# Howard is Nowitzki's Pippen



## croco (Feb 14, 2005)

Howard is to Nowitzki what Pippen once was to Jordan

y Ray Buck
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS - Josh Howard isn't looking to stay in Vegas, just happen in Vegas.

One time.

One night.

"Some of the stuff I read, some of the stuff I hear... it's a compliment that so many coaches in the league think that highly of me," Howard said after scoring 28 points in a 109-96 Mavs win over the Houston Rockets at the AAC Tuesday night.

Howard then flashed his best "can't-lose" smile.

"If they vote me, I'm going to go," he said. "If not, I'm going to be right here or in North Carolina... one of the two."

He deserves to be one of two Mavs players in Las Vegas next month: Dirk Nowitzki, who will be named to his sixth All-Star Game, and Howard, who should be going to his first.

The NBA has a rich history of All-Star duos from championship teams, which is what the Mavs came within two wins of being last year and what they're on a mission to become this year.

And Josh Howard is Dirk's Scottie Pippen.

Just look at what the Mavs are doing. If not for an isolated rough patch against the Lakers 10 days ago, the Mavs would be riding a 19-game winning streak.

Howard allows Nowitzki to have a night to reload.

Howard simply is looking to pick up the gold at the end of his rainbow. He has earned it.

But before he can lay claim to a Western Conference roster spot in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18, he must be chosen by the coaches, which was a lot easier for them to do before the league swelled to 30 teams.

And the All-Star roster spots remained 12 per conference.

"Josh would make it if he played in the East, no problem," Mario Elie, a former Houston Rocket now working for FSN Southwest, said Monday night.

East-West? Right-wrong? How can he not make it?

The guy belongs. End of story.

Howard does more things and does them consistently than he has ever done before, says his coach, Avery Johnson.

Howard is the second-best player on a Mavericks team that continues to own the league's best record (32-8).

But fans pick the starters and NBA coaches pick the reserves. And if Josh Howard somehow manages to fall through the cracks, then there is something wrong with the selection process.

Just ask knowledgeable NBA people who have nothing to gain by seeing Howard in an All-Star Game.

Howard, an All-Star?

"He's been an All-Star for a while now... he just hasn't been to an All-Star Game," said Rudy Tomjanovich, the former Houston Rockets coach who was at the AAC scouting for the Lakers on Tuesday night.

"I've come up with a rating system," said the Lakers' pro personnel man. "I rate players in one of six different categories, starting with the 'Elite' players -- guys like Dirk and Kobe [Bryant] and Tim Duncan.

"Second is the 'All-Star' category, and Josh Howard is in that group. Lamar Odom [of the Lakers] is another player who hasn't been in an All-Star game but is in that category. These players are just a step below the elite players and do more than normal starters."

Tomjanovich is an advocate of changing the All-Star selection process, expanding the number of roster spots, lengthening the game, somehow allowing deserving players not to get in a logjam behind established stars.

"Because Josh Howard is definitely an All-Star," Rudy T said.

But the Western Conference has Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer standing in Howard's way. But Brand plays for a bad Clippers team and Anthony has been suspended for his part in a mid-December brawl between the Nuggets and the Knicks.

Howard has brought his hard hat to work for 32 games this season.

When he scores 20 or more points, as he did Tuesday night, the Mavs are 14-2. When he scores 15 or more, the Mavs are 23-3.

No one on the team drives better or finishes stronger.

No one jump-starts the Mavs quite like Howard, either. He is averaging 7.3 points on better than 51 percent shooting in the first quarter of games this season.

Tuesday night, he scored 10 points in the first quarter and 11 points in the fourth quarter. He also chased Tracy McGrady around the court all night.

McGrady was unstoppable, finishing with 45 points.

"Josh is consistently good every night," Avery said. "He's doing it in a variety of categories -- some that show up on the stat sheet, some that his coach wants him to work on."

Howard realizes that includes handling the boards, pushing the ball, keeping the Mavs up-tempo.

Said teammate Devean George, who played with a pair of All-Stars named Kobe and Shaq once: "Good teams benefit from having two All-Stars. No matter how great a player is, he's not going to have it going every night."

Or as Rudy T said, "Hey, this [Mavs] team hasn't been able to win all these games unless a couple of guys have played pretty damned good."

Yes, the coaches need to get it right.

They need to send Nowitzki... and Nowitzki's Pippen.


http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/nba/dallas_mavericks/16479205.htm


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## The Future7 (Feb 24, 2005)

A bunch of us had posted about Howard being an all-star. I say he is definitely in with the possibility of Yao Ming not playing.


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## Dragnsmke1 (Jul 29, 2002)

I disagree...I think Dirk is Howards' Pippen...


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

Dragnsmke1 said:


> I disagree...I think Dirk is Howards' Pippen...


LOL...

LOL.....

LOL.......

Drag can't agree on ANYTHING.... though I do see your point.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Howard can't be compared to Pippen because they have different skillsets. If anything he's Manu to Nowitzki's Duncan in 03. He's a good complementary scorer, and he works hard on the defensive and rebounding fronts.


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## sdn13 (May 6, 2005)

Then I guess JET is Steve Kerr?


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

sdn13 said:


> Then I guess JET is Steve Kerr?


Ron Harper/Kukoc :whoknows:


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## Ninjatune (May 1, 2006)

Luc Longley


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

Damp would be Longley.

Devin = BJ Armstrong


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

Derek Harper? lol I donno because I was too young to watch him haha.


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

Saint Baller said:


> Derek Harper? lol I donno because I was too young to watch him haha.


Consistant, but not flashy.


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

So was I correct?


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

Saint Baller said:


> So was I correct?


I'm not sure who you were comparing.


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

Jet to Harp


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## Jet (Jul 1, 2005)

Well, Im not gonna make any comparisons, but I loved the article. I love hearing about Josh, I really do.


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

Saint Baller said:


> Jet to Harp


Negative - Jet's game is more outside shooting.

Harper actually had a fundamentally correct, but ugly jump shot - which wasn't real reliable. His best weapon was using his speed to get to the basket.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

So does this make AJ Phil Jackson? They've *got* to be complete polar opposites.


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