Haven't read all of the pages of this thread but may later. Living in Houston and being somewhat of a Rockets fan, I love getting Howard but realize I may hate him later. The Lakers situation was more than just the pressure of the city. It's their coach, Kobe (influence and injury), the new family ownership dynamic, and all of the fluff. I think there were just a lot of little things about Houston that made it a good fit for right now (in Howard's mind). I think Howard also realizes that it all comes down to winning titles now to get the last laugh.
I agree. To keep D'Antoni was suicidal. I thought all along that the Lakers were making a choice between Howard and head coach. The only sense any of this made was the belief that Howard would not leave the money on the table to exercise his options. Buss was wrong and has been since he let Phil Jackson walk. Houston can play the inside out game and putting shooters on the perimeter is the way to go. But frankly, I don't let Omar get out of town. He can shoot and coming down the stretch of ball games, may need him. Howard is always in foul trouble and the NBA loves the hack a Howard approach.
