New Philadelphia 76ers addition Al Horford is already seeing signs of growing leadership in teammates Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, noting the two young stars are ready for the next challenge:
“They're proven players in the NBA, they're All-Stars, I feel they're ready to take that next challenge, and I'm ready to take that next challenge with them,” Horford told Shams Charania of Stadium. “I've already seen the signs of leadership from both of them and I feel like as long as we continue to work hard every day, that's the challenge: to get out there and work. We have to do the work and I think we're put ourselves in great position to contend.”
"They're ready to take that next challenge, and I'm ready to take that next challenge with them."
76ers' Al Horford tells NBA Insider @ShamsCharania that he has "already seen signs of leadership" from Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons. pic.twitter.com/7U9Bferuxh
— Stadium (@Stadium) October 4, 2019
Al Horford is coming in as the veteran steward this team so sorely needed after the departure of Jimmy Butler, giving the Sixers 12 years of NBA experience and a versatile player who can do it all on the floor.
Simmons has stepped up in the offseason, routinely working on developing his shot, and most importantly his confidence, as he will now be asked to take more jumpers during an NBA game.
Embiid has lost 20 pounds since last season and put himself on a different regimen, now bound to play less minutes through the course of the season in hopes to last for more games and keep his knee tendinitis and back problems from flaring up.
In addition to that, both young stars have set eyes on the Defensive Player of the Year award — a goal that should bode well for a team that has yet to gain a congruent identity.
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