Dwight Howard’s trainer: ‘He wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant, but his own version of that’

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/dwight-howard-trainer-wants-evolve-150003965.html



Dwight Howard’s trainer: ‘He wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant, but his own version of that’



Dan Feldman
NBC Sports
August 14, 2018, 9:00 AM MDT



In 2015, Dwight Howard said he wanted to play 20 seasons in the NBA. He also later admitted he considered retiring the same year.

After that career crossroads, Howard is back on the longevity track.


Entering his 15th season, the 32-year-old Wizards center is focused on getting into shape and developing his game.

Justin Zormelo, via Candace Buckner of The Washington Post:

“He wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant,” Zormelo says, “but his own version of that.”

This sounds silly at first. Durant and Davis are far more skilled than Howard. But those superstars provide reasonable goals for Howard.

Durant – who has expanded his game the other way, going outside to inside – shows how to blend playing different styles. Davis provides an example of how to work off the ball as a modern big man.

Howard shouldn’t want to lose his strengths as an elite rebounder and interior defender, but he can move in the direction of Durant and Davis.

After getting pretty big with the Hawks, Howard slimmed down with the Hornets and excelled in transition. He also improved significantly as a ball-handler, allowing him to put even more pressure on the defense in advantage situations and attack with face-ups.

Howard hasn’t shown proficiency as an outside shooter, but that could be his next step. The concern: Howard falls in love with shooting the way he did with post-ups, and he takes too many inefficient shots.

But there’s still something encouraging about someone working so hard to improve this far into his career.

Of course, on-court improvement won’t be enough for Howard. He has quietly produced or near star level in Atlanta and Charlotte. The problems came in the locker room. Howard’s attitude must improve, too.

Maybe it’ll all come together for him, and he’ll thrive through the rest of his 30s. He’s saying all the right things.

But we’ve also been here before.



bob
“He wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant,” Zormelo says, “but his own version of that.”

MY NOTE:  That would be the offensively inept, slow-footed, BBIQ-challenged version of them, I guess.  I read this headline over breakfast and damn near needed The Heimlich Maneuver.

This sounds silly at first. Durant and Davis are far more skilled than Howard. But those superstars provide reasonable goals for Howard

MY NOTE:  Not only does this sound silly at first, it also sounds silly second, third, fourth and until you run out of fingers and toes of everyone in the room.  The mere suggestion that it is only silly "at first" and not for the rest of eternity is itself silliness.

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We must be deep into the offseason now

I have no problem with anyone in the NBA aspiring to be more like Davis and Durant, but realistically Howard must be into a very deep dream.

A couple seasons ago, he stated that he wanted to add the three point shot to his game. He's all talk. He has never evolved his game since he entered the league.



He's bad in the locker room because he is and always will be a clown.

A little late in the game to morph into something else???

He has earned 213 million dollars not to mention endorsement deals. Come on man. Give it a rest.

I just think it has finally dawned on him that all the money in the world will never give him the respect he has wanted. He is a clown, never taken seriously by fellow teammates. Now he wants to be a hero?????
Sorry Dwight, that ship has sailed.

What a waste of talent. He never should have left Orlando

Maybe he really meant Big Baby Davis and Jimmy Durante

Any athlete at any level that has the desire to work, evolve, and improve, is OK by me.