The Golden State Warriors are reportedly set to work out Dwight Howard. The veteran big man spent last season playing overseas in Taiwan. However, Howard is looking for a way back to the NBA and could find himself anchoring the Warriors’ defense off the bench.
Howard, 37, is a 6’10” rim protector. The veteran big man may not be the explosive athlete of yesteryear, but he can still control the glass and act as a shot deterrent in the paint. Steve Kerr would likely use Howard’s screening ability to provide additional shooting pockets on the perimeter while allowing the big man to be a nuisance on the offensive glass.
Buy Warriors TicketsWhen speaking on a recent episode of NBA Radio, former NBA veteran Eddie Johnson explained how Howard could give the Warriors a trio of polarizing defensive options. Johnson’s take is that Golden State would have multiple disruptors on their roster for the upcoming season.
“If they put Dwight Howard on this team, they got three of the most polarizing defensive players in the NBA on one team,” Johnson said. “Chris Paul’s gonna get on your nerves. Like a lot of people didn’t pay attention to Chris Paul last year. His hands were as quick as I’ve ever seen. Last year, he was just getting his hands on balls all the time. We already know what Draymond will do. And you put Dwight Howard. I mean, just think about that defensively.”
Golden State still has two open roster spots heading into training camp. The franchise has also been embracing its status as a veteran-laden team this summer. As such, Howard would slot right into the Warriors’ rotation and could be a vital cog in a potential championship run.
How much more time do the Golden State Warriors have to win with their current core?
Antonio Daniels tells Rick Kamla time is dwindling pic.twitter.com/cZ504LDQFS
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 17, 2023
Still, there’s no guarantee Golden State is going to extend Howard a contract offer. For now, it’s nothing more than a team workout, which Golden State has offered to a handful of veterans in recent weeks.
