Aside from the other Lakers struggles and his still healing back, Dwight Howard has another issue that he feels is messing with his game.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie x Sabrina B.

It involves avoiding the referees’ whistle.

“The only thing I can do is stay positive and not let it affect the way I play,” said Howard, who’s averaged 5.3 fouls per game. “Sometimes it has an effect because I want to do so good and help our team win. It’s tough.”

In the Lakers’ season-opening loss to Dallas, Howard collected six fouls and earned a flagrant foul one on Dallas’ Elton Brand.

“I felt like I got fouled on the other end,” Howard said. “I kind of complained for a second so I was just getting back on defense. I have to get back. I can’t look at the refs and complain.”

Howard did that, though, after picking up five fouls in the Lakers’ loss Friday to the Clippers, including two in the first quarter.

“A lot of the calls that were called on me were questionable,” said Howard, who posted 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds in 30 minutes. “You try to be physical in the paint. But when you’re physical, you get calls on you that stop the flow.”

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