The San Antonio Spurs had their season cut short by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a series where youth and athleticism prevailed.
The Spurs were always seen as the antidote to the small-ball movement that emphasized speed, athleticism and shooting. They still played "big" and continued to use 40 year old Tim Duncan. Of course, they were also preparing for the future with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard.
However, Aldridge still seemed like an old school, low post operator and he was not the "athletic rim protector" prototype that is all the rage these days.
Half a decade ago, the center that brought that center type was the most dominant in the league, leading his team to the NBA Finals and winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times. That center is Dwight Howard.
Now that Howard is being criticized left and right with questions regarding his conditioning, focus and desire coming into play, could he actually revive his career with the San Antonio Spurs?
That sounds like an impossible match but it's interesting how the player considered as the league's biggest goofball would join the most disciplined team in sports. Jalen Rose would like to see that.
Also, Fox Sports insinuated the idea while evaluating the San Antonio Spurs options. They also note that biggest impediment to the possibility.
"Can they lure Mike Conley away from the Memphis Grizzlies, Kevin Durant away from the Oklahoma City Thunder or Dwight Howard from the Houston Rockets?" asked Michael Pina.
His prohibitive response to his question: "Right now, for financial reasons more than anything else, it feels less than likely for all three. San Antonio would have to discard key cogs like Green, Patty Mills and Diaw to clear enough cap space for a max contract. Doing so wouldn't be hard, but it's not worthwhile unless they absolutely know what they're getting in return."
Dwight Howard has mentioned that he will exercise his player option and become a free agent but he also said he wants a max contract. As he is no longer the dominant D12 of 2009, he is unlikely to find a team that would offer the staggering max contract that could reach $ 30 million annually even in this crazy salary cap situation. Let alone the Spurs.
Howard is not seen as a player who would take a discount just to win a title. The impression is that he would rather get paid the big bucks even if it means joining the list of players who have never won a title in their career.
Seeing how David West of San Antonio sacrificed 11 million to chase a title with the Spurs and ended up with nothing, it's hard to imagine Howard treading the same path.
However, Pina noted that LaMarcus Aldridge is "notoriously defiant" to play center and that means the Spurs may have to fill out the five spot with someone other than Boban.
What if Dwight changed his mind and thought about his legacy? He showed some heart in his Inside the NBA guest stint and might be tired of being branded as a waste of innate talent. If he has really changed his mentality, the best way to prove it is by joining the San Antonio Spurs.