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Brett Brown: Wins are nice; staying the course is nicer

The 76ers have won six of their last eight games. They may have found their superstar-in-waiting in Joel Embiid. And they may be thinking, if not talking, about the NBA playoffs.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Washington.
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Washington.Read more(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The 76ers have won six of their last eight games. They may have found their superstar-in-waiting in Joel Embiid. And they may be thinking, if not talking, about the NBA playoffs.

Coach Brett Brown even sees the world "a little bit prettier." But he said his job remains the same, no matter how things have seemingly turned around this season.

"It's so early with all of this," said Brown, whose record was a dismal 47-199 during the first three seasons of "The Process."

He and his coaching staff are greedy. That's why their focus remains the same as the last three seasons. That's why they won't skip steps.

"Those things aren't real sexy, but they're true," Brown said. "So for me, you see the world a little bit more joyful. But in general, it's just doing what we've been doing for three years."

Brown does, however, see a difference in his players, the support staff, and the front office. He also pointed out how, for the first time in his tenure, players are holding one another accountable. And it's paying off.

The Sixers will take a 13-26 record into their matchup Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center. That's the team's highest win total through 39 games since they won 13 of their first 38 during the 2013-14 season.

That team won just six more games that season and finished 19-63, the Sixers' best mark under Brown.

The 2013-14 squad had some high moments just like this season's team. The Sixers opened that season at 3-0 and won four of their first six games. They also posted the franchise's last four-game winning streak, from Dec. 29, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014.

But they followed that by losing 10 of their next 12 games. Then, after posting a victory Jan. 29, 2014, they lost 26 straight. Seventeen of those losses came after the team dealt away Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Lavoy Allen (among the few legitimate NBA players on that team) at the Feb. 20 trade deadline.

In addition to trades, injuries halted what appeared to be momentum by the Sixers in the past.

"I feel like right now is certainly as strong as it's been," Brown said. "There certainly have been other times where you felt we can crack this, we can break it and get on a run.

"Our version of success is still watching [rookie reserve power forward] Dario Saric improve."

Seeing Saric and rookie-of-the-year front-runner Embiid improve excites Brown as much as the team's improved play. He'll tell you that's because this stage of the rebuilding process is still about development even though winning makes the team feel a little bit better.

McConnell doubtful

Embiid, Gerald Henderson, and Jahlil Okafor are listed as probable against the Raptors. T.J. McConnell is doubtful.

Embiid, Okafor, and McConnell missed a light practice Tuesday. Embiid, the starting center, was sidelined with the flu while Okafor, a reserve center, was sore. Asked if it was knee soreness, Brown said, "I'm not going there, no. I don't believe it was that. I came into [the gym] and he was over in the treatment [area]."

Brown added that Henderson (left hip) was also sore. He went through an individualized workout.

McConnell missed Monday's victory against the Milwaukee Bucks with a sprained right wrist.

The point guard was hurt Saturday in the loss to the Washington Wizards. He wore a camouflage splint on his hand and wrist.

McConnell, who remained in Saturday's game, expects to be in the splint for about a week.

Nerlens Noel practiced Tuesday and is scheduled to play. The reserve center missed Monday's game after spraining his left ankle Saturday. He remained in that game but was sidelined Monday for precautionary reasons.

Embiid's minutes

Brown said he does not think Embiid's restrictions in playing time will change by the end of the season.

The center is limited to playing 28 minutes a game while the Sixers manage his workload. He does not play on back-to-back nights as a way to lessen the stress on his surgically repaired right foot.

Time change

The starting time for the 76ers' home game against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 27 has been changed to 8 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

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