Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have been leading the Philadelphia 76ers for three seasons now and there have been a lot of expectations for them to go deep into the playoffs due to their immense talent.
However, they have come up short in the past three postseasons as they have not been able to capitalize on their opportunities.
On the flip side, while the team has failed in the postseason over the past few seasons, Simmons and Embiid are still young enough to lead the way. In perspective, Simmons is only 24 and Embiid is 26 which means their best days are ahead of them.
The roster is also now looking a bit better around the two stars as they prepare for the 2020-21 season. They have made additions that should help the team move forward and one of those additions is veteran Dwight Howard who brings a wealth of experience to Philadelphia.
Howard has gone through all of the wars and the battles that Simmons and Embiid have gone through and he believes that those experiences will help them going forward.
“I think they had a taste of the playoffs and how hard you have to play every single night and how taxing the playoffs are on the body and your mind,” Howard explained. “I believe that, as somebody who’s been in the league for so long, you don’t want to have to go through all of those steps to get to the top, I think it’s a straight and narrow path. That path is hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.”
In Howard’s early days with the Orlando Magic, he led them to the NBA Finals in 2009. The team was then primed to get back there in 2010, but they fell in the Eastern Conference Finals and they never recovered after that.
Instead, Howard could not get back to the Finals until 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers where he played a lesser role in order to win a title. During that time with the Lakers, he learned a lot about focus and how hard it is to truly win in this league.
“You cannot allow nothing to get you off your focus,” he said sternly. “The road to a championship is narrow, it’s there, and if you waver off just a little bit, it will kick you off to the beginning. I had the opportunity to play in the Finals with Orlando and it took 11 years to get back to the Finals. I just want those guys to know that nothing is promised. So while you have the opportunity and the moment to get to the top and be a champion, don’t take it for granted.”
The 16-year veteran believes due to the experience he just had with the Lakers, he will be able to pass that on to the two stars and get a championship to Philadelphia. He reiterated that they have to keep that focus and stay on the championship path.
“I think by doing that with the team that we have and Joel being one of the best bigs in this league and us having Ben Simmons coming back off of injury,” he added. “I think we have the tools and the talent, but we also have the right coaching staff that can get this team over the hump. I believe that this is our year, it’s been a long time since 1983, so I think it’s time we hoist up another banner here in Philly.” [lawrence-related id=39594,39591,39588]