After the Atlanta Hawks traded him to the Charlotte Hornets this summer, Dwight Howard declared that he wanted to prove a point to his critics once and for all.Howard believes he has landed in the right spot in Charlotte and is expecting to return to a high level under a coach he's familiar with.Steve Clifford was an assistant coach during the big man's most successful spell in the league with the Orlando Magic and this reunion could be just what he needed.The 31-year-old made his debut for the Hornets in pre-season action this week and if the early signs are anything to go by, we may be seeing a different player.In the team's 108-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, Howard showed off a skill that nobody thought he possessed.The 6'11" center grabbed a defensive rebound but instead of passing off to his point guard, he proceeded to bring the ball up the floor himself and duly went coast-to-coast before throwing down a dunk over the huge frame of Boban Marjanovic.

It was a jaw-dropping move by the eight-time All-Star as he displayed some nifty ball-handling for a player of his size.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is certainly looking to resurrect his career in Charlotte but not many expected him to do it by completely reinventing himself as a player and adding a new weapon to his arsenal.

But a word of caution for Hornets fans is that it's only the pre-season where the intensity of the games is not that high, but it's still a good sign to see Howard operating outside of the paint.

The veteran has spent much of the summer working on his game so who knows, he may have more tricks up his sleeve for the new season.

This particular play didn't go unnoticed, though, and it generated some great reactions from fans on Twitter.

Howard ended the game with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and could prove to be a perfect fit with Clifford's team.

They were crying out for some rim protection and he provides that as well as his usual rebounding ability and defensive prowess.

The relationship between All-Star Kemba Walker and Dwight will also be an important factor for Buzz City as they could form a dangerous pick-and-roll combination and create scoring opportunities for one another and their teammates.

We could well be seeing the return of the old Dwight Howard this season.