May 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) dunks the basketball during the second half in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Rockets 104-90 to advance to the NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
4. Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
2014-2015 Stats: 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks
Dwight Howard is still a great center. But similar to “Full House,” *NSYNC and frosted tips, all great things come to an end. Don’t get me wrong, Howard still has plenty of basketball left, but his best defensive days are past him. In his prime, Howard averaged 2.9 blocks per game, but now he is down to 1.3.
Howard is still dominant once he gets the ball in the post (barring that he doesn’t get sent to the free-throw line), and he could be the strongest center in the league. He also has a lot of potential to have a tremendous season with the acquisition of Ty Lawson. If Lawson can draw defenders when he drives to the basket, he’ll be able to find Howard for easy points. Howard and Lawson have the talent to have one of the best pick-and-roll games in the NBA, but it all depends on how committed Lawson is to the team.
Bold prediction: Lawson could have some off-the-court issues.
Next: DeAndre Jordan