During his prime with the Orlando Magic, no center really came close to how dominant Dwight Howard was on the basketball floor, as he was as physically imposing as any player in the league at that time.
It would be a different conversation if Shaquille O’Neal was still in his prime with the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, but that wasn’t the case, as he reluctantly handed the torch of dominant big man over to Howard.
Unfortunately for Howard, once he was traded to the Lakers in 2012, it was all downhill for the once-dominant big man as he dealt with injury issues and an inability to get back to form as an elite center in the league.
However, Jason Timpf of The Volume gives Howard high praise for what he was able to accomplish while he was in his prime and makes a comparison to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in today’s NBA in terms of being physically imposing compared to other players at his position.
"The way that Giannis looks as a power forward, that's the way Dwight Howard looked next to other centers"
—@_JasonLT celebrates the rim dominance of his 15th-best NBA player of the last 25 years pic.twitter.com/WppMeRPPnT
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 27, 2023
Although Howard will never be in the conversation for being among the greatest centers of all time, he’s got a case to make the Basketball Hall of Fame once he’s eligible, as he has an impressive resume.
Along with winning a title in his second stint with the Lakers, Howard also won three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards during his prime and is 13th in blocks in league history, as Timpf pointed out.
Howard may have fallen short of meeting expectations, but he still leaves a lasting legacy that will likely grant him a trip to the Hall of Fame.
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