Lakers: Why Is Ex-Laker Dwight Howard In Taiwan While Ex-Laker DeAndre Jordan Is Backing Up Nikola Jokic?

It was pretty apparent to anyone forcing themselves to pay attention to your sorry 33-49 Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-22 NBA season that, of the team's two semi-washed-up former All-Star centers, Dwight Howard was significantly better than DeAndre Jordan. Jordan was so unplayable for L.A. that the team eventually cut his veteran salary halfway through the season.

He was immediately picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent down the home stretch of the season, where he siphoned off key reserve center rotation minutes from the much-better Paul "B-Ball Paul" Reed, backing up 2022 MVP runner-up Joel Embiid. Sixers head coach remembering DJ fondly from their Los Angeles Clippers salad days, perhaps.

This writer was shocked, shocked I say, to discover that DeAndre Jordan signed a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with the Denver Nuggets between 2022 MVP winner Nikola Jokic at the very start of free agency this summer, proving that even NBA front offices don't watch every game.

We're 12 games into Denver's 8-4 season thus far, and the 34-year-old Jordan is looking just as unplayable for the Nuggets this season as he did last year for the Lakers.

I am at a loss. pic.twitter.com/wMQbOSuQn6
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) November 12, 2022

Dwight Howard, a former eight-time All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and 2020 champion while a reserve with the Lakers, floated in the breeze without an NBA home well into the start of the season. The future Hall of Famer finally figured out which way the wind was blowing and realized that his NBA career may be over (or, who knows, maybe he'll latch on with a contender in the spring), so he changed tacks, announcing that he was instead signing with Taiwan's Taoyuan Leopards to continue his pro career.

Howard is two years Jordan's senior and came into the league four years prior, so perhaps NBA teams were worried about his age and his extra league mileage. Lakers fans will recall that Howard remained effective as a rim-roller and -protector during his limited role with L.A. The 18-year NBA vet would probably be getting more minutes on the Lakers than traditional center Damian Jones right now, on this year's brutal 2-10 club.

There have also long been rumblings that Howard is a tough character in the locker room. While he accepted his role in the Los Angeles hierarchy, that hasn't always proven to be the case during this late stage of Howard's career. Meanwhile, everyone in the league seems to love DeAndre Jordan. So remember, kids, be nice to your coworkers. It just may pay insane dividends later.