Former Rockets legend finally gets the recognition he deserves

Houston Rockets fans may not remember Dwight Howard fondly. As he is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, they should.

Sure, the Howard years left something to be desired. Fans wanted more, and so did Howard. The organization ultimately prioritized James Harden over him. It seemed Howard wanted more post touches and fewer pick-and-rolls. So, the Rockets got a big man (Clint Capela) who didn't want to score in anything other than a pick-and-roll set.

The split was messy, but make no mistake - Howard was excellent in Houston. Sure, his best years came in Orlando:

But he still looked like a (fringe) Hall of Famer on the Rockets.

Former Rockets big man deserves his flowers

It didn't take long for Howard to make an impression. In his debut 2013-14 season with the Rockets, he averaged 18.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Howard was 8th in Defensive Player of the Year voting during that season.

In the following season, his numbers declined. Howard averaged 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in a career-low 29.8 minutes per game.

Rockets fans didn't mind so much when the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Howard was the second-best player on the second-best team in the Conference - if not the NBA. It felt like he and Harden would be leading the Rockets on deep playoff runs for years to come.

That feeling was half correct. In 2015-16, Howard's numbers declined even more significantly. The Rockets regressed mightily, finishing .500 and losing in the first round. It was Howard's last season in Houston. He'd bounce around the league from there without ever regaining his former footing.

He still did enough to earn his Hall of Fame nod.

Former Rockets big man was once an MVP candidate

Neutral fans won't picture Howard in Rockets red. They'll envision him in a Magic jersey. That's where Howard did the bulk of his damage.

His best season was 2010-11. Howard averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game with a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 5.3. Howard was the runner-up for the league's MVP award and won Defensive Player of the Year.

He was the defining big man of a guard-and-wing heavy era of NBA basketball. Howard was a perennial MVP candidate. He didn't do his best work in Houston, but he didn't do his worst work there either. Howard lived out the dying days of his prime in Rockets red:

It was the last stop where he'd earn his Hall of Fame credentials.