Phil Jackson has become a trusted mentor to Dwight Howard.
"Phil, he texts me and he understands how it is to come off back surgery," Howard said. "He just said it takes a full year to recover, so you can't beat yourself up over the things that have happened this year."
Jackson recently told Sports Illustrated that Mike D'Antoni's system doesn't suit Howard's talents.
"Dwight just doesn't get any touches," Jackson said. "They've basically eliminated his assets."