Dwight Howard wants to be back for exhibition game

This shouldn’t be about if Dwight Howard can play in a meaningless exhibition game. Nor should it be about Dwight Howard being ready to play for the Lakers on Oct. 30.

It’s about games in May and June. It’s about the next six years.

What the Lakers don’t want is Howard’s surgically repaired back to become a lingering, chronic thing.

Lakers doctors were comfortable with Howard getting out there and going through a full practice with the Lakers on Tuesday (although this was not a high contact practice. And that has Howard talking about playing in preseason games, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.

“I don’t know the date when I’m going to return, but I’m looking forward to (today’s) practice to see how my body feels when I wake up,” Howard said. “We can only go by time right now and how I feel after practice. We’re not in a rush. These guys need me for the whole season and not a couple of preseason games.”

If Howard is healthy and ready to go, then he should play. But he needs to be 100 percent. Completely back. Do not rush this. The Lakers have title potential but they can’t screw it up worrying about preseason games.