As a one hour, fifteen minute practice session began to break-up early Wednesday afternoon at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the three principal members of the 76ers’ basketball operations staff sat together, off along one of the sidelines of the court at the team’s training facility. With Chairman of Basketball Operations Jerry Colangelo in town through Friday, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie and head coach Brett Brown had another opportunity to touch base, in-person, with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, who was hired by the Sixers last month. “Jerry came in [Wednesday] morning, and will be here [Wednesday] and [Thursday], which is good,” said Hinkie, now in his third campaign with the Sixers. “I think we’re all trying to find the rhythm. I’ve been out to Phoenix a good bit. [Colangelo’s] been here on occasion as well, and caught up with our team on the road. That’s been good, too.”Colangelo operates out of the Phoenix area, where he gained the bulk of his professional sports acclaim during a career that’s lasted almost fifty years. He is a member of the Suns Ring of Honor, after helping build the franchise from the ground up in the late 1960s. Colangelo went to be honored as the NBA’s Executive of the Year four times, and also serves as Managing Director of the United States men’s national basketball team. Hinkie has enjoyed having the chance to consult with a seasoned, proven resource. “If I’m anything, I’m a learner, so I’ve asked a whole lot of questions, which has been fun,” said Hinkie. “It’s been fun to sort of have an outside perspective. You get that sometimes, but it’s often hard to get someone’s time. Someone as experienced as him to get their time, and really talk in great detail. So we’ve had many hours where can sit together and talk about where we’ve been, and where we are, and difference in perception and reality, and where we’re going, and how his lessons can help us in where we’re going.”Hinkie added that one of the subjects he and Colangelo have discussed is factors that can “tip the odds” for future success in the Sixers’ favor. Both men expressed excitement about the team’s draft possibilities this year, and the shared belief that a healthy Joel Embiid could accelerate the club’s growth.
“We’re pretty optimistic about Jo, still,” Hinkie said. “Obviously, his injury is one that is important to everybody to take really seriously. His day-to-day approach has grown a lot, and grown a lot maybe by the situation, and maybe by his own maturity, and maybe by the way we’re handling it, which is a different approach, in that sense, too. He’s in a really good spot as of late.” Hinkie continued, “We have a bigger [medical] team around him that’s largely headed up by [Sixers Director of Performance Research and Development] Dr. David Martin, who we brought on this summer. We have a big set of experts that deal with him. And then we’ve taken a different approach to his body, and a different approach to his rehab that’s allowed him to have much more choice in the situation, and what that looks like day-to-day, and he’s stepped up. He’s really stepped up.” According to Hinkie, the navicular bone in Embiid’s right foot “is healing really well…probably even a little faster than anticipated.” Embiid, the third selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, was operated on in August. As for the other number three pick that the Sixers currently have at their disposal, Jahlil Okafor has emerged as one of the top-performing rookies this season. He ranks first among his peers in scoring (17.4 points per game) and third in rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game).”He was 19 years old scoring 19 points a game,” Hinkie said, referring to the start of Okafor’s career. “I told people if that continues, we’ll be just fine. We’ll be just fine. There’s a lot for every rookie to pick up in the NBA about NBA schemes, and spacing, and rules, and being early, and doing your work early, and meeting your man early, and being early as a weakside rim protector. He’s played a little more than a third of the season, and I think he’s done fine. He’s done fine.”When they host the Chicago Bulls Thursday at The Center, the Sixers will reach the halfway juncture of their 82-game slate. On the whole, they’ve gained momentum since the return of Ish Smith, who was reacquired via a December 24th trade. “I like the way we’ve played as of late,” said Hinkie. “I think we’ve gotten back to things that matter to us. Playing fast, playing defense, being able to get out in transition and go. I think that’s helpful. And then, I think you’ve just seen a better spirit about our team. We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a long way to go, let’s be clear. But, I think that’s been better.”
