Five Lakers Who Will Have to Step Up in Dwight Howard’s Absence

Suki Thind
10 Min Read
Dwight Howard
With Dwight Howard sidelined for the start of the season, his teammates will have to step up.

As many of you are well aware, Dwight Howard will likely miss the season opener for the Lakers and will be sidelined indefinitely as he completes rehab after undergoing back surgery in April.

However, there are now reports that Howard might actually be ready for the season opener.

In case he’s not ready, though, while the big man is getting his back strong, there will undoubtedly be a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled, and it will take a few players to do it.

It may not seem like it, but to go without such a powerful force offensively and defensively, there is a trickle-down effect.

Obviously the whole team will have to elevate their play, but there are five players I think will have to step up in order for the Lakers to establish themselves as a powerhouse early on, without Superman.

Without further ado, let’s get to the list.

First Up: The Spaniard

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Suki is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona and an unsigned contributing writer for Lakers Nation. Follow Suki on Twitter @TheRealSuki and Facebook. You can check out the rest of his work here.