Yahoo Sports 
Dwight Howard says he is 'explosive' again, but still two weeks from returning
On Wednesday afternoon, Houston Chronicle beat reporter Jonathan Feigen caught up with Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard prior to his team’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Howard would sit out that loss, his 18th game spent on the pine since undergoing a procedure to treat a knee edema in early February.
[DraftKings: FREE entry to huge cash Fantasy Basketball Contest with first deposit]
Feigen spied Howard working through recovery drills, and he spoke with the big man:
Howard, 29, was not just pushing himself through increasing demands. He said he was more "explosive" than at any time this season.
"Every workout has been super tough," Howard said. "They have been trying to push me to the extreme so that I will be better than being in game shape. I will be in better shape than that. They are trying to test my limits to see how far I can go each day.
"I won't let anything hold me back. I've been injured before. I've had worse injuries than this. I'm going to continue to work hard. I just look forward to getting back on the floor to dominate."
Later that night, Howard confirmed to ESPN’s Lisa Salters that he “expects to be back in two weeks,” which is good news for the Rockets as they worryingly regard the cornerstone they signed to a four-year, $87.5 million deal in 2013. The Rockets have ably circled the wagons in his absence, but they badly need not only a healthy Howard on the court as March turns into April, but one they can accurately gauge moving forward. Dwight Howard might not yet be 30 years old, but his health woes over the last three years have been rather worrying.
This is why the team took a steadied and long-term approach with his recovery. Playing with found money due to the team’s stellar record and James Harden’s MVP-level season, the Rockets are taking their sweet time in order to make sure Howard enters his 30s resembling the player that dominated the NBA in his mid-20s. Feigan talked about as much with Houston head athletic trainer Jason Biles:
"We basically had an offseason program that we've been able to put together in-season," Biles said. "He really had intense training sessions that addressed him from a total-body standpoint, everything from addressing his ankle mobility, which is key to jumping and taking away stress from the knees, to activating and strengthening his hips and core and quads to support his knee and low back. It's all coming together nicely.
"Knock on wood, we haven't had any setbacks. He feels really good about how his body feels. His conditioning and explosiveness - as you can tell - are coming along right on pace to come back."
The Rockets have played solidly enough in Howard’s absence, but the team has lost three of five since that impressive home overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 1. If Howard returns on March 29 against the Washington Wizards, with six of the team’s eight contests between now and that time coming against lottery dwellers (and one against a Pelicans team that is just a half-game up in the race for the final playoff spot), he’ll have both given his knee some needed time while pointedly sitting out a relatively easy stretch of the season.
[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
Donatas Motiejunas may jump center and see his name next to an upper-case “C” every night, but lanky big forward Terrence Jones is playing fantastic ball defensively in Howard’s absence, and effectively approximating Howard’s production. The Rockets’ defensive numbers with Jones on the floor are slightly better than the same digits with Howard running things, Jones is blocking more shots per minute than Howard this season, and Houston has gone 11-7 since Howard left and Jones returned from injury.
Of course, Howard’s decreased block percentage and block totals are partially due to his role in the defense: coach Kevin McHale wants Howard to roam and discourage opponents without lunging all over the paint attempting to swat back shots. Then again, Howard’s numbers are decreasing across the board – partially as a result of his knee woes, woes that stem from over 31,000 regular and postseason minutes played since entering the NBA at age 19.
Jones’ contributions have been significant, but winners of 11 of 18 don’t strike fear into the hearts of opponents out West. Houston will stick to the fourth seed in the conference unless it finds a way to roar past the Memphis Grizzlies and take the Southwest Division crown, as two games separate the snake-bitten teams as they take to the hardwood on Thursday evening. The fourth position would likely put the Rockets up with the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, a team that had beaten Houston by a combined total of 32 points prior to Houston’s five-point win over the Blake Griffin-less Clippers last week.
It’s true that six (and nearly seven) of the Rockets’ next opponents will be lottery denizens this year, but the team will also have to take on a defensively dominant Utah Jazz club on Thursday, the white hot Indiana Pacers, and a stout Phoenix Suns team during that stretch. April features a killer road jaunt that pits the Rockets up with the Mavericks, Thunder and Spurs in consecutive games, followed by a home game against an improving Spurs squad after that. Contests against New Orleans and Charlotte will also see the Rockets going up against teams desperate to make the playoffs. The Rockets’ status as championship contenders is assured, but Howard’s road to the postseason will not be an easy one.
That road doesn’t officially begin for another two weeks, despite Howard’s apparent return to “explosiveness.” It’s still just fine to be incredibly uneasy with Howard’s prospects moving forward.
- - - - - - -
is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
