Mitch Kupchak Downplays Dwight Howard’s Frustration
By Mike Dyce
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that it is unlikely that Dwight Howard will resign with the Los Angeles Lakers. His frustration with Mike D’Antoni’s system and believes it doesn’t suit it him best.
At the NBA Draft Thursday night Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak had an explanation for Dwight’s frustration.
“At the end of a losing season, nobody is happy,” Kupchak said, via ESPN LA. “It’s as simple as that. If he was under contract, I don’t think there would be any newsworthy story that would become of it. But because he’s a free agent, there’s going to be a lot of speculation and a lot of innuendo and rumor. But the bottom line is, the end of the season when you get bounced in the first round in Los Angeles, none of our players are happy. None of our coaches are happy. Nobody in this building is happy.”
While the stress surrounding rumors that Dwight is considering Dallas or Houston over LA, Kupchak remains adamant that this is his favorite time of year.
“It’s not the most fun time of year to be honest with you,” Kupchak said. “But there’s a lot of anticipation and your mind is racing. At some level, it’s challenging. You have to try to figure it out and plan. We’ve been fortunate. Sometimes we plan and we get a phone call that’s better than you ever could’ve planned. We’ve been lucky that things seem to work out. Once again, we think no matter what happens, we’ll be competitive next year. Our future is bright in terms of having flexibility.”