06.11.09 WILL DWIGHT HOWARD SHOW UP FOR GAME 4?

I can’t say I’m amazed at how much of a non-factor Dwight Howard has been in these NBA Finals. He couldn’t take over in LA, and was almost a liability before breaking out in Game 3. Some have even wondered aloud if Howard has the capability of impacting these Finals. He is, according to David Thorpe, as told to TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott:

Thorpe made the point that every time Howard catches the ball against the Lakers, he’s surrounded by two, three, or four players. One of them, Pau Gasol, is a master of taking the charge. When Howard catches the ball in the post, there is a lot to worry about beyond completing certain steps. And nevertheless, the vast majority of the time he makes a good play, whether with the pass, a post move, or by drawing a foul.

Thorpe made this case, and then we watched Game 3. It was so true: Howard’s every post move is greeted with a hailstorm of Laker help defense. Nevertheless he scores efficiently. Single coverage would be a huge mistake.

He scores efficiently…from the free throw line, when he gets the calls. That doesn’t change the fact that Howard tanked in Game 2, or that, with the return of Rashard Lewis, he may not even be one of the three best scorers on his team. Being in Orlando tonight will help. But will that be enough? No, don’t answer. That was rhetorical.