"I don't know if this is going to go well for me" - Dwight knew his Lakers stint wouldn't go well when they chose D'Antoni over Phil

Dwight Howard joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012 at the height of his career, and alongside Kobe Bryant, expectations were sky-high. The three-time DPOY was anticipated to dominate the paint, and the franchise was considered a title contender. However, the 6'10" center's averages dropped as the season unfolded, and he looked like a shell of his dominant self.

Moreover, in the playoffs, Dwight's averages further diminished. Most fans believe that "D12's" laid-back demeanor led to such an abysmal performance. On the other hand, Howard himself believed the turning point came when the franchise hired Mike D'Antoni as their head coach over Phil Jackson .

Howard knew D'Antoni's style wouldn't let him excel

The 2012-13 season was marred by instability for the Lakers. After cycling through two head coaches in the first ten games of the regular season, the squad evidently struggled to find their identity. Despite a slow start, Dwight believed his best form would surface, primarily because he expected the Purple and Gold to bring back "The Zen Master" as their head coach.

The eight-time All-Star deemed Phil an ideal coach for him, particularly because he utilized and integrated All-NBA caliber centers like Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol in different years into his triangle offense scheme. However, when D'Antoni was appointed head coach, Howard revealed on his podcast that he knew from the onset that the latter's coaching philosophy and strategies would not align with his strengths.

"A couple of days before I had talked to Phil on the phone. He was like he wanted to coach me. For me, when I heard that, even now, I'm getting chills in my body. In high school, my coach ran the triangle offense... because he wanted to me aggravated into that system. So, I'm talkin' to Phil, 'Man, I've been wanting this my whole life,'" Howard said . "And then, two days later, they signed Mike, and I was like, 'I don't know if this is going to go well for me.'"

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D'Antoni valued Nash more than Howard

Mike was known to run an offense centered around guards, and unsurprisingly, he prioritized Steve Nash - whom he had previously coached in Phoenix - within the Lakers' offensive system. Dwight noted that this decision left him feeling marginalized in the team's strategy. Consequently, it became clear even to Jeanie Buss that Howard, despite possessing immense potential, was not content with the situation.

"We had Steve Nash on the team. So they reunited what they had done in Phoenix," Buss said. "Cleary the, the choice was to go all-in on Steve instead of what would work best for you."

In hindsight, while the realization of never being able to work with your dream coach is a huge letdown, Howard struggled with the need to adapt his game. However, in Dwight's defense, seeing your head coach choose a 38-year-old veteran to be more involved in the team's offense than you would indeed be a frustrating sight.

Related: Mike D'Antoni on coaching the 2013 Lakers: "I thought I was gonna get killed"