One of the major concerns of the Los Angeles Lakers after acquiring center Dwight Howard via trade last month was whether or not he'd be fully recovered from back surgery and ready to go for the start of the 2012-13 NBA season on October 30.

It has remain to be seen if Howard will be in uniform in the season-opener against the Dallas Mavericks next month, but it became clear as of Thursday that the superstar won't be ready for the start of Lakers training camp, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com:

"The team is not giving a timetable for Howard's return to the court at this point. However, they have stated that he will not be ready for the start of training camp or the beginning of the preseason schedule starting on Oct. 7 against Golden State in Fresno."

Even though there's no timetable for Howard's return, there seems to be a chance that he will be able to suit up for the Lakers' first game of the regular season. If the rehab continues with positive updates and Howard convinces the Lakers training staff that he's ready to make his debut, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year could be playing alongside Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant sooner rather than later.