Philadelphia 76ers: The gravity of the Dwight Howard signing

With free agency in full swing, the Philadelphia 76ers have made an impressive splash in signing veteran center Dwight Howard.

The Philadelphia 76ers have most certainly put the NBA on notice this offseason. With Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers at the helm, the franchise is looking to right the ship. A move that may prove more vital than initially thought is the recent signing of veteran Dwight Howard.

It’s worth noting that Howard has been one of the league’s premier big-men for the better part of the last two decades. The 16-year center boasts a myriad of accolades, including eight All-Star appearances, three Defensive Player of the year awards and five All-Defensive Team selections. He even led the Orlando Magic to an NBA Finals appearance in 2009, where they lost to the team where he would eventually win an NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Howard’s career has had its ups and downs, but there’s no question that he still plays hard even at 34 years of age. Last season, D12 set out a goal for himself to get into better shape to sustain a longer shelf-life in the NBA. That sort of ambition led him to his first NBA championship.

Now, Howard looks to bring that sort of veteran leadership and championship pedigree to the Philadelphia 76ers. Many thought that Howard would re-sign with the Lakers. Even so, reports initially reported that the parties agreed to a deal for this upcoming season. As NBA fans, the words of Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania are practically gospel. So, when we saw initial reports pointing to LA as the landing spot, it was safe to assume that a deal had been agreed upon.

But then, out of nowhere, Shams flipped the script on fans, giving us the tweet that nobody expected:

With that, Superman is touching down in the City of Brotherly Love. Growing up a lifelong Sixers fan, I never thought I’d see the day where veterans would take minimum deals to come to Philly. I always expected the Sixers to swing and miss on guys. But now, the franchise has the prowess to actually convince guys to sign here.

For the most part, it comes down to the way the new-and-improved front office has conducted business. By making the moves that Morey has made, bringing in guys like Seth Curry and Danny Green, the 76ers have signaled to the rest of the league that they’re ready to contend. It’s no longer an issue of culture or fit. Those days are long gone.

One thing Morey must be praised for is simply looking at fit. Dwight fits a real need for this team. Considering the lack of front-court depth, Howard can come in right away and contribute. He still possesses great defensive and rebounding prowess, and will be able to hold the fort down when Joel Embiid sits.

Ultimately, this move restores hope for the 76ers. Many speculated as to whether Morey would keep his foot on the gas, and he most certainly has done that. The Sixers are going in the right direction, as truly established veterans actually want to come and play for the team. Hopefully, these moves turn into gold for a team that has not won an NBA championship since 1983. It’s a great day for the City of Philadelphia when the Sixers finally seem to have their stuff together.