Juwan Howard was excited to be a Trail Blazer on media day.
It occurred to me today while listening to the most recent OSL podcast that I might have sounded like a bit of an idiot during one part of the broadcast in particular. And for good reason. I am not, after all, the sharpest tool in the proverbial shed of sports-commentary.
What I said on Three Guys on a Couch was this: signing Juwan Howard will prove to be a tremendously intelligent move on the part of Kevin Pritchard because Howard’s experience will benefit the front court trio of Przybilla, Aldridge and Oden.
What I MEANT to say was this: Howard will make the young bigs better this year, even if he doesn’t play a single minute, and Przybilla will benefit as well.
Of course I know that Pryz is an old pro. He doesn’t need anybody to show him anything as far as I’m concerned. He’s the modern-day Dave Cowens. He knows how to prepare himself for an 82-game season, and he’ll fight you tooth-and-nail for all 82 games.
But that doesn’t mean Howard can’t help him in other ways.
Most obviously, the Howard signing means that Przybilla is no longer the only Old Lion on a team full of cubs. The media no longer have a sole target when asking questions about leadership and experience in relation to the team’s youth and on-court hiccups.
To put it briefly, Przybilla can now put more energy toward his own game and focus a little more on his own performance.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t still play the role of big brother. He will. A lot.
It’s just that now he isn’t the only guy in the locker room with answers to questions. I don’t know about you, but that type of news would cause me to let out a sigh of relief. I’d feel relaxed, focused, and I’d play more aggressively knowing there’s a solid replacement off the bench if I pick up a couple cheap fouls early. But hey, that’s just me.
Of course, Brandon and LaMarcus will continue to grow, and eventually they’ll become Old Lions themselves. It’s the circle of life. But for now, despite their obvious talents as fourth-year players, they’re still perceived as young guys. Howard is a voice of experience that provides stability and security right now, and his advice and criticism may mean even more, as Juwan most certainly isn’t gunning to get his own numbers this year.
In addition to helping to ease Pryz’s load, Howard performs functions that Pryz simply cannot. And that’s not a dig against Joel. As I stated previously, I think the world of The Thrilla, but Joel has never made an All-Star team.
He’s also never averaged 20 a game, inked a $100 million contract, or had to bear the hopes and dreams of a fan base as The Franchise Guy.
LaMarcus is having trouble deciding when to draw his man out and pop and when back him down? Hey, Juwan, you got a minute? Greg’s frown is relapsing and he’s feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders again? Hey Juwan, what’s up? Travis finally wants to learn how to set a screen and look for his jumper? Yo, Big Cat, can I holler at you?
Well, Travis probably wouldn’t call him “Big Cat,” because that’s kind of our thing. But you get the idea.
When I met Juwan Howard on media day, I knew immediately that he would be important to this team. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but if I had to use one word to describe Juwan that day, it would be “real.”
He was genuine in everything he did — the way he walked, answered questions, and especially the way he expressed his delight to be in Portland.
Howard may not get any minutes, and to the casual observer he may just be a name – an old warhorse that does little except increase the average age of the young Trail Blazers.
But he’s going to do more than that for this team. Bet on it.