Brown says he’s ready to partner with new GM Brand

CAMDEN, N.J. » Josh Harris formally removed any impediment on the Sixers’ corporate flow chart Thursday between ownership and the head coach.

To Brett Brown, who was told to report to the owner and not new general manager Elton Brand, that was not necessarily new.

“Not sort of by the letter of the law,” he said Saturday after practice, in his first media availability since the new executive structure was made public. “But I’ve always had a relationship with Blitz (David Blitzer) and Josh and the owners. The situation is probably more defined, more articulated. It’s not anything. It’s not a promotion. It’s not a demise. It’s how it’s played out.”

In introducing him as general manager Thursday, Harris stressed that both Brand and Brown will report directly to him. He characterized the G.M. and the head coach as “partners.”

Brown’s job security was necessarily detached from his won-loss record, given a years-long “process” that required losing. That was an arrangement understood by both ownership and the previous general managers, Sam Hinkie and Bryan Colangelo.

“Let’s face it, my situation over the years that I’ve been here is kind of unique,” Brown said. “Elton and I have got to do this together. What has been articulated to me is that Elton is the general manager. He’s going to go do his thing. I’m going to coach basketball. And I like how it’s played out.”

When Colangelo and the Sixers parted ways at the end of last season in a swirl of reports about rogue social-media activity, Brown was appointed interim general manager. Recently, he stressed he was disinterested in the position on a full-time basis.

For that, he was delighted that Brand, one of his former players, would be promoted from G-League executive to G.M.

“I’m just so excited,” Brown said. “I’m convinced we have firepower. We have good pieces in place to move us forward.”

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Typically in favor of long practices, Brown worked his players hard Saturday, with his first training-camp practice lasting longer than two hours.

“It was spirited to start with,” said Brown, of the closed-to-the-press workout. “I feel we have a carry-over in the structure, in the language. And that was evident. To be able to come back in and have a majority of our team together, it was comfortable coaching.”

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Emeka Okafor, the No. 2 overall pick in the

2004 draft, is back for his second consecutive Sixers training camp.

The 6-10 center was demoted to Delaware of the G-League after the last preseason, and later hooked on with the Pelicans. New Orleans cut him Wednesday. He’ll provide the Sixers with a big, training-camp body in return for a look and a continued pro-basketball opportunity.

“I can see they are trying to build on last year’s success,” said Okafor, after practice. “Everyone has the mindset to improve.”

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NOTES » Shaquille O’Neal was a featured guest at the Sixers’ annual training-campeve team dinner. Charles Barkley did the honor last season … There were no changes to the injury report, with Zhaire Smith (foot) and Shake Milton (back) unavailable. Landry Shamet (ankle) practiced fully.