We continue our look back at the 2020-21 season for the Philadelphia 76ers by going through the roster and looking at their season. After looking through the starting lineup, we turn our attention to the bench unit as we take a look back at the season the veteran big man had.
The team brought in Dwight Howard in 2020 free agency to shore up the backup big man spot behind star Joel Embiid, and he did so. Howard was not able to replace him in the starting lineup due to incompatibilities with Ben Simmons, but Howard played a big role on this team and allowed Embiid to get rest in games.
2020-21 season averages:
7.0 points
8.4 rebounds
0.9 assists
0.9 blocks
58.7% overall percentage
57.6% free-throw percentage
Howard came in and filled a role on this team. The Sixers struggled in the past to find a suitable backup to Embiid, and Howard provided physical play off the bench while also still producing. He averaged a robust 17.5 rebounds per 36 minutes as he constantly attacked the glass, and he gave his team a big help in that aspect.
Howard’s best game of the season came on May 8 against the Detroit Pistons when he poured in 19 points and 14 rebounds while also knocking down a 3. He had some big moments in the game and with the crowd returning, he had a lot of fun with the passionate crowd of Philadelphia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU9AJq_bEII
In the playoffs, Howard had tough moments. It looked as if his age caught up to him a bit. He averaged 4.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. In the second round against the Atlanta Hawks, he was limited to 9.9 minutes per game, and he averaged only 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in the series.
Howard enters free agency again after signing a 1-year deal with the Sixers, but he could easily return. He is the best backup big man in the Embiid era in Philadelphia and it needs to bring him back and have him continue to fill that role. He could also help groom now second-year big man Paul Reed for the next level of his career.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=48104]