What Makes Dwight Howard So Dominant?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>As we discussed last month, Shaquille O'Neal is no longer the game's most dominant center. That title, as much of the league can attest, now belongs to Orlando's Dwight Howard.

Here's why.

Get out of the way. 'Cause there's no stopping the Dwight stuff.

In the paint

I'll start my analysis here because that's where Howard starts his offense. As he approaches an offensive possession, Howard heads to the rim and looks for someone to hit. He's not being mean, he's simply displaying proper schooling -- offensive players who live inside don't want space between them and their defender because open space allows the defender to maneuver into passing lanes. Properly sealed, a defender is trapped and, against a giant like Howard, practically helpless.

That's what Shaq used to do to opposing centers, gaining position near the rim and delivering as much punishment as possible along the way, sometimes even in transition. His playing style reminded me of the great heavyweight boxer Smokin' Joe Frazier, who was always hunting his man, forcing him to deal with his brute force every second of every round.

Competing with Shaq drained his opponents as much mentally as it did physically; they knew they would never get a breather against him. Finding Shaq a split second late, or getting just slightly off-balance while pushing him, meant he was dunking on your head. Same with Howard now.

If Howard does not get the entry pass on his initial paint foray, he wisely steps away and looks to creep back in. This is where for Howard, as with Shaq before him, not having a strong midrange jumper actually serves him well, because possessing one might cause him to keep drifting out instead of drifting in. Howard's defenders, on the other hand, wish he would fall in love with his perimeter jumper.

One big benefit to playing near the rim -- and being tall and agile -- is that Howard is often the beneficiary of a teammate's dribble penetration and lob pass. Any Magic player who over-penetrates and finds himself caught inside dealing with the other team's bigs can practically toss the ball straight up and trust that Howard will immediately jump up and dunk it. The fact that he makes it look so easy is a testament to his athletic ability; few NBA centers can make this play, but Howard does so routinely.

His hands and feel have improved immeasurably since his rookie year. He can catch almost anything thrown his way. He is also making fewer errors on these types of plays because he is anticipating better.

On the blocks

20.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 3.0 BPG, Single Season

Player PPG RPG BPG
'75-76 K. Abdul-Jabbar 27.7 16.9 4.1
'73-74 Bob McAdoo 30.6 18.1 3.3

*Howard is averaging 23.1 ppg, 15.2 rpg, 2.9 bpg

Posting up is both an area in which Howard has greatly improved and one in which he can still grow. I love that he is just as physical with the ball as he is without it -- his first inclination after the catch is to bang his defender before he starts his move. Again, the idea of being physically dominant at all times is part of his makeup now, and it's a big reason for his success this season.

He is also mature enough to know when he can bang his way into a shot and possibly get away with a foul call, and when he must play with finesse against smaller players checking him in transition or in rotation. He likes to set himself up for his solid jump hook, normally taken with good balance and bounce and with an extended arm. Because he is so tall and can jump so high, this shot is often released at rim level and, thus, he has a much easier time creating an optimal "angle of entry" for the ball to drop in the hole.

He still needs to improve on his countermoves, however. Although he has the ability to spin away after banging into his defender, he is not yet sure what to do after that if a dunk is not available. But that's normal -- he's only 22 and just learning how to dominate the paint with shots other than dunks. Soon enough he'll have a few go-to counters, like a turnaround jump shot or perhaps a good double-pivot to the rim.

In the meantime, I'd like to see him continue to score more efficiently with his left hand. His left is better than ever, but far from being at a point at which he can trust it. Currently, he tosses the ball up softly with his left and hopes it goes in, but soon he should be shooting it with confidence.

On the glass

He's the tallest guy on the court with the best rebounding motor and physique. And he stands on pogo sticks. Not much to add here in terms of insightful analysis. Simply put, he's the best rebounder in the league and he should be for the next decade.

Naturally, hangin' and bangin' inside helps keep him relevant to any offensive-rebound equation, too. He is fifth in the league at 3.5 orpg, despite all the attention he receives.

Howard's blocks vs. fouls

Season BPG FPG
2004-05 1.7 2.8
2005-06 1.4 3.4
2006-07 1.9 3.0
2007-08 2.9 3.4

As a shot-blocker

Howard has more patience in this area at this point in his career, and is much smarter about going for blocks. As aggressive as he is, and considering how many physical plays he's involved with every game, the fact that he averages only 3.4 fouls per game while blocking almost three shots is noteworthy.

Howard baits opponents into taking shots before blocking them, and stays on the ground longer against smaller guys. He is reading the game better than ever, something Bill Russell always suggested was the key to his own defensive genius.

Room to improve

STAN AND THE MAN

How has Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy helped in Howard's growth? He's asked his perimeter players to push the ball more and look for their shots, which is ironic in a way.

Post defense is at its weakest in transition, so looking to run actually helps a team get the ball inside when it has a post player who can change ends like Howard. Last season the Magic played at the sixth slowest pace in the NBA; this year they are the seventh fastest.

Whatever the situation, Orlando's perimeter players are aggressively looking to "get theirs." By doing so, defenses are forced to defend them honestly (especially because of how well they shoot the ball). And when they are defended effectively it means that the big man is likely open inside. The result is more easy shots for Howard.

Last year, Howard dunked 31 percent of his baskets, and was assisted on them 63 percent of the time. This year, 37 percent of his hoops are slams, and 79 percent are assisted. (Amare Stoudemire, playing for the pass-happy Suns, gets his dunks assisted 81 percent of the time, and gets 14 percent of his baskets off dunks.)

By turning his players loose in Orlando, Van Gundy is actually helping get buckets for his star center. And perhaps creating a 22-year-old MVP in the process. -- David Thorpe

The most glaring problem I see with Howard could indeed be systemic -- meaning it may be part of coach Stan Van Gundy's overall plan. As productive and physical as Howard is, he rarely changes ends at top speed, and thus could actually play harder.

Howard is so gifted as a runner that his long and smooth gait is fast enough to beat most of his opponents down the floor. But I have little doubt that he could sprint the floor, not run, and get down the court even faster. There is a difference, and when he learns to reach that last level of effort, he will indeed be untouchable most nights.

But I leave open the possibility that he has been asked to "pick and choose" his moments to unleash his total beast, as a tired player of his caliber does little good for his team. After all, he is averaging more than 38 minutes a game, a higher average than Shaq has had in all but three seasons.

There are other areas still in need of improvement as well -- from free throws and jumpers that are subpar to learning more techniques to attack doubles. He's not a creative "bucket getter" like Al Jefferson or Zach Randolph, nor has he made much progress as a passer. After all, he may be the best young big since Big Daddy, but he's not Superman.

Yet.</div>