Dwight Howard, the Laker

What does Dwight Howard have in common with former great Laker Centers, like Mikan, Wilt, Kareem and Shaq?  

Only one thing; Howard plays the same position as them. 

Instead of dominating the league, Howard and the Lakers are barely battling for the eight-seed in the Western Conference. How is this possible? 

The reason it's possible is because one part of the duo is not anywhere close to being a 100 percent healthy. Howard is coming off back surgery last year and he is still recovering. Not to mention he's playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The same injury that ended New Orleans Hornets power-forward Jason Smith's season. 

         Fans look at Howard as Superman. They see him as this unstoppable force that dominates the game on both ends of the floor. Well, even Superman had a weakness and that was Kryptonite. The injuries are Howard's Kryptonite, or maybe it's the drama surrounding him in Lakers uniform. The drama of no one, including him, knows where he's going this summer as a Free Agent. 

What's Los Angeles without the drama, right? There are plenty of cases to be made as to why Howard and the Lakers aren’t dominating the NBA.

It could be that teammates Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol don’t mesh well with Howard. Or maybe it’s the coaching of Mike D’antoni and his run-n-gun offense doesn’t suit Howard. It could be the rash of injuries, including Nash, Gasol and backup Center Jordan Hill, have suffered through this season.

There are a lot of issues with the Lakers, but as of late it seems they have turned the corner. Howard and the Lakers have figured it out over the past 22 games. Lakers have won 16 of their last 22 games after starting the season 17-25.

With NBA Playoffs slowly creeping up, so are the Lakers. They’re now in the eight-seed, but they’re only two games out of the sixth-seed in the West.

The last thing the Western Conference favorites, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers, want is to have to face a healthy Lakers team in the first round.

Come Playoff time, Bryant and Howard might do what the young Bryant and O’Neal did for the Lakers. Win the championship.

The Lakers are back so watch out NBA!