Josh Richardson's Accountability Rant Went Over Well With His Team

Being one of the new guys on a team that's having internal issues can be tough. Philadelphia 76ers guard, Josh Richardson, is currently experiencing this first-hand as his first season with the team has taken a bit of a strange turn.

When the season started, the Sixers were on fire. They were the remaining team in the NBA with an undefeated record to begin the season. For a moment, it felt like Brett Brown's goal of reaching the first seed in the Eastern Conference was going to be cake.

But soon enough, we would find out the Sixers aren't ready for that top spot just yet. That's not to say the Sixers aren't as talented as many believed. The issues are more about the team's struggle to find its true identity.

Lately, the Sixers have hit a wall. After notching their best win of the season over the NBA's top team, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers dropped three-straight games. After the first loss to the Magic, Sixers forward Tobias Harris mentioned the team wasn't playing with high intensity.

Then after losing to the Miami Heat, Ben Simmons claimed the team had the same issues as the night before. A couple of days later, the Sixers got manhandled by the Indiana Pacers, and their new guard Josh Richardson exposed that there are accountability issues within the locker room.

"I don't think there's enough accountability in our locker room right now," Richardson said after Tuesday's loss. "I think that we got some new guys who don't want to step on toes, including myself. I feel like we kind of go play and don't compete as much. When it's not going good, we got to hold each other accountable. I think that's where a lot of our problems start."

Sometimes, a rant like that could open up a can of worms and leave some players with a sour reaction towards Richardson. However, it seems as though Richardson's rant went over well with the Sixers this week as they prepare to hit the road once again.

"I'm fine with it," Sixers' head coach Brett Brown said in regards to Richardson's statement on Thursday. "I live in the truth really well. I like the truthful discussions. If they feel like they can be more candid with one another, then so be it. I think it was delivered with good intentions and a level of accuracy."

Ben Simmons, who has developed somewhat of a close relationship with Richardson over the last few months, is on the same page as his fellow guard. Not only did Simmons agree with Richardson's sentiment, but he also revealed the team had a healthy discussion about it before Thursday afternoon's practice.

"We sat and talked about it this morning," Simmons said. "We all know why we're here and what we want to get out of being here -- that's a championship. We just have to hold each other accountable."

Although the Sixers have gone on a multi-game slump such as this recent one a couple of times earlier in the season, accountability concerns were never brought up. Now that everything is out there and the team had a discussion about it, the hope is that the 76ers can get their act together as they head to Houston to face the Rockets on Friday.