D12 has been playing his way into form from a back injury, which caused him to miss the end of last season and the Olympic festivities in the following summer. He’s noticeably not yet the same player who physically dominated opposing NBA frontcourts on a nightly basis. Yet, Howard’s statistics are beginning to approach the averages that he posted in seasons that he won Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
In 36.7 minutes per game, Dwight is grabbing 8.2 defensive rebounds, 1.1 steals, 2.6 blocks and 3.8 personal fouls. He’s fouling at a career-high rate, which is to be expected as he waits for his trademark top-notch athleticism to return, and only outrebounding his rookie self.
However, his blocks and steals are on par with the numbers that Howard put up during his three DPoY campaigns: 2.7 blocks and 1.1 steals from 2008-09 to 2010-11. Aside from number of games played, even his statistics from 2011-12 trumped those produced by that season’s award winner: New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler.
Over 54 games, Dwight averaged 10.8 defensive boards, 1.5 steals, 2.1 blocks and just 2.9 personal fouls in a career-high 38.3 minutes a night. Chandler played 33.2 minutes per game in his 62 appearances, posting averages of 6.5 defensive rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.4 blocks and 3.0 fouls.
But Chandler changed a culture in New York.
Under his on-court leadership, the Knicks transformed from a defensively disinterested team looking to simply outscore opponents to a squad that takes care of business on both ends of the floor. With his length, Chandler altered far more shots at the rim than he was able to deny, ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
