Dwight Howard saying all the right things about returning home

Dwight Howard may have a bit of a checkered past over his NBA career but so far he is saying all the right things about his return to Atlanta to play for the Hawks. Howard has become a fixture sitting courtside at Atlanta Dream games and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jordan D. Hill caught up with the Hawks’ newest addition during Tuesday’s win over the Seattle Storm.

In the interview, Howard spoke glowingly about Hawks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer and said he was excited to be coached by someone who wants to see him grow as a player.

“I really love the coach,” Howard said. “I told him, this was three years ago, that I really liked his style and the way he approached the game. Just being able to get coached by somebody like that who’s really about trying to allow you to grow as a player has me really excited.”

DeMarre Carroll and Kent Bazemore both began their career in Atlanta as unknowns but blossomed with the Hawks and are good examples of the team’s player development efforts. Paul Millsap came to Atlanta already a successful player and has seen his game grow to the point where he has become a multi-dimensional player. Howard could be eyeing something similar during his stay with the Hawks.

The entire interview is worth a read and Howard goes on to say that he is looking forward to ending his career back home in Atlanta. For a guy that hasn’t always made a habit of saying the right things over his career, to hear Howard speak now has to be encouraging for the team and the franchise.