The Rockets have plenty of talent on the roster now that Dwight Howard is in place, so it makes sense that they’d experiment with their new toy as much as possible to find the most productive ways to utilize one of the best big men in the game.
It was thought by many initially that Omer Asik would be relegated to coming off the bench after the team secured Howard, because Dwight would seem to be best-suited to playing the center position. Asik certainly assumed as much, and initially was reported to want out of Houston shortly after Howard was acquired.
Howard’s skill set on both ends of the floor -- protecting the rim and rebounding defensively, while working out of the post on offense -- would suggest that he wouldn’t be as effective in a big lineup trying to defend power forwards, especially those who would be capable of playing the stretch-four position.
But especially in the early stages of training camp or the preseason, it doesn’t hurt to give it a shot.
From Rockets GM Daryl Morey, via Reddit:Q: Daryl, how does Omer feel now about sharing the center position with Dwight? What sorts of conversations have McHale and you had in regards to potential concerns from both Omer and Dwight?
A: Omer would prefer to be a starter and is certainly a starter+ quality player. That said, he is a winner first & likes being on a winning team.
Q: Also, what are the chances we see Asik getting minutes as a power forward?
A: Coach McHale plans to experiment with Dwight at PF and Omer as C in training camp. If it works and helps us win, obviously we would look at using it.There are very few teams (and lineups) that this pairing would seem to be beneficial against. But when you have a talent like Howard in place, it’s worth pursuing even the most unlikely of options.