Washington Wizards: The Dwight Howard Fan Club

The 2018 NBA offseason has been chock full of surprises. Where is this one going, will he stay, etc., etc. But the Washington Wizards acquisition of Dwight Howard has created quite the fan club among media and fans alike.

The Washington Wizards are a better team this summer than they were last season. Some would argue that’s a factual statement. It is.

Bradley Beal has backup, that can also run with the first unit when needed, with Austin Rivers.

Jeff Green just came off playing in the NBA Finals. There’s that veteran voice that’s always needed in any locker room.

While Troy Brown, Jr. has been a highlight reel in Summer League.

The Wizards bench is better than last season. But the storyline always comes back to Dwight Howard.

People are always trying to find a chink in the Wizards’ armor — Yes, Washington got better, but they have Howard.

But what can’t be quantified, although many have already tried, is how Howard will fit in the mix?

For example, Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe has joined the Dwight Howard Fan Club.

Just this morning, he tweeted that if his life depended upon a game of basketball, he would not select Howard.

I am not the President of this newly formed club. But Mr. Ryan, Howard plays alongside someone who plays basketball for a living, John Wall. But when Howard retires and he decides to write, then you got next.

Wall alongside Beal are the leaders of the Wizards. As leaders they know what to expect from Howard.

In a recent podcast with Chase Hughes of NBCSportsWizards, Wall is quite aware that Howard can be playful. However, at the same time:

"“He has to buy into that and not try to say it’s all about him or try to do this for himself. Just do it for the whole team and group and I think we will be fine”."

In addition, Howard is the perimeter defender that this team needs. Wall added:

"“Even though he’s older, he’s still an athletic big and still has respect in this league. I mean, averaging [16.6 ppg and 12.5 rpg], he’s a guy who can score in the low-post and block shots, a guy that gets a lot of rebounds and a guy that can catch lobs and do things that when teams switch against us or we’re attacking the paint, if they help for a second then we’re throwing lobs. Now, do you get more layups? Probably. Or, you get more wide open threes because guys are going to have to crack down on him. If you don’t crack down on him, that’s an automatic layup or a lob. I think that benefits us a lot.”"

Howard can do the job that he’s paid to do on the court. While Wall already explained, what they need from their new big inside the locker room.

It’s actually pretty good that a lot of the media and fans are talking about the Wizards before the season even started.

Washington isn’t going to make that same mistake bragging about themselves: “Cleveland didn’t want to see us”. “We have a target on our back”.

Especially now that others are doing the talking for them. Predicting that Howard will mess up the locker room.

While others wait for Howard to wreck the locker room, there are some quietly waiting for him to wreck the court.

Whatever the media and fans say about the Wizards chemistry, right now they are brothers.

If some believe that Washington is going to fall for that “divide and conquer” routine? Try that act somewhere else.

Does that scare some, that Wall who can whip a ball, has Howard waiting in the post? Yes.

Or that Howard can grab that second-chance ball and kick it out to Otto Porter, Jr. for that beautiful three? Yes. Porter can just wait and swoosh. Wait and swoosh.

Or while all eyes are on Beal, there’s that extra pass for Howard to get an easy slam dunk? Yes.

Mr. Ryan shouldn’t just be worried about the team to the South of Boston, but rather look to the North. Hi, Kawhi.

But while you may be king of Boston’s media room, John Wall’s got this.

To hear Wall’s full interview with Chris Miller, please check out Hughes’ Wizards Tipoff.