With the pressure of the bright lights in Los Angeles now behind him, center Dwight Howard faces a new challenge in proving once again who the most valuable big man in the league is.
Now as a member of the Houston Rockets, Howard has plenty of expectations to fulfill, one being with head coach Kevin McHale who expects him to become the most dominant center in the league once more.
"You're always evolving and changing, and I think Dwight's in the process of evolving and changing," McHale told reporters Sunday. "He says he's way healthier now than he has been. His back feels better. I just anticipate him coming in and doing what he did for years: being the best, most dominant center in the league."
McHale said he "had a pretty good feeling" that Howard would choose the Rockets over a list of suitors that consisted of the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.
Howard chose the Rockets over the Lakers on Friday night, saying he believes Houston gives him the best chance to win an NBA title.
"I just looked at both teams and I felt like Houston was going in one direction -- they got a lot of young players, they got a good coach in Kevin McHale and I just felt like having him as a coach, he could really help me in the post and help me develop like I want to," Howard said in an interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com. "That was mainly the big reason right there, and having the opportunity to grow with a team, a young team, like the Rockets. That's the reason why [I decided to leave]."
Howard added:
"It was tough," Howard said of leaving Los Angeles. "I enjoyed, for the most part, living here in L.A. I just really think the timing in L.A., it wasn't right for me. Maybe two years ago, or 2-3 years from now, it would have been the right time. But I just think right now the timing was off for me. That's not saying that L.A. is a bad place, but I just think it's all about timing and fit when you're talking about basketball. You can put anybody together on the court and expect them to win, but the pieces have to really fit in order for a team to be successful and it was very, very tough, man. It's probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make in my life."
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