Most expected this to be an issue early in the season as the former Slam Dunk champion progressively gets himself back into basketball shape after a back injury that sidelined him last season.
And yet his individual defense has been terrific. He is playing physical defense in the paint, and making it extremely tough for opposing centers to set up shop in the low block by fighting them for post position and bumping them out of the paint. And even when big guys get a touch down low against Howard, it’s extremely tough for them to score against him because he plays good position defense and contests shots to force misses.
MySynergySports tells us that NBA players facing D12 have only converted 5-of-22 shots from the field (22.7 percent) in post-up situations. That translates into 0.47 points per possession, which is the best figure in the Association.
Those are great figures, and that’s why the Los Angeles Lakers only surrender 96 points per 100 possessions when Howard is on the court—a mark that is identical to what he did last season with the Orlando Magic.
One would be inclined to believe that Howard is all the way back, but that would be fool’s gold. His lateral mobility pales in comparison to last season, which makes sense considering his type of injury. The end result is that teams occasionally expose him when he defends the pick-and-roll or they simply attack Gasol in the screen-and-roll action, knowing full well that the big man might be late in his defensive rotations. At least, such was the case earlier in the season.
However, at present time, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year seems to be overcompensating for his lack of mobility by sacrificing good defensive position. He is coming out a little faster to...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
