Inside Sixers: Reaction to Joel Embiid’s Team USA decision; other non-James Harden story lines

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — James Harden appeared in the stands above the floor of an emptying Moby Center on Friday afternoon at Colorado State, then darted up the stairs to the very top row.

This was Harden’s routine following most road shootarounds since becoming a Sixer. It served as a reminder that, for now, Harden is with this team and working without disruption, despite his desire to be traded.

Much of this week has been about tracking the Sixers’ disgruntled star guard. When he arrived at training camp. What he did in practice, according to coach Nick Nurse and teammates. How he looked physically — and behaved — during those sessions.

This will continue until the conundrum has resolved. But it is not the only Sixers preseason storyline. Here are some non-Harden tidbits (OK, one Harden tidbit) that populated their first week of practice.

» READ MORE: James Harden participates fully in practice on the Sixers’ final day of training camp

As reporters circled Joel Embiid following Thursday’s practice, teammate Mo Bamba held up his cellphone. It flashed a graphic with the news that the reigning MVP had committed to play for Team USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“What’s this about?” Bamba said jokingly. “You said you were going to play for Ivory Coast.”

Unfortunately for Bamba, whose parents are from the African nation, that was not one of the three countries for which Embiid was eligible to play. But key figures around the NBA — from LeBron James, who wants to assemble a Dream Team-esque U.S. group, to Nico Batum, a standout for the French national team — were unsurprised by Embiid’s decision.

And when asked about the brewing Team USA powerhouse — fellow former MVPs Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry also have expressed interest in playing in Paris — Sixers teammate Danny Green joked, “It’s going to be amazing if they add me, you know?”

“When you see ‘Bron and Steph Curry and those guys talk about the phone calls that they have and bringing Team USA back to where it’s supposed to be,” a more serious Green then said, “that’s great for basketball and it’s great for our league. …

“For them to sacrifice that at their age to play in the summer is a great thing. I’m looking forward to watching it. Hopefully Joel will stay healthy, focus on getting us a championship first and then getting a gold medal.”

Three-point shooting contests among teammates are commonplace following NBA practices. This week, reserve big man Paul Reed joined those more known for their outside range, including Green and Tyrese Maxey.

Reed stretching the floor has been a major point of intrigue since the Sixers matched the Utah Jazz’s offer to retain him. Nurse personally worked with Reed — who has attempted only 20 three-pointers in his first three NBA seasons — on his form over the summer. It can look funky to the average eye. That Nurse has hinted at using two-big lineups also would bring opportunity for Reed to shoot from deep, after spending last season primarily as Embiid’s backup at center.

“It’s about putting myself in positions to take more threes,” Reed said. “I feel like [I’ve been] crashing the glass so much and rolling so much, [I’ve been] getting most of my buckets doing that. But when I get that opportunity, I’m definitely gonna let it ride whenever.

“I’m overly confident, so I’m ready.”

Colorado State students quickly caught on to the Sixers’ presence on campus throughout the week, causing a crowd to form daily around the team buses parked at the Moby Center. Some players stopped to wave and sign autographs — including Harden on Thursday, before leaving campus in a separate car.

Perhaps the most enthusiastic of those gathered were two young men, who walked away with signed multicolored sneakers.

“We’re smart as [expletive]!” one yelled while walking away. “Best 15 minutes of my life!”

» READ MORE: How Nick Nurse laid his foundation during his first Sixers training camp

Green said at media day that this is the best his body has felt in a long time, after he suffered a gruesome knee injury in the Sixers’ final playoff game in 2022. He spent most of last season, which he split between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, rehabbing following surgery to repair two torn ligaments.

That progress has carried over to a rigorous Sixers camp, Green said. For maintenance, the 36-year-old wing added that keeping his hamstrings and quadriceps in prime shape is as important as strengthening his healed knee.

“It’s great to be able to slide, run, stop and go,” Green said Thursday. “Now it’s just getting in rhythm and making shots while I’m getting my legs under me. …

“All the things I’ve done in the last year-and-a-half to get back, I’ve got to continue to do, so it stays stable. Mind you, I don’t see Nick using me for 30-plus minutes a night, so I think it will kind of be easier to maintain that.”

Green averaged 7.8 points per game on 39.5% shooting from three-point range in two seasons with the Sixers from 2020-22. He will compete with Danuel House Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. for playing time in his 15th NBA season.

» READ MORE: Even as James Harden arrives at training camp, Sixers must consider every option at point guard

Patrick Beverley plopped down in a chair while addressing the media following the Sixers’ first practice.

“Altitude is kicking my [butt],” the veteran guard quipped.

That’s the cliché reaction when teams come to Colorado (and Utah), with the Denver Nuggets even incorporating some intimidating statistics about its effects on the lungs and body into their pregame introductions last season. Beverley, however, shrugged off a follow-up question about the impact, saying, “I was just trying to use that as an excuse.”

Later, though, Maxey said he hoped it added an additional training benefit to the Sixers’ fast-moving workouts.

“Out here in the altitude, guys are getting in prime-time shape,” Maxey said.