Dwight Howard has played well for the Los Angeles Lakers this season on a non-guaranteed contract, and the center reportedly wanted that type of deal to keep himself motivated, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said on The Jump last week:

"I think with Dwight, it also goes back to why the Lakers signed that contract with him that way in the first place. Dwight asked for that. That was his idea. That wasn't the Lakers saying, 'Oh, this is the only way we'll do it.' This was Dwight and his agent saying, 'Yes, we'll do non-guaranteed just to show you how committed we are to being this kind of player.'"

That level of accountability has worked thus far. Howard, 34, has averaged 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 20 minutes per game, shooting 74.2 percent from the field. 

More importantly, the Lakers have played well with him on the court, scoring 114.4 points per 100 possessions and giving up just 102.1 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. When he sits, however, that offensive rating moves to 110.8 and the defensive rating goes to 103.7. 

Put another way, the Lakers outscore opponents by 12.2 points per 100 possessions with Howard on the court and by 7.1 points when he sits. He's been a net positive on the season. 

His 0.087 defensive win shares rank 116th among NBA players, a solid mark for a player coming off the bench in Los Angeles. 

The move to the Lakers has revitalized Howard's career after he played in just nine games last year for the Washington Wizards because of back issues. Before the 2019-20 campaign, he had played on four different teams in as many seasons, failing to catch on with any of them. 

But Howard has changed his tune in Los Angeles, playing a key role in the team's blistering 21-3 start.

He provides depth at the center position, allowing Anthony Davis to play his favored role as a power forward. In Howard and JaVale McGee, the Lakers get enough quality minutes to keep Davis off the low block for long stretches, which should in turn save the superstar from some of the banging down low that can wear on a player over a long season. 

Howard has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. If that non-guaranteed contract has served as the impetus for revitalization, it was a stroke of genius to request it in the first place.