Dwight Howard thinks the Los Angeles Lakers crew that received a championship in 2020 had much more to present if solely common supervisor Rob Pelinka had given them the possibility.
In a brand new episode of the “Above the Rim” podcast, Howard was essential of Pelinka for what he noticed as breaking apart the 2020 crew as an alternative of giving them the possibility to run it again. Howard argued that the crew would have been more healthy the following season, and doubtlessly much more profitable.
“I’m gonna inform you who it was. Rob Pelinka, man,” Howard mentioned. “Rob, why you try this to us? I nonetheless love you, Rob, however we had the squad. We may’ve ran it again. We might have been more healthy for subsequent 12 months.”
Howard could also be overselling simply how a lot Pelinka blew up the crew. Rajon Rondo left and didn’t have a lot success after doing so, however the Lakers introduced in Dennis Schroder to switch him. Howard could have been a loss, and he left under odd circumstances, however the Lakers changed him with Montrezl Harrell, who was at the moment the reigning Sixth Man of the Yr. The remainder of the core largely stayed in place, however accidents have been an issue in 2020-21, undermining Howard’s suggestion that they’d have stayed wholesome.
Successful an NBA title was an enormous second in Howard’s profession. Clearly, he would have appreciated an opportunity to win a second, however he’s considerably overstating how a lot Pelinka blew issues up in 2020.