Mavs' Josh Howard on the rise
Mavs' Josh Howard on the rise
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
SAN ANTONIO – One great moment does not define what a player is, but in Josh Howard's case, it may have redefined what he can be.
Coach Don Nelson on Tuesday took aside his fast-improving second-year swingman and said performances like Monday's against Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves should convince everybody – most of all Howard – that he's more than a complementary player.
"I told Josh he ought to move his bar a little higher," Nelson said. "Whatever he thinks of himself ... I'm here to tell you that he's a major player. He's just scratching the surface. He's an All-Star caliber talent. And he ought to put that on his wall."
Howard clearly thrives on that sort of motivation. He went face-to-face with Garnett and not only outscored him 22-21 but pulled off a dazzling move for a high-arching left-handed layup over Garnett's arm in the fourth quarter.
"I had to let him know I'm young and I can still move," said the 24-year-old Howard, who is only four years younger than Garnett, but has eight fewer seasons of NBA experience. "That's the MVP of the league. The guy came out of high school 10 years ago. Ten years ago, I was 14. For me to do those things I did, that helps."
Helps the confidence. Helps everything.
"I loved it," Nelson said of Howard's move. "To challenge one of the best and beat him, that ought to do wonders. He's a rare guy because he can guard anybody. And if they can't guard him, then you have a special piece. Right now, they can guard him, but he's getting better every day."
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