Dwight Howard gently reframes his new teammate Joel Embiid

New backup pivot for the Sixers, Dwight Howard has already rigorously donned his veteran squad costume. For example, he offered his first advice to Joel Embiid, in the form of a nice little crop, in order to channel it.

Arrived slightly on tiptoe at the Lakers last year, Dwight Howard left as champion. An accomplishment that he expected more than anything in the world, and which pushed him to revise his individual ambitions downwards for the sake of his franchise. And this winning recipe has obviously allowed it to mature.

A rookie of the Sixers during the offseason, the pivot, who will soon celebrate his 35th birthday, has since his signing a speech filled with wisdom towards his new partners. For example, he was inspired by his own experience in Los Angeles to deliver a first cash message to his teammates, which revealed all its ambitions for the coming year.

At the same time, he does not hesitate to challenge the leaders of the workforce through the media. Ben Simmons thus received his praise not long ago, finding himself mentioned in a comparison of the most flattering for him. This is now the case Joel Embiid who was mentioned by his future backup, in comments reported by Tim Bontemps ofESPN.

Asked about the perky nature of the Cameroonian big man, and his tendency to be lacking in seriousness in the moments that matter, Doctor D12 established his diagnosis.

I think Joel does great things. It tends to annoy his opponents, it allows him to stay in his game, and the team is playing better.

Now, there are going to be times when everyone has to be a little more serious, and that’s something we’re all going to have to learn to do together. How to behave in certain situations. But I don’t think it’s a sacrifice. I think it’s just a matter of understanding under what circumstances to act in such a way.

Howard has shown that he himself had learned lessons in this area before. Among the Lakers, he was most often focused on the game, but was able to resurface his natural when asked to frustrate an opponent. He therefore feels that he could not be better placed to support Embiid and his partners on this point.

I think it’s going to be a good thing for me to help out and show that to some of the kids, because I’ve been in this position in the past. People thought that I was not focused or that I was having too much fun. Maybe from the outside it’s the impression I could send back.

Today, it is therefore full of maturity that Howard arrives in Philadelphia, and with the firm intention of forgetting his liabilities and his past statements to JoJo. He does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past, and wants to show the entire NBA planet that his good behavior with the Lakers was not just an epiphenomenon.

He now knows the route to access the Larry O’Brien trophy, and hopes to take it again in its new colors.

We will just have to find ways to do things well, so that it contributes to the success of the team, and I think that is what we will succeed in doing this year.

Metamorphosed by his adventure in LA, Dwight Howard shows that he now has the experience necessary to mentor Joel Embiid, and provide him with advice. Who would have believed it a year and a half ago …