need Howard’s inside presence to make a legitimate run at the NBA Finals this season. Gasol, who seemed confused at times last year with his role on the team, doesn’t anticipate those problems this upcoming season.
Gasol also mentioned that the Lakers have so many natural playmakers and passers on the squad that will benefit Howard, as well as Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace.
“We have some great passers. I mean, Steve is obviously one of the greatest passes in history, and I’m a pretty good passer. We’ll make good plays and find guys.”
The 7-foot Spaniard sounded excited to play with Howard this year, and sounds optimistic about Dwight’s playing status heading into the pre-season.