For the past several seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers were the unofficial punching bag for the other 29 NBA franchises. The shameless tanking in order to accumulate as many top-tier draft picks as possible took a toll not only on the team’s record but also on its players’ morale.

That’s not looking to be the case this season, however. Powered by talented youngsters in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and thanks to some savvy veteran additions, the 76ers are experiencing some kind of renaissance if we may call it that way, as the team has gone 7-6 through its first 13 games. It’s not that impressive, but for a team that had gone 75-253 in the last four seasons, sure we could treat their current record as a sign of prosperity.

Embiid and Simmons inject more than just on-court improvement to the team, they also give the 76ers some pride to play for, particularly Embiid, who was singled out by Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton as a source of spunk, per Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet.

Embiid is a force on the court, plus he’s got the attitude to complement his fierce play. Embiid is averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is shooting 49.4 percent on the field.

Walton gets to see Embiid in the flesh Wednesday night as the Lakers host Philly at Staples Center.