Dwight Howard aiming to play on opening night

Dwight Howard is targeting opening night for the 2012-13 season to make his Los Angeles Lakers debut, just five months after back surgery, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Howard is recovering nicely after having surgery for a herniated disc in April and is determined to play Oct. 30 at the Staples Center against the Dallas Mavericks.

According to the report:

The Lakers have been reluctant to make public a timetable on Howard’s return, and have maintained a cautious approach to protect his long-term health.

Howard has been working with Lakers coaches and trainers at the team’s practice facility, and has shown an increased range of motion, but has yet to engage in five-on-five or significant contact situations.

The Lakers’ coaching staff is implementing a hybrid of the Princeton offense and has shown Howard how the system will open up fresh avenues of scoring possibilities for him.

Howard and Kobe Bryant both appeared on ‘Ellen’ this week to talk about the upcoming season and more.