The past five years haven’t been great for Dwight Howard’s career.
Despite putting together many very good seasons, the overall perception of Howard has sunk since he left Orlando in 2012. While with the Magic, Howard was dominant and even carried an underwhelming roster to the 2008 NBA Finals. But due to locker room drama and some bad relationships with media, many fans have viewed Howard as a lost cause for years.
Getting lost in all that is just how good a career Howard has had. ESPN’s Bomani Jones started a interesting debate on Twitter the day after the Hawks traded Howard to the Hornets. His argument, shared with many others: Dwight Howard’s career has been underrated because of things that didn’t happen on the basketball court.
The discussion eventually led to Howard’s deservingness for the Hall of Fame. Howard’s credentials are absolute when looking at all the numbers. But the public has a different view.
Out of more than 3,600 respondents to an ESPN Radio poll, 59 percent voted against Howard going to Hall of Fame, further proof that the tumultuous late stages of his career have altered his perception.
Among active players, Howard has the eighth-highest Hall of Fame probability at 99.1 percent in a forecasting method created by Basketball Reference. That 99.1 percent represents the 52nd-highest probability of all time. Every eligible player ranked ahead of Howard has already been inducted.
Howard recently talked about his Hall of Fame chances with ESPN's Marc J. Spears in March.
“No doubt,” Howard told Spears about his Hall of Fame portfolio. “It’s kind of got swept under the rug because the perception of all the things that happened in Orlando, all of the media stuff. If you look at basketball itself — and I don’t ever talk about myself — but winning three Defensive Player of the Year trophies has never been done. Leading the league in rebounding six straight years, all that kind of stuff, I think that deserves it.”
His numbers and honors attest that he does deserve it. Howard is an eight-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA first-teamer and four-time All-Defensive first-teamer. He ranks first among active players in rebounds and blocks, while ranking 23rd in both all time. At 31, Howard already ranks 100th all-time in minutes played and points scored. While his shooting range has always been limited, Howard is third all-time with a .585 career effective field-goal percentage.
By any measure, Howard should be a lock for the hall. Despite his underwhelming season in Atlanta, despite the fact that his best seasons are behind him, he has produced a consistent 13-year career. Even last season with the Hawks that culminated in his trade to Charlotte, Howard comfortably averaged a double-double (13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds).
Though three years removed from his last All-Star appearance, the Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy product should keep a place on rosters for several more years, even as teams shift more and more to the small-ball movement that marginalizes the traditional center position.
Howard is no longer a top player in today’s game. But the only question about his place in the Hall of Fame is whether or not he’ll make it on the first ballot.
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