With 14,627 career rebounds, Dwight Howard would know a thing or two about battling for offensive boards. Similarly, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese’s record-breaking rebounding performance this year surely didn’t escape Howard’s attention, as the former All-Star revealed during a pick-up game on Monday. Her hustle on the boards have led to critics accusing Reese of stat-padding by purposely missing easy shots at the rim.
The former No. 1 pick himself got in on the jokes while watching a player hustle to grab rebounds off his own misses at the rim. After the player finally made the basket, Howard dubbed his effort the “Angel Reese.”
The Sky’s rebounding machine
Though the Sky lost to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Angel Reese broke the WNBA record for most rebounds in a season, surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ record of 404 boards. In the loss, Reese scored 17 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, including her 405th of the season.
Still, critics, including Dwight Howard, focus more on Angel Reese’s offensive shortcomings, particularly her shooting averages in the paint. For an interior presence, after all, Reese shoots a fairly subpar percentage, especially relative to other inside players.
Throughout the season, her shooting numbers average only 38.5%, while her numbers from less than five feet amount to a measly 43.6%. However, while she does need to sharpen her offense to reach her peak as an interior player, Reese makes up for these paltry percentages through her high motor and exemplary nose for the ball.
For now, Reese could rely on her energy and rebounding prowess to carry her, but she will have to refine her offense by learning how to play fluidly in the post other than tossing up putbacks after misses. It’s not like the Sky rookie needs to play like Hakeem Olajuwon, which Dwight Howard also certainly didn’t.
Moreover, Angel Reese is currently battling Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark for WNBA Rookie of the Year. While analysts like Robert Griffin III have declared Clark the winner, Reese might still have a shot, especially if the Sky make the playoffs.
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Dwight Howard on the Sky rookie
Meanwhile, the ex-Orlando Magic star seemingly finished his NBA career with the Lakers after their forgettable 2021-2022 season. Since then, the former Defensive Player of the Year has bounced around foreign leagues, most recently in Taiwan. Recently, the big man has made waves through his hot takes during podcast appearances like Gil’s Arena.
Besides joking about Angel Reese, Dwight Howard blamed Rob Pelinka for breaking up the 2020 Lakers title team, even though he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent in the offseason after their championship victory. Then, he also said Rudy Gobert didn’t deserve to win DPOY, much less win it four times.
The ex-All Star is no stranger to talking smack about players past and present, apparently a popular pastime for former NBA players these days.
