Howard: I love that Budenholzer holds me accountable

After wearing out his welcome with three teams in the previous four seasons, Dwight Howard may have finally found a home in Atlanta.

The 31-year-old center has looked stellar for the Hawks in 2016-17, and for the first time in years, he appears to be on the same page with his head coach, as the big man spoke glowingly of his relationship with Mike Budenholzer.

"It’s the best," Howard told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It’s the best. So grateful to be in this situation. They’ve done an amazing job, the training staff, the coaching staff. Bud has done an amazing job. We have a growing relationship that has been great so far. We are really understanding each other. And it’s good. I love having him as a coach. From the first time I met him until now, we’ve had a great connection. We want to continue that. I love how he holds me accountable every single day to be the guy for the team to lead them in the right direction. When I’m not doing the right things, he is on me. When I am doing the right things, he pushes me to do more. It’s just a great feeling."

Through nine games, Howard is averaging 15.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals while shooting a league-leading 63 percent from the field. While his offensive numbers are impressive, Howard has made a more significant impact on the other end of the floor, with Atlanta ranking second in defensive efficiency.

"I think we’re close to where we can be as a team," Howard said. "One thing I can say is that this group is hungry. Coach is holding us accountable every single day to get better, continue to grow as a team. We want that. I think all of us want to win really bad. It starts, like I’ve been saying all year, in practice, in the weight room, all the little things that people don’t see. That’s where it starts."