The Los Angeles Lakers have created the most talented starting five in the NBA, made up of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and the newly acquired Dwight Howard. However, Lakers fans will have to wait quite some time until all five elite players can be on the court at the same time.
Superman is not yet ready to suit up for the purple and gold.
Howard suffered a back injury last season with the Orlando Magic and he has been solely focused on fixing the issue this off-season. The Lakers understood that Howard would likely not be ready for opening day before pulling off the trade, but they still went after the center. Mike Trudell of Lakers.com writes that as of this point, there is no timetable for Howard’s return.
Dwight Howard is currently doing his therapy/rehabilitation from back surgery at a facility in the Westwood/Century City area of L.A. At some point, he will transition over to working with Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti, the team’s head physical therapist Dr. Judy Seto and the rest of Vitti’s staff (a time has not yet been set). Lakers spokesman John Black said Howard will not be doing any basketball/weight workouts until he’s cleared medically, and that there is no target date for any of that at this point.
Howard has been in Los Angeles all summer long and has been working on his back. As Trudell pointed out, Howard has been using his own procedures but will be switching over to Lakers personnel to finish the process.
Back injuries are always tough to treat, but Howard is determined to return at 100 percent. The Lakers will be a very dangerous team while Howard works on his back, but once he hits the courts, the Lakers will surely be the favorites in every game they play.
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The talent and veteran experience are there for the Lakers, and just like in every season, the success of the franchise relies heavily on how healthy the team is. Luck plays a large part of every championship team and the Lakers are hoping that Howard’s back injury is the last major setback they will have to deal with.
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In case you missed it – Dwight Howard’s introductory press conference with the Lakers!
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