Welcome to the Doc Rivers era.
The new look 76ers will gather for the first time as a team Sunday, for their first practice of 2020-21 training camp.
It will be the first official run with Rivers at the helm.
It will also be the first time Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and the returning Sixers are joined by Seth Curry, Dwight Howard, and the team’s recently drafted rookies.
It will look different, it figures to feel different, but throughout the team’s week of individual workouts, a high bar has already been set.
Take it from Embiid.
“We have something to prove as a group,” the All-Star big man said Friday. “We think we can win an NBA championship this year, with this roster.”
Harris echoed his teammate.
“We have to come out with the type of demeanor that we have something truly to prove this year.”
Even before the first official practice, the intensity has been palpable.
Some of that vibe may be attributed to the team’s new championship-winning coach.
Simmons is already embracing the chance to work with Rivers:
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us, being younger guys, to have somebody like Doc come in. We have to get it done.”
Simmons added that he’s been working with Assistant Coach Sam Cassell - another new face bringing championship experience (Cassell played for Rivers during the Celtics’ 2007-08 championship run) to the group.
Harris shares in the enthusiasm, reuniting with both Rivers and Cassell after his season and a half with the Clippers (2017-2019).
“I loved my time playing for [Doc] in L.A.,” Harris said. “He’ll hold us accountable, motivate us, and push us to get to where we want to go.”
Like his team, Rivers remains conscious of the unprecedented circumstances and timeline surrounding the season ahead.
Without traditional team runs leading into camp, Rivers says his priorities lie with the team’s conditioning level, building a defensive philosophy, and building offensive identity - in that order.
In Rivers’ words, it’s officially time to “get in the lab.”
Basketball is back, once again.
The road begins with training camp this week, leading up to the team’s first preseason matchup with the Celtics on December 15. The sprint continues until December 23, when the team officially opens its 2020-21 season against the Washington Wizards.