NBA Today: Assessing the Center position for Los Angeles Lakers after DeMarcus Cousins' injury

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Dwight Howard clashed with Kobe Bryant for not being serious enough and working hard enough

#1 Dwight Howard

The Lakers have been down this road before, and it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. In his lone season as a Laker, he was never truly healthy due to shoulder and back issues. He never endeared himself to the “Lakers Nation”, who felt he didn’t take the game seriously enough with the constant smiling and laughing and didn’t work to improve his overall game enough. He clashed with Kobe Bryant for many of those very reasons, and that in turn made Kobe actually appreciate Shaquille O’Neal in retrospect. He did not leave the Lakers on good terms at all.

Even years after, every time Howard appears at Staples Center against the Lakers, he is booed and jeered whenever he touches the ball. He is also far-removed from his prime "Superman" years in Orlando, where he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, regularly at the top of player leaders in rebounds, blocks, and dunks. He was considered the most dominant center in the league.

He only played in 9 games last season due to a gluteal injury with the Washington Wizards, averaging just 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds. He only blocked 4 shots total. His last full, healthy season came in 2017-18 with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 81 games (and starts). His low-post offense became at least respectable, and he showed some surprising ball-handling skills at times. But some of the same problems continued.

The offense, which was not very diverse to begin with (Kemba Walker was the only real major scorer), slowed down at times with him on the floor, and he tended to toss-up wild awkward hooks in traffic rather than pass the ball (he only averaged 1.3 assists). The only game he missed was because he was suspended for 1 game for reaching the technical foul limit of 16.

Additionally, he reportedly wore out his welcome with teammates. Fast forward to this upcoming season, he is currently on the Memphis Grizzlies roster, but is widely expected to be released and become an unrestricted free agent, likely before training camp. His future in the NBA, which has changed drastically since his prime years, is tenuous at best.

Howard, who turns 34 in December, looked noticeably slimmer when seen at the Summer League, and says that he has learned from past mistakes and has vowed to change his approach and attitude. In fact, he stated that his ego is “dead”. And the Lakers, under a new regime (owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka) this time, are reportedly willing to give him a second chance.

If healthy and engaged, he would give the team a big body, rim protector, and rebounder, even at this stage of his career. If he could come close to his defensive levels in Orlando, it would benefit the Lakers greatly. He is on a team where offense won’t be needed from him a great deal, but he would be a potential lob threat.

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#2 Joakim Noah

Noah showed some of the fire and passion in his game that fueled his prime All-Star years with the Chicago Bulls.

After being phased out and banished from the New York Knicks for the better part of two seasons, Joakim Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent in December of last season. When he was there, he showed some of the fire and passion in his game that fueled his prime All-Star years with the Chicago Bulls. His rebounding, passing, and defense were back on display.

Noah will occasionally hit a jumper, but most of his offense comes from putbacks and cuts to the rim. In 42 games, he averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 16.5 minutes. At 34 years old, and with a history of foot and shoulder injuries, among other things, his days as a starter are almost certainly over, and he is best served in limited doses off the bench. But he could still be a valuable role player who can still impact the game. He would capably fill in the defensive reserve big man role that Tyson Chandler (now a Houston Rocket) played for the Lakers last season.

It would be an interesting dynamic to see Noah end up on the same team with LeBron James. The two have had numerous intense battles verbally and on the court in matchups between the Bulls and Cavaliers, as well as the Bulls and Heat.