Atlanta Hawks 2016-2017 Season Review: Dwight Howard

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Apr 28, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) walks off of the floor after their game against the Washington Wizards in game six of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2016-2017 Atlanta Hawks experienced some turnover at the center position after losing Al Horford in free agency.

When the Atlanta Hawks signed Dwight Howard to be the team’s center last summer, it symbolized the beginning of a new era.

Al Horford had spent nine years in Atlanta and was gone. And Howard, an Atlanta native, was set to fill the shoes of a four-time All-Star and he had a tumultuous ride at his previous stops.

Howard forced his way out of Orlando and then ran into issues with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. Whether it be issues with the coach, teammates, or the state of the team, Howard could not find a place where he was happy. And after opting out of his contract with the Rockets last summer, he would be looking for a new team once again.

And it was his hometown team that decided to take a chance.

The Hawks signed Howard to a 3-year/$70.5 million contract and questions arose about how Howard would fit with the Hawks. His play style would, on paper, seem to not fit in with the Budenholzer model of playing with tempo and ball movement. But there were other attributes that Howard would bring that made the move intriguing.

So, how did things work out for Howard in his first season?

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