Who will benefit more from a change of scenery in 2016-17: Dwight Howard in Atlanta, or Al Horford in Boston?
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: Gotta be Howard with the Hawks. He’s the one escaping — from Houston’s wacky management, from James Harden‘s self-absorption — so he’ll be in a better environment with, frankly, a lot to prove individually. I don’t see Howard’s numbers changing much — he’s not exactly Tim Duncan in predictability but his stats have been pretty consistent, allowing for injuries — but I can see his reputation improving a lot as a teammate. If he wants it to. Horford to me will just go from butting heads with Cleveland and LeBron James while wearing red and volt green to doing the same while wearing green and white. And falling short for the foreseeable future.
Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Easily Al Horford. He’ll be a perfect fit with what coach Brad Stevens and team president Danny Ainge are doing in Boston and could make the Celtics a real threat to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors in the East. On the other hand, different scenery will produce the same old Dwight Howard, part center and part sideshow, a rolling bundle of missed free throws, underachievement and excuses.
Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Howard more on a personal level because he has the most rehabilitating to do, but Horford and the Celtics will have a better season. Horford should be welcoming the pressure and expectations that come with that kind of contract. More people will be watching him then before, so more people will be appreciating his important contribution in Boston.
Shaun Powell, NBA.com: Al Horford went to the playoffs routinely in Atlanta, so I’m not so sure how that changes things in Boston. Dwight Howard, however, hit speed bumps in Los Angeles and Houston and could use a makeover. That doesn’t mean his time with the Hawks will translate into a cosmetic facelift for him, but compared to Horford, Howard has the most to gain by a change.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Horford just needs to be himself and stay healthy, and things will work out fine for him in Boston. Howard has more to gain in regard to both his reputation and his ability to live up to his potential, but the change of scenery is not enough. He’s got to make some changes in himself. On offense, he needs to be more willing to be a pick-and-roll big and less worried about his post touches. On defense, he needs to be more focused and more active. If he’s the center he thinks he is, his team shouldn’t have ranked in the bottom 10 defensively with him playing 71 games last season.
Sekou Smith, NBA.com: Dwight Howard needed a new team and city in the worst way. The fact that he’s back in his hometown only magnifies that truth. But where it’s hard to see what sort of fit Howard will be in an Atlanta system that asks its center to do things Howard never has (shoot the ball well from the perimeter and the free throw line). Al Horford is an ideal fit in Boston, where he won’t have to be a savior in a system that is perfectly suited for his skill set. Horford fits on and off the court in Boston and will finally be appreciated by an adoring fan base the way he never really was in Atlanta.
Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: Horford is going to a young, improving team with 50-win potential, a passionate fan base and championship infrastructure – not to mention potential access to the No. 1 pick and cap space for another max free agent next summer. He has a chance to contribute to a franchise on the rise.
Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: Dwight Howard. Which isn’t to say Al Horford won’t be successful in Boston. When I think of Horford in Brad Stevens‘ system, I think of all those long jumpers I saw Jared Sullenger and Kelly Olynyk miss last season, and know that Horford will sink the majority of those shots. But if Boston needs help on the boards, I’m not sure Al is the guy to look for. To me, Dwight has a lot of upside if only because he’s going to get touches in Atlanta on plays run specifically for him. I don’t know if he can knock down shots like Horford — although Dwight has been filling social media all summer with videos of him shooting 18-footers — but I just think Dwight has a bigger opportunity than Al this season.
