PHILADELPHIA — As the 76ers gathered to report to training camp Monday, something was missing.
Drama.
“What drama?” Joel Embiid pretended to want to know.
His former teammate.
That drama.
And with that Embiid responded, the name of that teammate never formally mentioned, although Ben Simmons did refuse to report to camp last year, if that can provide a memory-jog.
“I thought it started very well last year,” Embiid said. “I didn’t feel any distraction. We were still winning games. And we did a great job.
“Then we added James.”
That would be James Harden, acquired around the deadline for Simmons from Brooklyn.
“Then,” Embiid said, “we worked it to another level. And we know what it takes to win.”
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Just before their annual Media Day, the Sixers slipped out a news release revealing that newly acquired P.J. Tucker had undergone offseason arthroscopic left-knee surgery.
That might have been a newsworthy point earlier, considering the Sixers signed the 37-year-old forward to a three-year, $33 million free agent contract. Either way, the Sixers are not concerned.
“It was late summer,” Daryl Morey said. “It was a 10-minute procedure. He’s already back on the court and we’re excited.”
The report said Tucker has been cleared to participate in training camp, which will begin Tuesday at the Citidel in Charleston, S.C.
Considering that Embiid, who has some influence around the place, lobbied for the Sixers to hire Tucker, the news was a bit disconcerting since the player isn’t far from turning 40. Just the same, Tucker is ready to go.
“I couldn’t imagine playing for a team not fighting for a championship,” he said. “I couldn’t do that. This was the best situation for me. It checked all the boxes.”
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Legendary for his willingness to work out, Tyrese Maxey was preparing so often during the summer at the training site that Doc Rivers’ coaching staff expressed alarm.
“Oh, many times,” Rivers said. “Sam (Cassell) called me probably 10 times. My son, Spencer, with Sam, even rang my doorbell one time. They weren’t invited, but they came to say they wanted a sit-down with him, telling him to shut it down. But, man, it’s hard to shut a guy down like that. It really is. When they’re young, you kind of let them do it.”
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The new construction of the Sixers roster likely means Matisse Thybulle is unlikely to regain a regular starting spot.
If anything, though, can nudge the second-team All-Defense guard back into that mix, it will be improved shooting. So, Thybulle has worked on that, spending some offseason time training with Damian Lillard.
“A lot of that was on shooting,” said Thybulle, a career 32.5-percent three-point shooter who was 4-for-14 from distance in the last postseason. “And a lot was working on my offense, with ballhandling in the open court or on corner threes, shooting and doing things off the move.”
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When the Sixers were plotting their practice facility, they made certain it contained everything necessary for comprehensive training of a professional basketball team. So why were they in such a hurry Monday to vacate that place and train 677 miles to the south?
“We are excited to go away for training camp,” said Morey, “because we really think it helps the coach and players focus on team-building 24-7 as we move into the season.”
The camp will run through Oct. 2. The Sixers will open their preseason schedule in Brooklyn Oct. 3, and will host Cleveland Oct. 5 for an exhibition. They will open the regular season Oct. 18 in Boston.