Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon expressed his disappointment about the recent play of Dwight Howard, believing the All-Star big man is being too passive.

Olajuwon, one of the best centers to ever play the game, openly criticized Howard for his subpar performance so far, a far cry from Howard's normal dominance.

Olajuwon believed Howard, despite his athletic body and other physical tools, has to make quick decisions at the post, and at the same time, stay aggressive.

"Dwight has always been athletic and aggressive, and he still is. But when I watch him, what I see are opportunities that he is missing," Olajuwon told NBA.com via Sports Illustrated on Tuesday. "When he gets the ball, he seems to be taking his time to decide what move to make, where he should go.  

"The Dream" added that faster recognition of the situation will help Howard become a dominant force at the post, preventing opponents' defense to react. 

"There should not be a delay for Dwight. He must be able to make a faster recognition of the situations and react immediately with a go-to move. You must move right away before the defense has a chance to set up. You must be the one making the first move so that you can force the defender to always be the one reacting," said Olajuwon.

Olajuwon, who is currently on hiatus in Nigeria, said Howard must not revert back to his old habits and stressed that he needs someone to remind him about it.

"Maybe if I am there with him all of the time we can reinforce new habits and make it all feel natural," said Olajuwon, who is scheduled to re-assume his role as Rockets consultant before the All-Star break.

Howard, despite the Dream's criticism, still puts up 17.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the Rockets (8-4), who have already racked up three straight victories.