Dwight Howard Reveals Why He’s Excited to Partner with Joel Embiid – ‘Makes Other Opponents Upset’

Dwight Howard somewhat revived his career last year with the Lakers. He won his maiden championship and played a crucial role in the Lakers’ defense. When the off-season started, one thing was clear: the champions were ready to make moves.

The Lakers added much younger players in Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell in place of the veterans. With no other teams interested, the 76ers signed the big man in a veteran minimum contract.

Dwight who recently joined the 76ers is seemingly excited to play alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Howard spoke about how he is looking forward to imparting his experience to the younger players.

Howard said, “I think the things Joel does is great. It makes other opponents upset, it keeps him locked in and the team plays better.

“Now will there be times when we all have to be a little bit more serious? Yes. And that’s something we’ll all have to learn together.

“How to be in certain situations. But I don’t think that’s a part of sacrifice. I think that’s a part of just understanding time and place.”

He added, “And I think that will be good for me to help show some of the younger guys because I have been in that position before where people thought I wasn’t focused or that I was playing too much.

“Maybe for the people on the outside, it did look like I was playing around too much. So it’s just finding ways to do things right for the team, and I think we’ll do that this year.”

What can the 76ers expect from Dwight Howard?

Dwight Howard was one of the best in his prime. He isn’t anywhere near to the dominant center he used to be but is still an asset to any team.

A player like Howard is a huge physical presence and a great defender. Given how he performed for the Lakers, Philly signing Howard in a veteran minimum is a bargain.

The Superman is a more than capable backup center. He won’t put up big numbers, but his impact on the court is massive. This was visible when he locked in Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

The 76ers had signed Al Horford as the backup center in a hefty contract last season. The roster was all over the place, to say the least, and Horford didn’t fit.

In Howard, Philly will be getting a great backup center who can defend and a defensive rock. He can also be the veteran needed to elevate the young stars like Simmons and Embiid.

The 76ers have made some good moves. They are set to be one of the top contenders for the title.