ATLANTA --?Dwight Howard was an engaging figure during the bulk of his three seasons with the Houston Rockets. His smile, personality and overall caring nature were a joy for the organization.But it came crashing down last season with his desire to get the ball more, leading to a bit of a power struggle with James Harden, the other star player.Howard declined his player option last summer, opting to seek better fortunes elsewhere. He eventually signed a three-year, $70.5 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks, his hometown team.On Saturday night at Phillips Arena, Howard will face off against Harden and the Rockets for the first time since he left. While their relationship isnt dissected with the intensity of the?Russell Westbrook?and?Kevin Durant?split,?Howard made an impact on the Rockets, especially with young players?Clint Capela, Montrezl Harrell and Sam Dekker.Dwight was a great guy; nobody gets to really see the type of person he is off the court, said Harrell, 22, a power forward in his second season with the Rockets. Everybody sees him on the court and thinks hes childish or hes a big kid. Hes a great guy with the time I spent with Dwight. He cares about everybody on and off the court. He has a heart thats so big. Whenever I came out of a game, we were always communicating.Howards personality also can rub some teammates the wrong way on the court. He smiles when he plays and jokes with fans during games. In road games, particularly in Los Angeles, where he played with the Lakers during the disappointing 2012-13 season, hes booed with contempt.During his time in Houston, Howard would even smile at the fans who booed him. At times he would playfully encourage it.But he also worked to develop bonds with teammates such as Harrell and Dekker, a 22-year-old forward who played in just three regular-season games as a rookie last season because of back surgery. He spent his time rehabbing, watching and learning how to become a professional.During a playful moment, Dekker found a picture on Howards iPad of the big man posing in front of mountains during the All-Star break. Dekker posted the picture on Twitter. Howards cheesy smile, while wearing his Rockets warm-up suit, bore a look that made it seem he was taking a high school picture.Howard thought the picture was funny and rolled with it.Thats the type of guy I am; I dont take things too seriously, Dekker said. Dwight has kind of the same personality too, so he didnt mind I put that on. Its the type of thing a team needs. Our lives are so absorbed with basketball, you got to get away from it a little bit, have some fun.Aside from the playful banter away from the court, Howards play was dominant at times.In three seasons, Howard averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. In the 2014 postseason, Howard was the Rockets best player, averaging 26 points and a postseason-leading 13.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.With Howard and Harden, the Rockets reached the Western Conference finals once and were eliminated from postseason play in the opening round twice. To say Howards impact on the court was a failure isnt fully accurate.Howard wanted the basketball more and his usage rate with the Rockets fell to a drastic 21.7 average during his three seasons. In eight seasons in Orlando, Howards usage rate was 23.5 percent. Even in his one season with the Lakers, Howards usage rate was 22.2, and he was playing with a torn labrum for most of that season.Yet the Rockets moved away from Howards post game, instead going with more 3-point shooters, led by Harden. Howard told ESPN he went to Rockets management asking to be more involved in the offense but GM Daryl Morey rebuffed the request.Last season, sources have told ESPN, the Rockets wanted to develop Capela, preparing him as the future starting center. In just two seasons, the 6-foot-10 Capela put on 50 pounds and has developed good on-the-court chemistry with Harden. Under new coach Mike DAntoni, not a favorite of Howards, the Rockets run more pick-and-roll plays.Ive always played like that, Capela said. For me its always worked out, the pick-and-roll plays. I like to sprint up the court; everything was positive.Capela watched closely how Howard handled reporters and teammates. While Howard is talkative and playful, Capela is quiet and friendly.I really had a chance to see a superstar on our team and how the pressure was on him and how to focus for every game, Capela said. I learned from that, and Im really glad to [have seen] that every single day.Learning how to become a professional is not easy for anyone, especially someone in his early 20s. Dekker said he leaned on several players besides Howard, such as Trevor Ariza and Harden. Capela also talked to other veteran players and currently is under the tutelage of backup center Nene.I want to do it my own way, and Im really glad I had a chance to practice against him, Capela said of Howard. If I got an offensive rebound or a basket against him, Id say if I could do it against Dwight, I can do it in a game. It gave me the confidence.When Howard plays host to his former team Saturday, handshakes and hugs are expected. Nobody expects this one to play out like the frosty meeting between Westbrook and Durant in Oakland.It was great having him around, Harrell said. He was a big help for me and I think hell have a great career in Atlanta. Cheap Nike Tanjun Wholesale . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. Nike Tanjun For Sale . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. 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This feels very much like a season in which Chuck Fletcher is on trial as the longtime GM of the Minnesota Wild.A thoughtful and cerebral hockey man, Fletcher has been at the helm since May 2009, and his team has made the playoffs four straight years. Hardly an indictment for any GM when you consider how tough it is to make the playoffs in this era of so much parity in the league.But the first-round exit last season was a step backward in some peoples eyes.Ownership has spent to the salary cap for years. This is a hockey-crazy market that wants a Stanley Cup run.In one of his most important decisions with the club, Fletcher hired Bruce Boudreau as head coach this offseason in what I believe was a brilliant move.Yes, the narrative is well established about Boudreaus playoff hiccups. But that also overlooks the manner in which he turned around both the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks during his previous coaching tenures and transformed them into division-winning juggernauts.The task is daunting, however, in a crazy competitive Central Division in which the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators look to have improved, while contenders in the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars arent going away.Can Boudreau work his magic?Best new facesThe biggest addition is July 1 unrestricted free-agent signing Eric Staal, who no doubt enters this season ultramotivated to show people hes not done as an elite center. His numbers have certainly regressed the past few years, and his short tenure with the New York Rangers last season after a trade-deadline deal with the Carolina Hurricanes wasnt very impressive.Staal turns 32 on Oct. 29 and feels theres much hockey left in him. He signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Wild and intends to show that was a bargain. He will likely begin the season on the No. 1 line between Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle, so Boudreau is giving him every opportunity to succeed.The Wild also added veteran winger Chris Stewart (whom Boudreau had in Anaheim), No. 3 goalie Alex Stalock and depth defenseman Victor Bartley.Thomas Vanek waas bought out and signed with the Detroit Red Wings, so aside from Staal, the same Wild core returns.dddddddddddd.Biggest unknownsSee Staal above. Whether he can bounce back and deliver an impact, No. 1-center-type season will go a long way toward writing the script.Is this the season Mikael Granlund takes it to another level? He put up 44 points (13-31) last season in 82 games, which is below what I think his potential should be delivering. At 24, perhaps this is the season he takes that step. Hes got the hands to do it and a coach who encourages offensive talent to shine.Whatever happened to Jonas Brodin? His play has regressed since he was one of the games most promising young defensemen. Hes only 23, so theres plenty of time to recapture that form, but this season he needs to prove he can be a consistent force on the blue line. We didnt see that enough last season.Sure thingsDefenseman Ryan Suter, thats for sure. He was an absolute two-way stud last season, second only to Erik Karlsson in ice time per game, and for my money should have received more Norris Trophy consideration, at least in terms of being in top-five consideration (he finished eighth in the voting). Suter doesnt take a game off. Hes a horse on that Wild blue line, and I dont expect that to change this season.Another sure thing is that Boudreau will improve the Wilds special teams. The Ducks were first in the NHL in both the power play and penalty kill last season, which is unheard of! You can bet the Wilds 27th-ranked penalty kill will definitely improve, while the teams 18th-ranked power play has a chance to get better under the offensive-minded Boudreau.PredictionThe Wild took the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference from the fifth-place spot in the Central, and I think theyll be in that mix again. To me, its going to be a coin flip between the Jets and Wild for that fifth-place spot in the Central, which could be a wild-card spot as well. Sixth in the Central. 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