L.A. is Dwight Howard's final shot at returning to NBA dominance and he knows it ... so says Matt Barnes, who tells TMZ Sports it's "time to put the bullsh*t to the side" and get back to business.
Of course, it's been over 6 years since Howard's disastrous first stint with the Lakers ... and the guy's career has never been the same.
So, when we spoke with Barnes -- who played with Howard on the Magic in 2009 and 2010 -- about the reunion in L.