NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon said Houston Rockets star Dwight Howard reacts too slowly on offense and is reverting back to his old habits. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, dismissed the idea of the team shopping Rajon Rondo around for a trade.
Howard is a monster on defense, but some - including Olajuwon - believe he isn't living up to his potential as a scorer. Olajuwon is unhappy with the speed in which Howard reacts in the paint on offense.
"There should not be a delay for Dwight," Olajuwon told NBA.com on Tuesday. "He must be able to make a faster recognition of the situations and react immediately with a go-to move. You must move right away before the defense has a chance to set up. You must be the one making the first move so that you can force the defender to always be the one reacting."
Although Howard is averaging 17.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game, Olajuwon believes the All-Star center is reverting back to his old, bad habits.
"I thought we were doing a good job with this when we were working together over the summer and at the start of training camp. But what I see now is that when Dwight gets in competition, he has a tendency to go back to all of his old habits," said Olajuwon. "He's just doing all of the things that he did before. He needs a reminder."
The acquisition of Howard by the Rockets relegated Omer Asik to the bench and prompted speculation the starting-caliber center would be traded. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported on Sunday the possibility of a Jeremy Lin and Asik package for Rondo.
Celtics president Danny Ainge, however, denied having any plans to trade Rondo. Ainge dismissed the rumors on Tuesday to the Boston Herald and said he hasn't talked to any teams about dealing his All-Star point guard.
