Dwight Howard 'excited' about hiring

"It's not disappointing," Howard said when asked if he's been let down by the rocky beginning to the much-hyped start to his career with the Lakers. "Everything happens for a reason. There's a reason why we've been through so much so early in the season. I think it's good for our team. It's good for the chemistry. It's good for us just to show how strong we are as individuals and as a team."

It's also a good sign for Lakers' management that Howard publicly signed off on D'Antoni's hiring Monday, even though the All-Star center said he wasn't consulted about the decision over the weekend.

"We're excited for D'Antoni and an up-paced offense," Howard said. "Everything he's done with the teams he's had as far as how they pushed the ball and how they play in an open court, I think it will be good for Steve (Nash) and for all of us to put some points on the board."

Nash, who won two MVP awards while playing for D'Antoni in Phoenix, has a fractured fibula in his left leg and did not practice Monday.

"It's amazing to get a chance to play for Mike again," Nash told ESPN. "He's a great man and an incredible basketball mind. We had some great years together and I look forward to getting to work and building a winner here in L.A."

"Obviously, when (D'Antoni) was in Phoenix, he gave Nash the ball (and) put the right personnel around him with shooters," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "Nash is one of the best pick-and-roll players of all time, and (D'Antoni) let him be that. It's a different dynamic now, so he'll probably use a little bit more brain power to see how he gets Nash to be Nash, with the other elements he has with Kobe (Bryant) and the rest of those guys. He has a tough job ahead of him, but I'm sure he's excited about the opportunity he has to be with America's team."

Fans didn't hear how Bryant felt about D'Antoni ending up being the team's surprise pick to become the 24th head coach in team history, instead of Phil Jackson being brought back for a third stint with the team, until he posted on his Facebook page late Monday.

"It's been a wild week to say the least," he wrote. "I'm happy to have closure and can't wait to get to work with Coach D'Antoni.. spacing, ball movement. And despite the chatter, I believe we will be phenomenal defensively. I'm looking forward to getting started with him and his staff this week. Mamba out."

Bryant, who expressed his support for Jackson after Mike Brown was fired Friday, declined to speak to reporters earlier Monday.

But he had a good excuse -- he took Steve Blake along with him in his helicopter so Blake could make an appointment in Orange County to receive an ultrasound on his abdominal injury suffered in Sunday's 103-90 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Pau Gasol, who also supported Jackson's return to the sidelines, echoed Howard's enthusiasm for D'Antoni but admitted he seemed like the "second option."

"I think we're all excited to have him here and learn his principles in offense and defense and make it work the best for us," Gasol said.

Howard, who found out about the news through a BBM message on his BlackBerry phone Sunday night said he "wasn't shocked" by the hiring. Gasol, who first learned of it on Twitter, said he had "high expectations" for Jackson to return, but has accepted the decision to bring in D'Antoni.