The latest NBA Lakers rumors of 2012 discuss how Dwight Howard will be missing from the team lineup early in the season, due to injury rehab. The good news is that one report has presented multiple ways in which the team can fill that void at the center position, until D-Howard is healthy enough to start.
A previous Lakers rumor talked about how Pau Gasol would be relied upon more to take on more of the load in the early part of the season. As Lakers fans may or may not know, Howard was missing from Team USA in the London Olympics due to his injury. With that in mind, the timetable on his return to the Lakers front court is yet to be announced.
Los Angeles has several ways to address that issue though. One of them is to rely upon a team combination of Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol. Hill was traded to LA last season, and at 25 years old, is nowhere near filling Howard's shoes. However, he could still make an impact on both ends of the floor. It's also worth noting that he struggled to get playing time last season. Getting a possible starting role with the team could change that. Knowing that he'll soon be replaced with Howard, and possibly even picking his brain on and off the court, could help Hill excel somewhat in the role, until Dwight is back.
The other option the Lakers have is to spread the floor out more by adding Antawn Jamison into the lineup. At 6'9'' he's not exactly the same size as Howard, but has been able to play the power forward role well. Jamison made the All-Star team in 2005 and 2008, and also added the sixth man of the year award in 2004 while with the Mavericks. He's shown the ability to play well, whether he's starting or coming off the bench, and that will certainly be welcomed in LA. Starting Jamison, would give them an impressive lineup, which also features Gasol, Nash, and Kobe, for a potent scoring attack.
Neither of the options above exactly solves the issue of a missing Dwight Howard. The guy is irreplaceable, as Orlando is surely finding out. Without him, the Lakers still seem pretty tough to beat on paper, as long as All-Star players like Nash, Kobe, and Gasol are healthy. With him, the Lakers become that much tougher to beat, and continue to carry odds as favorites to win the title in 2012-13.
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