Dwight Howard has career-changing decision to make

I’m going to try to say this so it makes sense:  This is about Dwight Howard but it’s not just about Dwight Howard.  ”Dwight Howard this, Dwight Howard that.  Dwight Howard needs to do this.  Dwight Howard needs to do that.  Dwight Howard needs to stop doing so-and-so.”  Quiet down and let the man make his decision.  He needed to go to another state, for god’s sake, just to have breathing room to make his decision.

Here’s what I mean when I say it’s not just about Dwight Howard:  Yes, Dwight Howard is the topic of conversation and all eyes are on “Superman.”  However, this is more than a superstar drawing a ton of public attention.  I cannot stress enough how big this decision is for Dwight Howard.  The words that come out of Howard’s mouth could be a significant turning point in the 27-year-old’s valuable career.

If you’re reading this, you are probably aware of the so-called “Dwight-mare” that happened with Orlando in the 2011-12 season.  That was the start of all the negativity coming Howard’s way.  Now, he has a chance to fix that by making the right decision.  Most of America hated LeBron James’ guts when he fled Cleveland for Miami but now people just focus on the rings he is winning.

Dwight Howard needs to try and take the same path that LeBron took.  He needs to put everything else aside and do what is best for him and him only.  I can’t imagine how stressful it must be for Dwight right now with teams and players swarming him.  I’m sure both Kobe Bryant and the Houston Rockets have brought up important points to Dwight that have really gotten him thinking hard.  However, he can’t let another team or person control his mind and convince him that they know what’s ultimately best for him.

Now, let’s briefly take a look at each potential (and realistic) scenario for Dwight Howard:

Re-signing with the Lakers: After that big mess in Orlando, Dwight Howard was finally traded and Orlando decided to part ways with their old GM.  The Lakers were highly regarded as a pre-season favorite in the Western Conference.  Obviously, that didn’t work out too well.  Age is a huge problem for this team;: Kobe will be 35 by the time the next season starts and he is likely to miss a couple months.  39-year-old Steve Nash finally lost some gas last season and sat out through a few injuries.  Pau Gasol is turning 33 years old in just a couple days and he is definitely past his best days.  Dwight Howard would be the man of the Lakers’ franchise for years to come.  But I’m not sure that Dwight has the patience to wait for a younger and more competitive team to be built around him.  I don’t blame him either; Howard is at the stage of his career where his legacy would really benefit from being on a legitimate contender.

Joining James Harden and the Houston Rockets: The possibility of joining forces with James Harden, one of the NBA’s newest superstars, has sounded appealing to Dwight for some time.  If Dwight does decide to bolt for Houston, good for him.  He would be leaving one of the most powerful markets in all of sports and he probably wouldn’t get as many endorsements, but here’s the twist: that Texas tax law would still put him in a great position, financially.  I don’t know where exactly he would be earning the most money after taxes, endorsements, and whatever else there is but that probably isn’t a huge concern to him.  Wherever Dwight goes, he’s earning a ton of money.  Howard on Houston would make them a great team out West, assuming he can stay healthy and play his role.

Signing with Dallas, Atlanta, or sign-and-trade to Golden State: If I had to guess, I think Dwight will end up narrowing down his choice to the Lakers or Rockets, if he hasn’t already.  But I guess there’s always a rare possibility of one of these teams make something crazy happen, prompting Howard to join their team.

Now, we must eagerly await Dwight Howard’s monstrous decision.  My final input is: wherever Dwight Howard decides to go, respect it.  He’s only doing what’s best for himself and his career.

Follow me on Twitter @ZJTbasketball11

NBA Draft Day Grades: Cavs, Magic, Wizards, Bobcats, Suns

The decisions that were made on Thursday night weren’t only surprising, but they were big game-changers.  Each and every team had an unusually large amount of selections to strongly consider and choose between.  Every single process in picking the team’s player was important, such as watching game tape, the NBA Draft Combine, and individual team workouts.  However, sometimes these can be somewhat misleading.  That’s why instinct is a huge part of this crucial decision-making, especially in a draft where the seventh pick is supposed to be the most talented player.  I am going to tell you how well I think each team did (in different parts) in the 2013 NBA Draft, as well as give my opinionated ceilings and floors for some draftees:

Cleveland Cavaliers: 

Pick #1. 6-7 PF Anthony Bennett

Ceiling – Larry Johnson

Floor – Brandon Bass

In my mock draft, I said the Cavs had a bundle of options.  Honestly, the Cavs may not have made their decision until just hours before the draft started.  At the end of the day, I think this was a safe decision.  Bennett is a very exciting and very physical player.  I don’t see him being afraid to take a big role from day one and help turn around the Cavs’ franchise.

Pick #19. 6-7 SF Sergey Karasev

Having the knack for picking out European players that are capable of being effective NBA players is not easy (unless you’re the Spurs).  I’m sure the Cavs invested some time in Karasev and saw him fitting in well with their current group of young players.  Karasev speaks very confidently about himself and envisions a successful NBA career.

Pick #33. 6-6 SG Carrick Felix

Grade:  B+

Orlando Magic: 

Pick #2. 6-4 SG Victor Oladipo 

Ceiling: Dwyane Wade

Floor: Avery Bradley

The comparisons for Oladipo are tough to come up with because there have been very few all-star shooting guards that were defensive specialists (aside from Wade).  Oladipo’s jump shot is probably the biggest concern at this point.  However, I see no reason he won’t develop into a solid shooter.  Oladipo is the type of player that will put extra hours in the gym but it may take him a few years to possibly get to all-star level.

Pick #51. 6-7 PF Romero Osby

Grade: B+

Washington Wizards: 

Pick #3. 6-8 SF Otto Porter

Ceiling: Luol Deng

Floor: Al-Farouq Aminu

I really like what the Wizards are doing.  In my opinion, John Wall was the start of a good future in D.C.  Adding Porter to a mix of Wall and Beal gives Washington the potential to be a young, upcoming team full of very good, explosive players.  Porter is definitely going to have to spend some time at PF as the Wizards don’t get consistent production at that position.

Pick #35. 6-6 SF Glen Rice

Grade: A-

Charlotte Bobcats:

Pick #4. 7-0 C Cody Zeller

Ceiling: David Lee 

Floor: Zaza Pachulia

Most definitely a stretch at #4.  Although Charlotte’s bigs were M.I.A. last season, their biggest need was any type of talent.  MJ must have seen a ton of risk in Ben McLemore not to take him.  Don’t get me wrong; Cody Zeller is a workhorse and he could surprise just as David Lee did.  However, he isn’t the most ideal center to be selected fourth overall.

Grade: D+

Phoenix Suns:

Pick #5. 7-1 C Alex Len

Ceiling: Zydrunas Ilgauskas 

Floor: Rasho Nesterovic

The Suns must have seen the same problem, whatever it was, in Ben McLemore than the Bobcats did.  The fact of the matter is that this is another squad that needs a player to bring them to life.  Alex Len has the potential to be a stable starting center for several years.  It depends on how agile and coordinated he can prove himself to be.  On the bright side, Charlotte and Phoenix are two teams sure to remain in the top five in the 2014 draft.

Pick #29. 6-5 SG Archie Goodwin

Pick #57: 6-9 PF Alex Oriakhi

Grade: C

This isn’t it…I’m just breaking my draft review up into a few different sections.  Stay tuned for more draft analysis to come in the near future…

Follow me on Twitter @ZJTbasketball11

Grant Hill's Retirement

18-year NBA veteran Grant Hill finally calls a quits to his outstanding basketball career.  As a Pistons season ticket holder, I witnessed some of his best days.  However, I was so young that I can hardly remember watching the all-star.

Grant Hill played his first six seasons as a Detroit Piston.  I know the organization would have liked for him to stay longer.  Fortunately for Detroit, they used his departure to help them become a championship contender and the eventual NBA Champions.

Aside from that, Grant Hill was a tremendous all-around player.  Hill produced at an efficient rate immediately when he came into the league.  After six seasons averaging 20 points or higher, Hill never managed to score that much again because of an injury that disrupted his career.

However, Hill impressively was able to get back into the game and stick around for 12 more years.  Hill found other ways to be effective outside of scoring.  He was still known as a highly valuable player because of his hustle and teamwork.  Hill was a sound playmaker and he was one of the most efficient rebounders for his size.

We take this time to acknowledge and appreciate the impact Grant Hill made on this league.  Hill was widely respected throughout the league because of his sympathetic gestures for people.  If it wasn't for Hill's attitude off the court, he probably would not have made it this long.