Would Howard's style of play even suit the nbl? - when did he last play in the league...Lakers Covid championship?

NBL is more stretch 4/5 and athletic bigs rather than Howard’s game.

Would surely generate some public interest though.

LOL seriously. "Oh he wouldnt fit. Oh we are better with stretch bigs". Sorry but if Dwight Howard wants to play in Australia teams will find the money. He walks onto any team the best player on the team. I cant believe the pure delusion I read here sometimes.

Never said he wouldn't fit, nor the league is better with stretch bigs....simply ponded the question and described generally the types of 4/5s we have in the NBL.

Dwight is almost 38, and whilst I’m sure some teams would sign him for the media attention and maybe his basketball ability, I don’t think he comes in and dominates the league.

Where does the Taiwanese league compare in terms of competition, strategy, execution etc?

Agreed ME

There's 'big' and then there's 'NBA big'. Dwight Howard is NBA big and would monster our league once he adjusted to the refs fouling him out every game.

Dwight setting up thirst traps all over the world

You'd have to think he's going to find a lot more money in Europe. Australia's lifestyle/weather a key selling point, but signings like this risk making the NBL a meme league if he's just here for a good time and not legit about competing

Would say Dwight is at a similar level to Big Sauce

38 or not he's in playing shape and is one of the better all time NBA centers. Who is holding him inside? JLA? lol. He'd be worth every cent he's asking.

@Basket91 - difference is Dwight is going to have a lot more popular cut through and marketability. Very few people know who 'Big Sauce' is

Find the commentary that he wouldnt dominate quite laughable.
Baynes averaged 11 and 7 last year. So take those numbers and add every missed Baynes layup and putback in to probably a dunk/lob and then add 3-5 rebounds min avg because Dwight is one of the best rebounders in the history of basketball...

Yeah I think people stubbornly overrate the NBL. It's a good league but you've got what, Aron Baynes, Issac Humphries, Keanu Pinder, Alex Sarr as his closest competition if he came over here. If you think he's averaging less than 20 and 10 you're kidding. 20 and 10 would be him playing poorly. I know NBA success doesn't always mean NBL success but Howard is still an elite body type and skill set here which we just dont have an answer for. And he's 38 - not 45 or 50. You could have 2, 3, 4 solid NBL seasons from a guy like him in this league.

With Bogut being the closest comparison, Bogut had a broken body coming into the 19/20 season, still took his team to the finals. Still MVP. If you dont think howard is doing at least that you're deluding yourself.

If LK can move things around to have him in the league he should.

I'm taking JLA, Hukporti, Williams or Pinder over a 38 year old Dwight Howard who hasn't played NBA for 18 months

But yes, he probably would monster teams like Illawarra, Cairns, even NZ who don't have the size and power to counter him.

I'd love to see it.

"Yeah I think people stubbornly overrate the NBL."

Equally, some people stubbornly underrate the NBL. Would be interesting to see how a 38 year old who averaged 23 and 16 in 35 mins in Taiwan would go in the NBL.

His ability to collect a board or finish under the bucket wouldn't be an issue obviously, it would be his ability to defend almost every ball-screen (which opponents would invariably put him in) and how many minutes he could play at the NBL's pace and intensity.

It would become a coaching chess match to see whether his strengths can be utilised better than his weaknesses can be exploited.

Like any import, fit and role is critical. He'd be a good injury replacement for Cheatham at the Breakers to play defence, rebound and run to the rim.

he is a monster around the basket, unfortunately he also likes to put the ball on the floor and try to drive past his opponents which seems him turning the ball over more often than not. he likes to be a black hole on offense.

he'd be fun to watch but i would not expect his team to win the championship with him as his centre piece.

Agree on NZ Breakers being a great fit. Rim protection, rebounding and presence is what he would bring, like Pardon last year

Howard as much as I don't like the guy would have a field day in the NBL. He would destroy any and every big here without much effort. Being the type of guy he is though I doubt he would put much effort in anyway and probably end up with slightly worse numbers than he put up in the mickey mouse Taiwanese league where the biggest opponents are guys the likes of Matt Hodgson.

The reality is the best bigs in the NBL on an annual basis get snapped up by higher paying leagues like Japan so it keeps the quality of the NBL bigs down. Alan Williams pretty much tears it up here and he would get even alive by Howard and some of the other bigs in Europe. Too small, a traditional PF not a centre, lack of mobility etc.

Another fine hype piece from the NBL.

Still waiting for John Wall to suit up for SEM.

JLA, Hukporti, Williams, and Pinder, lmao, you got to be kidding, these guys are midgets next to Howard, he'd eat them alive.

I think he'd do worse than most expect.

"Agree on NZ Breakers being a great fit. Rim protection, rebounding and presence is what he would bring, like Pardon last year"

Except Pardon was elite at running the floor and defending ball-screens. He was an ideal NBL centre. Howard has major NBL strengths and major NBL weaknesses, it would be fascinating to watch a team try and succeed with him in the roster.

I think he'd do worse than most expect.

"NBL is more stretch 4/5 and athletic bigs rather than Howard's game."

I'd think a multiple time 1st ALL-NBA team player would change the NBL, rather than him trying to change to a stretch 4/5.

In terms of physicality, the reduction from 82 games to 28 games would suit a 38 year old centre.

His issue would be being a knuckle head and not having a professional attitude.

Lastly, 5 kids with 5 different women means he is chasing the dollars, he won't end up here on that alone.

That's always been the problem with him though, even in the NBA for a chunk of his prime. He has zero post moves so he'd be entirely reliant on being set up around and going to the basket and would need to absolutely feast on offensive rebounds. He would find the NBL spacing restrictive, and is too poor a ft shooter to hit 30 points regularly with how teams would be defending him. In the right spot it would work but throw him on, say, Adelaide or Illawarra? Not convinced.

Would be an interesting locker room if he went to Adelaide ;)

And yet he'd be such a physical specimen, that most teams would find their starting centre and back up centre in foul trouble by half time, unless they sag off him.

It also depends on his attitude. Just like Team USA from time to time, if he turns up thinking he's going to be god just by turning up, well we’ll be laughing at him and calling him a bust. But if he turns up wanting to play the right way, even with our refereeing and foul trouble the guy is going to man handle probably everyone except Baynes. He is an elite specimen physically even compared to 99% of the NBA.

This is rubbish, he has already signed with a EuroLeague club.

I got Howard averaging 15pts and 20 rebounds in 26 minutes a game...


Imagine Howard playing with Jaylen Adams?

Another fine hype piece from the NBL.

Still waiting for John Wall to suit up for SEM.

This is rubbish, he has already signed with a EuroLeague club.

What's the point of an internet forum if not to engage our thoughts on "rubbish hype"!

Hahah true - the fatigue from the spin coming out of NBL headquarters has got to me.

I think as others have said the biggest thing would be his attitude. Bogut was successful because he wasn't caring about putting up big numbers and was always a team first guy on the court. Howard tried to be the man years after it was evident that couldnt work.

He does actually have a decent post game, it just wasnt a post game that supported him getting the ball each time down the court which is what he wanted. Combined with his physical abilities he could put up 15-20 a game easy in the NBL feasting off offensive rebounds.