NBA: Dwight Howard Must Not Waste Last Chance With Lakers, Former Teammate Says

Dwight Howard will get his chance at possibly redeeming his flailing NBA career and a former teammate reminds him not to blow it. Matt Barnes, who played alongside the 6-foot-11 center with the Orlando Magic in 2009 and 2010, believes this could be a new start for the former top pick although he needs to seriously get his act together.

Taken in as a replacement for the injured DeMarcus Cousins, there is no question that the coming of Howard comes with a lot of adversity. For one, he is best remembered for turning his back on the Lakers back in 2013 and having squabbles with some former Lakers stars. That includes Shaquille O'Neal, a feud that has been going on until this day. In fact, The Diesel continues to take jabs at Howard which the latter chose not to engage. Much of this was covered in a previous post.

As for Howard, the fact remains that he is on a non-guaranteed deal. It is a different scenario compared to the days where he was being dangled multi-million deals. With injuries hampering him the past years, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has struggled to stay healthy and be the force in the middle most remember him to be. With the Lakers, he hopes to start fresh and prove to basketball fans that he can still be an effective player inside the paint.

Barnes knows that this Lakers stint is critical and that Howard cannot afford to botch it up. It may seem like an odd setup but nevertheless something the 33-year-old needs to contend with, TMZ Sports reported.

"I think he realizes it's his last chance and really need to put all the bullsh*t to the side and just go out there and play basketball," said the retired NBA cager who last played for the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

Howard has been known to cause disruption in a team's locker room. Barnes somehow agrees with that claim but the main thing now is that he may need to change his ways or suffer the consequences.

"I think in the past, some could say that ... none of the bullsh*t is gonna fly anymore," said the 39-year-old Barnes.