Wizards' Howard rehabbing in Atlanta, getting his mind and body right

For the first time since November, Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard has addressed the media with an update on his recovery from a procedure on his back - and why he hasn't been with the team of late.

"If I would've been around the team after the surgery, I would've wanted to get out there and play," Howard explained before Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz. "I think our team doctors had the best solution: Go home, get your mind right, get your body right, and when you return, let's get to that championship."

Howard underwent surgery - an L4 and L5 lumbar microdiscectomy - on Nov. 30. The Wizards said the veteran's condition would be re-evaluated in two-to-three months.

"I think I should be ready to go when I step back on the floor. That part I'm not going to be worried about," Howard said, according to The Washington Post's Candace Buckner. "I've been through this process before, I know what it's going to take for me to get where I need to get to."

The veteran center also knows there are doubters, those expecting that the NBA's active rebound and block leader will be unable to return to form and help the Wizards, who entered Tuesday's matchup with an uninspiring 12-18 record.

"Being 33 and having back surgery, a lot of people say, 'Well, he's done. He's finished.' So this is a great opportunity for me to - not to prove to other people, but to prove to myself that I can overcome any situation," Howard added.