Three days into a crucial training camp, the Philadelphia 76ers are already talking championship. This roster is absolutely loaded, bringing together proven winners like Jaylen Brown and LeBron James with their main guys Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. They’re all trying to reach the mountaintop, no doubt about it. But Brown, fresh off a monster season where he dropped 28.7 points per game and led the Celtics to a 56-26 record as the East’s No. 2 seed, is keeping it super real about how long that climb might take.
Getting Everyone On The Same Page: It’s a Download Process
Brown, who absolutely stepped up as a leader last season, gave his first thoughts on the Sixers’ vibe in camp. He’s not sugarcoating it, but he’s also seeing the hard work. “Just getting everybody being acclimated to one another,” he said Thursday. “I’m getting acclimated to the building, to the staff, and just getting the system downloaded and everything.” It sounds like a tech upgrade, right? He added that he’s “downloading all the information, and some of the guys, a lot of the guys have been great, just communicating, making everybody get on the same page.” That communication is gonna be key for a squad stacked with this much talent. After practice, he was even out there with youngsters Justin Edwards and Rayan Rupert, hitting a shooting drill. He totally gets how to mentor, saying, “A lot of them have shown me a lot of respect. Ask me questions, or ask to jump in my workouts, and I’m welcome and I’m open to all of that, being a teacher.” He’s walked that path, you know? “I was a guy who was always asking questions, so I appreciate it when the young guys are asking questions.” That’s the mark of a true leader.
The Mid-Post Puzzle: A “Feel Thing” That Needs Time
Now, here’s where it gets interesting, and it’s a challenge everyone’s gonna be watching: Brown, Embiid, and James all love to operate out of the mid-post. Talk about high-IQ players! Figuring out how those three operate in the same space? That’s going to be a fascinating puzzle for the coaching staff. Brown acknowledged that it’s definitely “a feel thing” and they’re working to “establish some spacing” and “position on the floor, like the style of play.” He admitted, “I think we’re still kind of figuring it out. Like when I am going to go, when not to go, when big fella is going down in the post, when I can put pressure on the rim, just trying to find that balance.” He’s not expecting miracles overnight, which is smart. “I think it’s only three days in, so it may take a little bit of time, but I’m looking forward to the journey.”
That word, “journey,” is huge here. Brown knows with this many new, big pieces, there will be bumps in the road. He’s looking at patience as the “operative word” for this group. These Sixers won’t just magically become contenders from day one. It’s gonna take time to build trust and get everyone truly locked in for the future. As the 5-time All-Star put it, “I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great journey. It’s going to come with a lot of ups and downs. I’m looking forward to it. How you respond to adversity is going I’m just preparing for that. I know the fans are excited. It takes time to build that relationship. It takes time to build that relationship with each other. As everybody always says, trust.” Get ready for a wild ride, because this team is just getting started, and they’re fully aware it’s not a sprint.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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