Dwight Howard blames Rob Pelinka for Lakers breakup after 2020 Title

Dwight Howard blames Rob Pelinka for Lakers breakup after 2020 Title

After winning the 2020 NBA Finals in the bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers sputtered following the 2020-21 season. It was expected to be a bump after finishing 52-19 in the previous season, coming off the shortest offseason in NBA History.

Though the Lakers never found a clear rhythm, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sidelined for much of the season due to injuries. They finished 42-30 and was eliminated in six games to the eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns in the first round.

One player who did not return to Los Angeles–after being a crucial member of their 2019-20 title run–was veteran big man Dwight Howard. On a recent appearance on the Above the Rim podcast, Howard expressed frustration with how that shortened offseason was handled by Lakers brass, specifically general manager Rob Pelinka.

“After we won, they started tweaking the roster. I’mma tell you who it was: Rob Pelinka, man,” Howard said. “God, Rob, why did you do that to us, man? Rob, come on, man. I still love you, Rob, but dang, man. We had the squad, bro. Even if we ran it back, we could have run it back. We would have been healthier for the next year.”

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In addition to letting Howard–who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers–walk, the Lakers also traded Danny Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Dennis Schroder, JaVale McGee to the Cleveland Cavaliers while bringing in Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews and Montrezl Harrell as free agents.

It’s easier to GM in hindsight, but it did not work. The situation grew worse after trading for Russell Westbrook the ensuing offseason. It’s impossible to predict whether or not “running it back” would’ve benefitted Los Angeles or not–especially if at least one of James or Davis still gets injured.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star and All-NBA honoree, re-joined Los Angeles in 2021-22, which ultimately was the last year of his career. He played for six other organizations in his career, including three combined seasons with the Lakers, averaging 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across 18 seasons.

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