It seems as though the more time that goes by, there are fewer people who actually believe Dwight Howard and Chris Paul will be playing in Orlando and New Orleans past next season.
After next season, both Howard and Paul will become unrestricted free agents (Paul has a player option and Howard as an early termination option). While their looming free agency won’t be as newsworthy as LeBron James was last summer, it will certainly be in the same ballpark.
It will be another chapter in what I like to call: The big player-small market conundrum.
The Cavaliers put everything they had in trying to get James to re-sign with the organization. In the all or nothing attempt, the Cavaliers were left with nothing in return, when James decided to play in Miami. It was no big surprise the Cavaliers finished with the second worst record in the league this season.
In an attempt to avoid the same outcome, small market teams such as the Jazz and Nuggets traded Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. That way, Utah and Denver were guaranteed to get talent in return, while their former franchise players went to bigger markets.
Both Howard and Paul are contractually obligated to the Magic and Hornets for one more season, yet fans and analysts are already talking about all of the destinations the two players could eventually end up.
Earlier in the month, in the middle of the Lakers’ playoff meltdown, people were ready to put Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom on the guillotine.
Even before the Lakers were officially eliminated from the playoffs, fans, analysts and even Magic Johnson talked about the team making a run at Dwight Howard sooner than later.
All of the talk has people wondering if the Lakers will attempt to trade for Howard before the center becomes a free agent after next season.
Let’s assume that both Howard and Paul covet Los Angeles as a potential destination in the near future. Which player would potentially have a more of an impact on the Lakers?
While both players would undeniably improve the team in their own special ways, the answer to the question seems quite easy to me. Chris Paul would make more of an impact than Dwight Howard, plain and simple.
What has been talked about more the last few years: The Lakers needing help in the frontcourt? Or, the team being in desperate need of a point guard?
If you picked option number two, you answered correctly. Until the Mavericks ousted the Lakers in the playoffs, people still considered the Lakers to have the best frontcourt in basketball.
Despite the team’s disappointing play in the postseason, Odom and Bynum had arguably the best seasons of their careers, and although Gasol played like a kid who had just lost his kitten in the playoffs, he was named to his third consecutive All-Star team and All-NBA second team.
Also, none of the three players can be considered old, and while all three can only hope to be the defensive presence Howard is, all three have superior offensive games. I am not 100 percent sold on the Lakers blowing up their current roster on a player they probably want more than they actually need.
The Lakers have been in need of a quality point guard for many years. Despite Derek Fisher’s caginess and ability to hit clutch shots, the Lakers desperately need an upgrade at the position.
The Lakers would not only be getting an upgrade, but they would also be getting arguably the best point guard in the world, in Chris Paul. The Lakers wouldn’t look so stone footed with Paul running the team.
Kobe Bryant would also benefit from a player like Chris Paul, more so than Dwight Howard. Kobe Bryant’s starting to enter the stage of his career where he won’t be able to produce the kind of scoring we are all accustomed to.
Chris Paul would do a tremendous job of creating points for himself and others, alleviating some of the pressure Kobe would feel. Howard would not necessarily take any stress off Kobe’s load on the offensive end.
Howard has yet to master one dominating offensive move, from what I have seen, and his free throw shooting would remind fans of Shaquille O’Neal’s old charity stripe catastrophes.
So, if the Lakers are willing to eventually break up their current roster to get one of these players, why not go for the player who would undeniably have the bigger impact on the team. The team is in much more need of a great point guard than another great frontcourt player.
There has not been nearly as much speculation of Paul joining the Lakers as there has been of Howard. Maybe there should be.
Mario Chalmers Dwayne Wade Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside Mike Fontenot Brett Pill
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