Patience.
I know Sixers fans have heard this before, but after seeing the team on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center (see story), everyone needs to be patient.
New Sixers head coach Brett Brown is encouraging his young team to play an up-tempo style, which could be entertaining, but there will be growing pains. The Sixers are simply undermanned, but it does appear that they have a game plan to improve this team.
It begins with developing young players like Michael Carter-Williams, who has played well in four preseason games. Carter-Williams was shockingly compared to a young Magic Johnson by Celtic great Tom Heinsohn. In four preseason games, the young point guard has just four turnovers while learning Brown's system.
Brown is bringing his years of experience as an assistant for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio to his new role in Philadelphia. He is changing the culture by making everyone accountable for their actions. There is no doubt he will be challenged this season in a big way. He will need enormous patience just like the fans.
The other big piece to the long-term future of the franchise is 6-foot-11 center Nerlens Noel, who isn't expected to see game action until December at the earliest. By all accounts, Noel is working hard at his rehab from a torn ACL, and at 19 years old, there is no need to rush this big man back on the floor.
This is no Andrew Bynum situation -- Noel is anxious to get on the hardwood and the Sixers need him to gain some valuable experience as soon as he is healthy and ready to go.
So get ready for lots of lumps this year like Monday night's 30-point loss to the Nets. Vegas has listed the Sixers’ over/under win total at 16½. That's potentially a lot of losses.
Times have been tough lately for our Philadelphia sports teams, and we all want to see wins now. But in the case of the Sixers, patience is the best way to approach this upcoming season.