Why Does Dwight Howard Refuse to Pick and Roll?

[AirTupac]

It was obvious on the Laker team that he didn't want to run the PnR with one of the best pick and roll guards ever.

Stolen from another site.

According to Synergy:

Howard's overall points per possession is 0.98, or #104 overall. Not bad.

53.1% of his possessions are post-ups where he ranks #128 and scores 0.77 PPP. Not great. 20% of those possessions end up with turnovers.

Only 7.1% of his possessions are as the roll man. I realize that does not account for all of his PnRs as this doesn't include PnRs that result in a PG shot or pass to a spot up shooter. But 7.1% seems insanely low, especially considering that he ranks #3 in the leauge with 1.31 PPP!

Given that Morey is so into analytics, and because it is obvious that Dwight is a great roll man, and that pick and rolls are pretty good, how do he and McHale allow this? Superstar treatment?

Even Lamarcus "Midrange" Aldridge ends 18.6% of his possessions as the roll man, even though he is only #93 at those. Aldridge only posts up 38.8% of the time even though he is much more efficient than dwight at 0.86 PPP.

Even Big Al Jefferson rolls 13.9% of the time, again at a much lower efficiency at 0.93%. Even AL JEFFERSON posts up a little less than Dwight (51.2%) at a much higher efficiency (0.97 PPP).

What's wrong with this dimwit?

[riseagainst]

try-hard alpha, diva-like mentality

[AboutBuckets]

Because McHale is one of the softest coaches around and basically lets his players do whatever the hell they want on the court. Very little discipline/structure in their sets

[Droid101]

One of the many reasons that season with the Lakers was such junk. He's such a baby.

[ZenMaster]

Maybe his back hurt from taking the hits that comes with it, he did have major surgery.

[Im Still Ballin]

The Haren-Dwight PnR.

Lethal.

[lakerfreak]

because it involves working hard

[Force]

A huge part of Orlando's offense when Dwight was there was running a pick and roll with Hedo or Nelson running off Dwight. Do you even watch basketball?

The Magic ran pick and rolls sometimes from beyond the 3 point line with running starts...it worked well enough to get them to the finals that year. It's a huge reason why Hedo got a $72,000,000 contract after he left the Magic.

[AirTupac]

A huge part of Orlando's offense when Dwight was there was running a pick and roll with Hedo or Nelson running off Dwight. Do you even watch basketball?

The Magic ran pick and rolls sometimes from beyond the 3 point line with running starts...it worked well enough to get them to the finals that year. It's a huge reason why Hedo got a $72,000,000 contract after he left the Magic.

Have you watched basketball these past couple years?

We're talking about the present, not the past. Dwight thinks he is a good enough of a player to demand the ball in the post instead of running the PnR. It was evident this season and with the Lakers as well. FFS you know youre a dumbass when Steve Nash snaps at you during a game.

[AboutBuckets]

Have you watched basketball these past couple years?

We're talking about the present, not the past. Dwight thinks he is a good enough of a player to demand the ball in the post instead of running the PnR. It was evident this season and with the Lakers as well. FFS you know youre a dumbass when Steve Nash snaps at you during a game.

I'm not disagreeing with you when I say this makes no sense and is retarded. It's as if Dwight thinks the PnR is all of a sudden 'below him' in relation to his talent as a player (which, incidentally, it absolutely isn't).

[Rubio2Gasol]

I think Shaq calling him a pick and roll guy got in his head and he's trying to prove he's good in the post.

People living rent free in his mind.

[MVBallin2K]

A huge part of Orlando's offense when Dwight was there was running a pick and roll with Hedo or Nelson running off Dwight. Do you even watch basketball?

The Magic ran pick and rolls sometimes from beyond the 3 point line with running starts...it worked well enough to get them to the finals that year. It's a huge reason why Hedo got a $72,000,000 contract after he left the Magic.

And this is why people are baffled now. You'd think a guy who turns the ball over frequently and sometimes struggles to score in the post would maximize his efforts by running the pick and roll and getting the ball either high up for a lob or enough to where he's able to only have it a few seconds.

Perhaps it has to do with his back but I don't know. This is a player that gets hacked whenever he goes into the basket to shoot free throws, sometimes hard. It hasn't stopped him from going to the basket.

[Purch]

Imaging how quickly Pop would bench Dwight If he wouldn't run the pick and roll

I mean Pop always always talks about players that have gotten over themselves, but Dwight is the exact opposite of that.