Gilbert Arenas echoes the oft-repeated sentiment on NBA Twitter that Dwight Howard and Patrick Ewing both deserved to be in the NBA 75 List.
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One way to gauge how new a basketball fan is would be to ask them their impression of Dwight Howard. If the answer is somewhat negative, you can rest assured that this is a relatively new fan.
For 6 seasons from 2006-07 onwards, Dwight Howard was a dominant force in the paint the likes of which we’ve only seen a few times in league history. D12 barely had any basketball moves, but was head and shoulders above the rest of the league’s big men.
Dwight Howard bagged 3 straight Defensive Player of the Year titles at his peak. He also led one of the least talented Finals rosters of all time in 2009. The Magic getting past LeBron James and the Cavs that year can largely be attributed to him.
Despite all of these stunning achievements, he’s had quite an anticlimactic back end to his career. Now in his 18th season, Howard has been a bit-part player for the past 3 years or so.
“If Patrick Ewing is in, Dwight Howard should be”: Gilbert Arenas
Former Wizards All-Star Gilbert Arenas is one of the more astute brains doing NBA analysis today. The retired point guard is a man who’s been shoulder-to-shoulder with the most legendary names of all time.
Arenas understands what it took to be an elite center during the late-2000s. He personally is astonished that Dwight Howard didn’t make the NBA’s 75th Anniversary players list, released recently:
“Most disrespected… I would say Dwight Howard. I mean, if Patrick Ewing is in, like we’re talking about stand-alone stats. Your stats have to reflect what you did as a player.”
“So when you compare his stats, you look at his resume, you’re like, ‘Wait, how is he actually not on this list?!’ He’s not even a bubble player, he’s actually in this.”
