Just when everybody thought Howard's career was heading for another slump after a couple of seasons playing a reduced role in Houston, he leaped back into contention with a series of storming playoff performances. At the time of writing, he recently helped brush off the Dallas Mavericks in a fairly straightforward first round encounter, and is currently locked in a titanic clash with the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan. The case for a significant stat boost is far from complete, but if Dwight is able to continue his dominance in the paint for another playoff round or two (or even three, depending on how optimistic you are of the Rockets' chances), he will surely springboard back into contention as one of the league's best big men.
