The Los Angeles Lakers have the NBA's most dominate center at their disposal, however, coach Mike D'Antoni wants his big man to work on other aspects of his game, including developing a jump shot.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA, D'Antoni would like Dwight Howard to become more of a threat a few feet outside the paint.
"We want to just expand his game all over," D'Antoni said before the Lakers played the Warriors on Monday. "If he's going to dominate the league - which he's young enough and he can - you can't play within a four-foot box. You got to play. And he's doing that. He's getting more confidence. I think that will help him on his foul shooting and it will help his overall game. He shoots the ball well and we want to keep developing that and keep getting better."
Howard hasn't had the best performance this season, but he has shown signs that he's beginning to get things together. If he were to develop a jump shot, however, teams will likely have no answer at center to stop him. The NBA is developing at a rapid pace and if D'Antoni can manage to convince Howard to really take the time out to work on that aspect of his game, the franchise will likely have another big man to add to that list of legendary big men to ever where the purple and gold.
Howard wasn't the only player D'Antoni has concerns for, as he also has concerns for forward Metta World Peace and his left knee injury.
D'Antoni has doubts that World Peace will make a return this season.
"I say I'm not optimistic only because it's a couple weeks," D'Antoni said. "If it's bad enough to get it checked, we'll see what it is once we get it checked, but it'll be tough."
As of now it's unknown whether or not surgery will be needed to repair any damage, but World Peace has been listed as day-to-day. The Lakers will most likely start either Earl Clark or Jodie Meeks tonight against the Timberwolves.
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