[Underdog]

Gonna take a break from this awesome semantic debate to post the latest entries from MacMahon's series on Dwight Howard...

Plan D12: Unlike D'Antoni, Carlisle would feature big man

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Mike D’Antoni’s stubborn refusal to tweak his beloved system to feature Dwight Howard is one of the primary reasons the All-Star big man will be tempted to leave Los Angeles.

That coach/player relationship is a bad situation that could get even worse. The Lakers lost the two assistants who were Howard’s closest confidants when D’Antoni opted not to retain Chuck Person and the Bobcats hired Steve Clifford as their head coach.

Would the Lakers allow Howard to essentially fire a head coach who was hired after Mike Brown’s dismissal early last season? Would Howard even want to deal with the PR fallout from such a decision after his highly publicized divorce with Stan Van Gundy in Orlando?

If coaching is a major factor in Dwight’s decision, it doesn’t seem very likely that he’d stay in L.A.

Playing for Kevin McHale in Houston could certainly be intriguing. After all, if Howard is determined to truly maximize his offensive potential, he could surely learn a few tricks from one of the craftiest low-post scorers in NBA history.

McHale, however, doesn’t have many skins on the wall as a head coach. McHale has a 118-124 record and has yet to win a playoff series, credentials that pale compared to a certain former Celtics teammate who also currently works in Texas.

Rick Carlisle, with his 520-366 record and 2011 championship ring, is by far the most accomplished among these three coaches.

It shouldn’t be hard for Carlisle to convince Howard that the Mavs would come up with creative ways to tap into his talent. He could start by showing Howard tape of some of the sets Carlisle’s Pacers used to get Jermaine O'Neal deep-post touches in his prime.

One might think the hard-driving Carlisle would clash with the laidback Howard. But give the Virginia psychology major credit for knowing when to push buttons and having learned over the years the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with his superstars.

That’s a lesson D’Antoni ignored last season, perhaps opening the door for Howard to head to Houston or Dallas.

EDGE: Mavs

Plan D12: Hope or Rockets' readymade supporting cast?

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The Lakers and Mavericks are in similar situations when it comes to their supporting casts: They have to sell hope.

They can both make a pitch about being competitive next season with a veteran core surrounding Dwight Howard, although that didn’t work in Los Angeles last season and the Mavs would need to do some relatively significant salary-cap tinkering to keep both Shawn Marion and Vince Carter while creating room to give Howard a max contract.

What about the future?

Like the Mavs, a lot of money comes off the Lakers’ books next summer. Steve Nash, whose physical breakdown finally happened almost a decade after leaving Dallas, is the lone Laker under contract for the 2014-15 season. The Mavs only have option years for last season’s rookies on their 2014-15 ledger.

You can make a strong case that L.A. would be a more attractive destination for free agents than Dallas, but there’s one major wild card. Would Kobe Bryant, the league’s highest-paid player, be willing to take the major pay cut to give the Lakers the flexibility required to make significant additions to a Dwight/Kobe core? Dirk Nowitzki’s willingness to slash his salary will be part of the Mavs’ pitch.

The Rockets have the advantage of already having a potential long-term supporting cast in place. They might have to slice into that cast a bit to make room for Howard, but they have young building blocks such as Chandler Parsons, Donatas Motiejunas and Patrick Beverley under contract at bargain rates for at least two more seasons.

Parsons, the second-round steal who averaged 15.5 points in his second season, could be a phenomenal complementary piece for Howard and James Harden for years to come. The multi-skilled 6-foot-9 small forward’s perimeter shooting makes him a perfect fit for the Rockets’ system and accentuates the offensive strengths of the potential Houston co-stars.

A commitment from Houston ownership to keep Parsons when his contract expires after the 2014-15 season could go a long way.

EDGE: Rockets