The NBA is changing and Atlanta Hawks centre Dwight Howard does not want to get passed by.
The 31-year-old was on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Tuesday, where he detailed his off-season plans to develop his range from beyond the three-point line.
“I’ve been working on my threes, really trying to add some range to my game,” said Howard. “Which is going to be weird for people to see, I guess. They are used to seeing me in the paint battling. But in order for me to play longer, I have to expand my game. The game is not just back to the basket, get the ball in the post and go to work.
“It’s more stepping away from the basket, setting screens, popping, shooting threes and stuff like that. People haven’t seen me do that. It’s going to be an adjustment for me, but also the fans. I think it’s going to be fun.”
Howard attempted just two three-pointers last season, making none of them.
The Atlanta native is 5-for-56 for his career from beyond the arc, having scored almost exclusively from the post since he was drafted first overall by Orlando in 2004.
While a three-point touch would be nice, Hawks fans might also be wishing for Howard to spend some significant time practising his free throws.
The centre made just 53 per cent of his attempts from the charity stripe, missing 198 times in 2016-17.
His ineffectiveness as a floor spacer contributed to a lack of playing time in key moments down the stretch for Atlanta, which lost to the Washington Wizards in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Howard sat out the entire fourth quarter of the Hawks’ Game 6 loss.
“The way the game has evolved, it’s really tough for traditional centres to get great playing time and be effective. So, we do have to change our game. …
“For us to stay in this league and be successful, we’ve got to be able to handle the basketball. We’ve got to be able to shoot the ball. Be able to play pick-and-roll against some of these guards.”
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