Richardson says 76ers lack accountability: We have 'some growing to do'

After the Philadelphia 76ers ended 2019 with a disappointing 115-97 loss to the Indiana Pacers to drop to sixth place in the East, starting guard Josh Richardson offered a candid take regarding the team's struggles nearly halfway through the regular season.

"I don't think there's enough accountability in our locker room right now, honestly," Richardson told reporters, including Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, after Tuesday's contest. "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."

He added: "There's been games that we have (competed), and it's been great. But when it's not going good, we got to hold each other accountable. I think that's where a lot of our problems start."

Acquired by Philadelphia in the offseason, Richardson is among eight fresh faces on this year's Sixers squad, and frustration is starting to build regarding the group's lack of cohesion.

Fellow newcomer Al Horford recently lamented his "limited" role in the team's offense, and multiple players cited problems with the team's effort after Saturday's loss to the Miami Heat.

"Going forward, we got to talk to some people about it, and we got to do it," Richardson said. "We talk about playing hard every day. We talk about, you know we break the huddle down with 'chip' every day, and we got a long way to go before we actually start competing for that.

"I think our locker room has some growing to do."