National Basketball Association

Howard dreaming big this season

Published Oct. 13, 2010 10:12 a.m. ET

foxsports

During an NBA offseason that has circled
around the exploits of the Miami Heat, another South Florida team has gone
forgotten.

Among experts, it's a two-team race when listing potential title contenders,
and rarely does the Orlando Magic come to the forefront of the discussion.
This, in spite of the fact the past two seasons the Magic have found themselves
in the Eastern Conference Finals, including a trip to the NBA Finals.

Part of the reason the Magic have gone overlooked is their leader, Dwight
Howard. For all the accolades the 24-year-old receives for his defense and
rebounding, there is an equal amount of criticism on his offense - or lack
thereof.

In six years, the seven-footer has reached the 20 point per game plateau only
twice, never surpassing it. With no low-post game to speak of, the Atlanta
native has relied on his superior strength and athleticism to get by and around
other big men, primarily for dunks, throughout his career.

The inability to stretch the defense or operate on the low-post with the
efficiency of a Pau Gasol or Tim Duncan, has garnered the two-time Defensive
Player of the Year much skepticism on whether he is a franchise player capable
of carrying a team on his own.

However, in response to the critics, Howard sought help this offseason to
improve his post play and to remind everyone there's another team in Florida.
If anyone could relate to the Magic center it would be the man known simply as,
'The Dream.'

Recently it was reported the four-time NBA All-Star was receiving tutelage from
the former great, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Who better to show Howard the delicate intricacies of posting up and using his
physical gifts to complement the guile needed to be a dominant NBA big man than
the Hall of Fame center?

Upon entering the league in 1984, the No. 1 overall pick Olajuwon was highly
regarded for his unique combination of speed, strength and agility. Making a
name for himself on the defensive end, the 12-time NBA All-Star would retire
the league's all-time leader in blocked shots.

Yet it took a number of years before the former University of Houston star
would realize his potential.

During the first eight years of his career, the Nigerian-native would average
22.78 points per game, Though the numbers aren't underwhelming, it should be
known that early in his career the majority of the seven-footer's points came
within five feet of the net - usually by way of dunks.

Much like Howard, Olajuwon relied heavily on his superior strength and speed to
score on opposing big men, but it would be the second half of his career that
would place the former soccer goaltender amongst the all-time greats.

From 1992-to-1996 there arguably wasn't a big man better than the quiet
Nigerian, averaging over 26 points per game in that four-year stretch.

In the two-year absence of Michael Jordan, no player distinguished himself as
the best player on the planet better than number 34, as he carried the Rockets
to back-to-back titles. Also, in 1994 he became the only player in history to
capture the Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and Finals MVP in the same season
- a feat yet to be matched.

The late emergence wasn't an aberration but the result of hard work finally
coming to fruition.

As the two-time Defensive Player of the Year's elite athletic ability began to
dissipate, his offensive repertoire began to expand. Learning the art of
playing with his back to the basket, Olajuwon would develop one of the most
effective moves in NBA history - the 'dream shake.'

If you played him loose, he faked one way, turned the other and hit a deadly
fade away jump shot. Play him tight and he'd spin like lightning towards the
basket for a dunk or jump hook. And when you thought you played him as well as
humanly possible, he'd pull a counter move that would leave a defender at his
mercy; a puppet on a string.

It took nearly nine years for Olajuwon to reach the level so many remember him
for.

This, writing off Howard so soon would be foolish. He has already established
himself as one of the greatest rebounders/defenders the NBA has ever seen. The
only player to lead the league in total rebounds for five consecutive seasons,
he also became the first player to lead the league in rebounding and blocks in
consecutive seasons, and was also the first player to ever lead the league in
rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage in the same season.

Dominating the defensive end has characterized the first half of D12's career
while the next stanza will be defined by how he expands his offensive game.This
summer, the names LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant have
dominated the discussion of who the best player in the NBA is, but if Howard
takes heed of the lessons given by the Hall of Famer Olajuwon, he too may be
mentioned amongst the elite.

For the time being, he can always dream.