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Sixers break camp feeling they're in better place than previous years

GALLOWAY, N.J. - When the 76ers concluded training camp Saturday at Stockton University, spirits where higher than they had been the previous two seasons.

GALLOWAY, N.J. - When the 76ers concluded training camp Saturday at Stockton University, spirits where higher than they had been the previous two seasons.

"I think we really are farther along," Nerlens Noel said. "Last year when we ended training - [we weren't] dysfunctional, but just the offense wasn't where we wanted it to be.

"Guys [have] a good understanding of the offense. I think we'll be able to carry some momentum into Tuesday."

The Sixers will hope to carry more than an understanding of the offense into the preseason opener against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center. Although they're destined to struggle again, other goals in camp were to grow championship habits and a defensive mind-set.

They also focused on the proper ways to hydrate, rehabilitate, "prehabilitate," and study scout tape, among other things.

Defensively, they developed a sense of who they are.

"So I feel like, we will leave the camp doing what we said we were going to," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

It could be argued that these goals are similar to the ones from last year's training camp.

The difference is the Sixers have, essentially, a different team. Noel, Hollis Thompson, JaKarr Sampson, and Jerami Grant are the only healthy holdovers from last year's training camp. And Grant missed most of last season's camp.

So that poses the question, why are things better?

Is it the talent? Or are things just coming easier in Brown's third season as coach?

"I think the culture is trumping the talent right now," the coach said. "I feel like the system of coaches knowing what we all want, what I want. The system of what we do with recovery, how we travel, how we eat, how we act. I think that is trumping the improved talent that we have."

Full scrimmage. Acquiring Nik Stauskas in a trade from the Sacramento Kings in July was one of the ways the franchise upgraded its talent. But the second-year shooting guard was held out of Saturday's scrimmage.

"He's got a little [problem] on his knee, nothing serious from what I'm told," Brown said. "We are just backing him off a little bit."

Meanwhile, Pierre Jackson (groin) participated in the team's first five-on-five scrimmage since camp began on Tuesday.

Jackson split time with Isaiah Canaan at point guard on the blue team, which included Sampson, Robert Covington, Furkan Aldemir, and Jahlil Okafor. The white team consisted of Scottie Wilbekin, Jordan McRae, Thompson, Grant, and Noel in the portion of the scrimmage open to reporters.

Twin towers. Noel (power forward) and Okafor (center) will start side by side in the preseason opener Tuesday. They battled each other during the scrimmages throughout camp.

Noel welcomed going head-to-head with Okafor.

"I think it's priceless," he said. "Me and Jah being around each other and playing against each other - my defense complements his offensive presence on the block. I think we're really going to help each other extend our games to a whole other level."

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/deepsixer