Though no one had previously asked Dwight Howard to fill a role coming off a bench, the Lakers have used Howard much as Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni wanted to when he coached the Lakers. Howard has excelled as a pick-and-roll center, providing such a lift that only LeBron James plays more fourth-quarter minutes.
This comes as no surprise to D’Antoni.
“Dwight’s a very talented basketball player,” D’Antoni said. “If he is happy and willing to do it, which obviously he is, there’s no reason he wouldn’t be successful.”
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Howard is playing a role similar to what his successor in Houston, Clint Capela, has played.