NBA AM: Howard Excited for Fresh Start With Hawks

Howard Excited for Fresh Start in Atlanta

After establishing himself as one of the NBA’s premier players during his stint with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard’s time in the NBA has been a bit rocky ever since. Over the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, Howard has dealt with various injuries, on-court chemistry issues with teammates and a reduced role.

Most notably, Howard struggled to adjust to teammates like Kobe Bryant and James Harden. The Lakers were one of the teams on Howard’s wish list when he decided to force a trade from the Magic, but his time in L.A. didn’t go as planned as he clashed with Bryant and head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Howard’s move to the Rockets was expected to give Harden the help he needed to compete for a championship. But as Howard left the Rockets this offseason, the center’s relationship with Harden didn’t end on the best of terms. Howard even mentioned over the summer that their relationship wasn’t good enough for the team to be successful.

His decision to sign elsewhere this summer didn’t come as a surprise to many. Howard inked a three-year, $70.5 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks over the offseason in a move that will bring Howard back to his hometown. Signing with the Hawks can be seen as a new chapter for Howard, one that will presumably allow him to return to playing at a high level without any distractions.

“It’s another chapter in my life,” Howard said Sunday night in Orlando. “There will always be good chapters and bad chapters, but I think I’ve already got those bad chapters out of the way. Everything else will be up from here. Atlanta is great; it’s my hometown. My family has been great, my friends have been great and the team, for the most part, everybody is amazing.”

Watching Howard interact with friends, family and fans in a city that he once played for indicates that he is in a much better place in his life after having many ups and downs over the past few years. Howard flashed that vintage smile that was so popular during the positive times while playing for the Magic, and he seemed genuinely happy to be back interacting with old friends.

It seems as though signing with the Hawks can only be a positive for Howard. Atlanta has formed an outstanding infrastructure that starts with the front office and goes down to the players. Mike Budenholzer is one of the most respected head coaches in the league and has helped the Hawks qualify for the playoffs in an Eastern-Conference-high nine straight seasons.

Howard echoed those statements to reporters prior to a 105-98 win over the Magic on Sunday. Howard was held out of the game for rest but offered high praise for his new team. He called Budenholzer an unbelievable human being and said the Hawks are an organization that really cares about what’s best for their players.

“I really couldn’t be happier with how Dwight has integrated himself into our program – his willingness to work [and] his willingness to be open to coaching,” Budenholzer said. “He’s added a lot of positive energy and he’s got a big personality that I think our team has welcomed. It just feels like it’s a great opportunity for us and him. We’re just looking forward to growing together.”

While Howard didn’t appear in Sunday’s game, he’s turned in a strong preseason thus far. He said that he’s feeling great heading into the season, and it’s showing on the court. Through three games, Howard is averaging 15.7 points, eight rebounds, 1.7 blocks and one assist per game. He turned in a monster game last Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, recording 26 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, two assists and one steal.

The Hawks are hoping Howard can step into the lineup and take Al Horford’s place in the paint. While it’s safe to say that Howard is far removed from his dominating days with the Magic, he still has shown that he can be among the best centers in the league when healthy. His numbers dipped a bit last season with the Rockets – he averaged 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game – but Howard’s role with the team diminished down the stretch of the season.

Based on how things have played out so far during the preseason, it seems like Howard will have a big role with the Hawks this year. Coach Budenholzer’s teams have performed well on defense under his watch, finishing 14th in defensive efficiency during the 2013-14 season, seventh in 2014-15 and second last season. Adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in Howard can only help bolster the defensive unit.

“He adds another layer to our defense, being a guy who can block shots,” Paul Millsap said. “He’s athletic enough to switch the pick-and-rolls and move on the pick-and-rolls. We look forward to that. We look forward to having a big body under the basket, altering shots and making guys work for twos.”

The Hawks have generally avoided making huge roster changes. When you have a nine-year playoff streak, you tend to stick with the same core group and value continuity. However, with Horford joining the Boston Celtics via free agency and Jeff Teague being traded away to the Indiana Pacers, the Hawks will enter this season with a much different look. With much of the Eastern Conference improving over the summer, it remains to be seen where exactly the Hawks fit into the playoff picture.

In addition to Howard, the team also added veteran Jarrett Jack to the roster to provide some depth at point guard behind Dennis Schroder, who will replace Teague as the team’s starting floor general. With so many veterans on the team that have won at a high level, it seems reasonable to believe the Hawks can continue to compete for a high playoff seed.

For Howard, returning to a place in which he’s personally comfortable seems like it’ll help his play on the court. He seems to be as happy as he’s been in awhile and looks to be the same player we saw in Orlando – the upbeat guy who gets along with everyone. Don’t be surprised to see Howard deliver a strong bounce-back campaign and send a reminder to the NBA that he’s still among the best centers in the game.

Millsap Returns with Strong Performance Against Magic

When Hawks power forward Paul Millsap underwent a preventative procedure to reduce swelling in his right knee in late September, the news came as a bit of a surprise since it was taking place so close to the start of the season.

The team deemed the procedure to be the best course of action to treat Millsap’s knee. The All-Star forward has stayed pretty close to the initial timetable to return, as it originally called for the big man to miss two preseason games and he ultimately missed four games.

While Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer opted to rest several starters Sunday night in Orlando including Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroder, Millsap returned to the court for the first time this preseason.

In 19 minutes of action against the Magic, Millsap recorded 19 points (on 7-12 shooting), nine rebounds and seven assists. In a game in which his minutes were limited and many expected him to just knock off the rust, Millsap looked like he’s already in midseason form.

“We think he’s pretty good; we’ll probably keep him,” Budenholzer joked after Millsap’s impressive performance. “He’s such a unique and gifted player. I think the seven assists is probably what stands out to me as much as anything. He’s just a playmaker. He finds guys. He just feels things that I think are on another level. He had a good practice. It was good to see him now get out and do it in a game.”

Budenholzer said that the plan with Millsap is to continue monitoring his status through game situations and practices. He played in 19 minutes on Sunday night and will continue to increase his minutes incrementally each game. The biggest objective for Millsap moving forward will be getting his conditioning back.

“My body feels great,” Millsap said. “I was just getting my wind up. That’s going to take a few games. You can’t simulate that type of style in practice or [by] running on the treadmill. It’s good to be out there playing games. We still have two more preseason games to get ready.

“You have to get on the floor in game-like situations with the starters. We got two more games to do that. Hopefully, we can get out there and get our chemistry down and get ready for the regular season.”

As Budenholzer pointed out, the biggest takeaway from Millsap’s performance was his seven assists. It was surely an encouraging sign for the team that he was able to find his teammates like that in his first game back in action. It also shows his chemistry with his teammates is there, despite not yet playing during the preseason.

“[I’m] just taking my time, especially with these younger guys cutting to the basket and moving without the basketball,” Millsap said. “I think our offense was in pretty good sync tonight – guys moving without the basketball, setting screens for each other, just sharing the basketball. I think that’s what we’re all about. It just so happened to be me tonight, but any other night it could be anyone else.”

Last season, the 31-year-old averaged 17.1 points, nine rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks while earning his third-straight All-Star nod.