The NBA has gone off the deep end.
We now live in an NBA world that has officially gone insane. Could it be due to David Stern’s impending retirement? Could it be due to the lack of real basketball skill in the league? Could it be due to the amazing disparity in taxes in each state? It may be one of these areas or all, but there is no question the NBA is crazy and Dwight Howard’s decision to go to the Houston Rockets proves it.
Why you ask? The answer is quite simply this: Howard’s decision to land in Houston makes a ton of sense. Crazy, right? Howard has been one of the top problem children (in a league full of them) in the NBA since the incident where he ran Stan Van Gundy out of town in Orlando. He whines, he complains, he quits on teams, he’s a coach killer — all behaviors attributed to Howard. So when the free agency period started there was a good — no, absolutely great — chance that Howard would throw a Lebron James-like “The Decision” debacle, fresh with balloons and confetti from the ceiling, a countdown timer, and Metta World Peace rapping about how the ‘Big Guy’ was gonna make an impact like a McDonald’s large fry!
He didn’t do that though. Even after the zoo of everyone trying to convince him to come to their organization, including Kobe’s one on one chat with him, Howard did not make a scene. Instead, he mentioned he would let everyone know via twitter where he was going to go and then he did it. Wait, no party? No event? No balloons, dancing, or “Not one, not two, not three…?” What about the World Peace rap? Stunning, right? A major problem child of the NBA decided to not make a scene and be a professional.
Meanwhile, the NBA landscape has blown up. It’s as if every NBA team (minus the re-crowned Heat) decided that their entire roster must be different. The Celtics were obliterated. The Lakers are now seriously old. The Clippers traded for a vaunted coach and Milwaukee got pretty strong. So many decent players went to other teams, it’s hard to remember who’s where. Add to it that the NBA draft was a roller coaster ride that bucked all popular thought, and you’ve got a basketball world gone mad!
But not Howard.
Dwight Howard had interest from every single team, and in the end he chose Houston. It’s a great fit, and here’s why. Kevin McHale is the Rockets’ head coach, and there was nobody better in the low post. Jeremy Lin is the point guard. Lin is good player, but more importantly he is a great locker room guy and a Christian. Few people remember that when Howard was drafted out of High School, he was a devout Christian, mentioning frequently that his faith was important. Lin may help him rediscover that. James Harden is an absolute handful and often requires a double team; problem for the opposition is — so does Howard. Lastly, Chandler Parsons and Omer Asik can both play. Parsons can score while Asik can rebound and defend, thus Howard will not have to shoulder the entire rebounding, or scoring, load. With Howard, the Rockets actually look like a younger version of their Texas counterparts the San Antonio Spurs — clearly a successful pattern to follow.
Look out NBA — In a world gone mad, it’s the guy who’s used to the madness who conquers it. Ask Lebron.