Dwight Howard Describes Sixers' Current State of Chemistry

Dwight Howard offers insight on Sixers' current state of chemistry.

As the Philadelphia 76ers geared up for a New Year's Eve matchup against the Orlando Magic, a former member of Orlando's hoops team himself spoke to the media following a morning shootaround with his current team, the Sixers. 

Veteran center Dwight Howard has been around the league since getting drafted in 2004. As he's had stints with Orlando, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington, Howard has been around many different teams in different situations.

Last year with the Lakers, Howard had the ultimate NBA experience. For the first time in his career, he played for a championship-winning team. This year, he brings all of his "invaluable" knowledge, as Doc Rivers would describe it, to the 76ers.

Heading into Thursday night's game against the only undefeated team left in the NBA, the Sixers were 3-1. They moved to 4-1 after collecting a double-digit victory over the Magic. While there have been some wrinkles throughout the first few games, Sixers veteran center Dwight Howard recently offered some positive insight into the team's state, chemistry-wise, so far. 

"It's been great so far," Howard claimed on Thursday. "We got a lot of guys who are willing to learn, willing to listen. Coach has been doing a good job holding everyone accountable. I think the guys really wanna win, so they'll do whatever it takes for us to win." Last season, communication and accountability was a significant concern for the 76ers. With a new culture being built, though, a lot of those issues are dissolving.

"The communication has gotten a lot better," Howard continued. "Guys are learning how to communicate effectively on our team. All of those things take time. I'm glad we have the right staff, the right atmosphere, and everybody's on the same page. I'm looking forward to continuing to build on relationships."

At 4-1, the 76ers are set to continue their young season on Saturday with the first matchup of a two-game series against the Charlotte Hornets. Saturday's game will offer the Sixers an opportunity to go 5-1 to start the year -- but it's also another opportunity to allow the Sixers to grow their chemistry further.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_