Cooney: Even amid uneven season, Sixers creating a winning culture

AT THE END of practice Wednesday, 76ers center Joel Embiid and forward Dario Saric had a spirited one-on-one competition. There was a lot of trash talking, some serious physicality, and a big amount of mutual respect between the teammates.

The two better get used to playing with each other as opposed to against each other as the Sixers traded starting power forward Ersan Ilyasova later in the day to the Atlanta Hawks for center/forward Tiago Splitter and the Hawks' second-round pick (via Miami) in 2017. The teams also will swap second-round picks in 2017.

It is part of the whirlwind surrounding the Sixers right now, as they reconvened Wednesday following the All-Star break. They will take the court for the first time since last Wednesday in Boston when they face the Washington Wizards on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center.

But coming back also brings with it doses of reality that have hung over this team all season, like a monthlong heat wave exacerbated by humidity.

There still is the question of Embiid's health, particularly his left knee, which is recovering from a bone bruise and a minor meniscus tear. Though he participated in a full workout Wednesday and is scheduled to do so again Thursday, the team listed him as doubtful for both Friday and Saturday's contest in New York against the Knicks.

No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons went through individual workouts Wednesday, with a CT scan planned for Thursday on the left foot he fractured in late September at the end of training camp. The hope is that he will get the all-clear, participate in practices and get on the floor at some point this season. If the team's doctors aren't satisfied with the results, he most likely would be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Then there is the NBA trade-deadline cloud that will continue to hover until 3 p.m. Thursday, with talks centered on Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel.

Returning to push through the final 26 games of the season would seem to be an unenviable chore. That isn't nearly the case, however, and is a testament to the culture being built by coach Brett Brown and the other higher-ups and carried through by a group of just-past-adolescence NBAers.

No one has had to endure more during this 21-35 campaign than Okafor. His has been a season littered with DNPs, limited minutes and then, out of nowhere, a 35-minute run. The way he is used and how often has been totally linked to Embiid's health or the team's desire to start Noel and use Richaun Holmes as a backup. Through it all, the Duke product has done nothing but show up, do what he has been asked and kept his displeasure to himself.

Okafor was genuine after practice when he said: "The bond here is great with the guys. We're a bunch of young guys who come here and work hard every day. That's why, if I end up here, I'll be happy because of coach Brown and all the guys on the team that I've formed good relationships with."

Talk of a Noel trade has gained momentum over the past few days. He is a restricted free agent after the season, so president Bryan Colangelo probably is looking to assure he'll get at least something in return. Noel has been vocal a couple of times this season with his uneasiness of the situation, but nothing but ultra-professional of late.

"Whatever happens, happens; if it doesn't, it doesn't," said Noel. "I'm here now and that's what I can control. I think coach Brown has done an exceptional job of communicating with us young guys through this whole process and making sure that everybody was on the same page."

Though he certainly isn't going anywhere, Embiid is dreading the potential trades because they would most certainly mean losing a close friend.

"Honestly, I'm scared," said the 7-2 center. "I don't know what's going to happen for me, for my teammates. I love them all. Hopefully, I'm here. Hopefully, my teammates are here. We've been playing good basketball when we're all healthy. Hopefully we keep the same group and you never know what could happen."

Both Noel and Okafor would get ample playing time elsewhere. Really, there is nothing basketball-wise that wouldn't be better for either one of them elsewhere. They know that. Their coach knows it, and so do their teammates. Still, they'll have an overriding feeling of the disappointment if they have a new employer on Thursday.

And that means as much as talent as this process moves forward.

"It's one of the endearing parts of this group for me, personally," Brown said of his team's positive attitude. "This season has gone maybe the fastest of any of my years in Philadelphia. That comment is a direct reflection of the enjoyment I have - because I respect them - of coaching this group. I like coaching this group. They are really competitive. They put in great days. They coexist. It's as much of a team as we've ever had, in very, very unlikely circumstances. To win with Jahlil, to win with Nerlens, to win with Joel or without any of those people, with different wings - T.J. (McConnell) lately has held that point-guard spot. But the group still stays the group. I give them a lot of respect and a lot of affection. I enjoy coaching them."

Obviously, it can't work here with four centers on the roster. Okafor seems best suited to start somewhere in the league, just not here. Noel would be a terrific backup to Embiid but certainly would want to be a starting center elsewhere. Perhaps both are moved. Maybe both stay, for now. But wherever they go, they'll be leaving the place where they were drafted, absorbed unimaginable losing, and witnessed a rebuild that is incomparable in all of sports.

And you just get the feeling they will miss it terribly.

cooneyb@phillynews.com

@BobCooney76

Blog: philly.com/Sixersblog