Dwight Howard’s making encouraging progress rehabbing his back

In a little over a minute, the general public caught a glimpse seeing Dwight Howard perform exercises he’s stayed away from for months.

In a workout on Wednesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo, Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell presents in the video above how Howard went through various post moves with assistant coaches Darvin Ham and Chuck Person. What that means regarding his rehab efforts after having back surgery in April? Well, the Lakers have offered no timetable on his return, other than crossing him off for the preseason opener Oct. 7 against Golden State (sorry Fresno fans). It’s also hard to envision how an informal off-season workout translates in an actual NBA game.

Still, the video above provides enough signs that Howard’s progressing enough on his back. For someone who used a walker after his back surgery, Howard looked fluid. He made a good portion of his baby hook shots with each hand. Howard showcased a quick first step when driving to the hoop. Ham’s light forearms to Howard’s back didn’t cause him to wince.

Does this give anyone more clarity about whether Howard will be ready to suit up for the regular season opener Oct. 30 against Dallas? Probably not. But the Lakers have reported no setbacks during the rehab process, so keep your fingers crossed.

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