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Sixers' injured guards clear hurdle

Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall, both coming off ACL surgeries, take part in halfcourt practice.

IN THE not-too-distant future, the 76ers are going to go through some major changes. No, don't expect a big winning streak - or maybe not even a win for quite some time - but there could be differences nonetheless.

Tuesday at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, guards Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall practiced halfcourt with the team, a major hurdle as they recover from torn ACLs suffered in January. Both are also spending time with the Delaware 87ers to get in more practice time while the parent club is light on practices due to an abundance of games and much travel.

"We really have had zero rhythm or routine to what we've been doing," coach Brett Brown said. "Sometimes on the bench you look around about how you're going to sub it, how you're going to play it and who's available. It's only going to get a little more complicated in a few more weeks with Tony and Kendall. Kendall and Tony practiced a little bit in halfcourt. It's been the opposite word of routine and consistent, that hasn't been us the last month. You don't want to cry about it. You just want to keep moving and it has been hard."

Nothing has been as hard as watching much of the first half of Monday's game against Dallas, when the Sixers committed 17 of their 27 turnovers in the 92-86 loss.

"I thought out of all my years - and for sure with the 76ers, but at high-level coaching - the first six minutes were as bizarre a six minutes as I have seen," Brown said. "I had no idea what I was looking at. You look at the first 15 possessions offensively in the game, you have no idea. From not purposeful organization, to turnovers, to a lack of familiarity.

"And then you blink and it's halftime and you're down five. You're up two (late in the fourth). You just can't believe it. What you remind them of is, 'I have no idea who you were the six or seven minutes, please introduce yourself,' to 'Your defense has been pretty good, fellas.' "

It's never easy, for sure.

Okafor takes a shot

And the hits just keep coming on the injury front. Jahlil Okafor took a hit in the mouth at practice Tuesday when fellow rookie Christian Wood got him on a rebound.

"He might need stitches, we're not sure," Brett Brown said. "He bit his tongue, both from the top and the bottom. We'll learn more about that. It will not prohibit him from playing."

Australian connection

It is widely believed that LSU freshman Ben Simmons will be the top overall pick in the 2016 draft. The 6-9 point forward seems to possess many tools that could make him a star in the NBA, and the Sixers have put themselves in a good spot to potentially grab him.

Simmons hails from Australia, so it isn't surprising that Brett Brown has a history with him. Brown coached there for 17 years, so pretty much any athlete - especially one with a basketball background - is going to be known by the Sixers' coach. Simmons is no different.

"Ben Simmons is the son of somebody I coached for four years," Brown said. "I was David Simmons' - his dad's - assistant coach when I was with the Melbourne Tigers, and his mom was the head cheerleader. So here comes Ben Simmons."

Brown went on to mention his interactions with Dante Exum and his dad and Kyrie Irving's dad. Brown said of Simmons' dad: "He could have been a linebacker, he could have been a prizefighter. He was a basketball player more out of athleticism and girth than he was finesse and skill. He was a tough, tough, 6-8 hard player. And his son is finesse, different. Really great."

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