Sports

In a year where everyone has done their best to bury Howard in the media, Kupchak has defended him relentlessly. It's a shrewd tactic designed to keep Howard happy and the Lakers chances of re-signing him high, and Kupchak knows exactly what he's doing. "I just thought he was getting unfairly criticized," Kupchak said. "I think people expected too much, too soon." The second quote is a good way of summarizing it, and the general manager confirmed that the team will take their chances of re-signing Howard in the offseason.