The Philadelphia 76ers are rife with young talent, and Richaun Holmes can now add himself to that list. 

Holmes had the best game of his young career in the Sixers’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and the sophomore’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Dwight Howard, the self-proclaimed no-doubt Hall of Famer, talked very highly of Holmes after the game, according to Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly.

“I thought he played great. I’m real happy for him. He’s a kid that I remember the first time he stepped on the court with me, he was just like excited. He kept saying, ‘Wow, I’m on the floor with Dwight Howard.’ He just kept saying he was excited. Just to see his growth from that moment, he plays with such passion, it’s great to see especially from a young guy like him. I’m proud of him.”

The second-year forward poured in 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting and inhaled eight boards against one of the best defensive centers in the league. Holmes was dunking all over Atlanta from the get-go, and he surpassed his previous career-high of 24 points relatively easily. Howard had quite the game himself with 22 points and 20 rebounds, and the two spent a majority of the night trading buckets.

Philadelphia is seeing incredible improvement since Holmes finished his rookie season, and his length, athleticism and potential on both ends of the floor have earned him more minutes in Brett Brown’s rotation. From October to February, as the backup center, Holmes averaged 16.6 minutes a night, but that has since ballooned to 25.8 during March. Because of the extended time and deepened trust, Holmes has been producing more, and the Sixers now look at him as a key contributor on both ends of the floor.

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Over his last 16 contests, he’s averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 59.2 percent from the field. Holmes is someone who hangs out around the basket and waits for Philly’s guards to penetrate, and nearly all of the looks he gets are high-percentage. Of course, there are places where he can improve, but Holmes has had more than his fair share of flashes.

Because he’s so athletic, he can take other bigs off the dribble, just not consistently. If he works at that and makes it a part of his game, teams are going to have to gameplan for him outside of being a force on the glass, and that’s going to be an issue with Joel Embiid and Dario Saric also out there. Holmes has also been experimenting with a three-point shot, and that would make him an even more effective slasher.