Dwight Howard has had back issues before so the fact that he is dealing with a back injury again cannot be great to hear if you are a fan of the Houston Rockets. Howard has played through injuries throughout his career, including last season when he played through a torn MCL, but in those scenarios he hasn't been the dominating presence he usually is. As of right now Howard believes that he will be ready for the regular season despite the fact that he has not practiced much, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Howard played in the Rockets preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies but during that game his back tightened up on him and since then he has missed every game and practice until Wednesday. Howard got in some contact work on Wednesday but it was considered a limited practice for him as he did not stay on the court when the Rockets started to do full contact.
Howard participated in some on-court drills and believes that he is very close to returning to full practices. The 6 foot-11 center doesn't think he needs to play in a preseason game to be ready for the regular season, the most important thing, according to him, is being in good shape and playing as many games as possible in the regular season.
Last season Howard missed a career high 41 games in his second season with the Rockets. He isn't letting on that this injury is serious, but based on his recent history this is a little concerning for Houston fans. Howard will have to sit out the first game of the season for the Rockets as he serves a one game suspension for excessive flagrant fouls in the 2015 postseason but it is fair to wonder just how effective he will be when he comes back without much practice time.
In his two seasons with the Rockets Howard has averages of 17.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Last season Howard averaged less than 30 minutes per game and as a result his production was at its lowest since his rookie season. If the Rockets want to take it to the next level and win the NBA Championship they will need a healthy Howard and as of right now that seems questionable at best.
