Cavs brace for clash with rising 76ers

In his 15th NBA season and still going strong, Cavs back-up guard Dwyane Wade doesn’t mind being thought of as an elder statesman in the NBA.

“I’m proud of that,” Wade said, smiling, after the Cavs finished practice Nov. 26 at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.

Wade and his teammates will be in Philadelphia on Nov. 27 to face the 76ers. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

The context for Wade’s musing was his delineation of the league’s generations of stars. He places himself and fellow 2003 draftees LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the oldest generation. In the youngest generation, he includes Joel Embid and Ben Simmons, rising stars on a Philadelphia team that is a doormat no longer.

The 76ers, winners of three straight games and 10 of their last 13, were fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings as of Nov. 26.

Riding an NBA-best seven-game winning streak, the resurgent Cavs are 127. They were third in the Eastern Conference playoff standing as of Nov. 26.

Wade said the Cavs know what they’ll be up against at Wells Fargo Center.

“It will be a great atmosphere and a great challenge,” Wade said. “Philadelphia

is a young team trying to measure up and see where they are at this point of the season vs. a team that’s been to the (NBA) Finals three straight years. It’s a measuring stick game for them. As a veteran team, you understand that. You have to get up for it, be ready for it. If not, they’re going to blow you out.”

Embid, 23, was the third overall pick in the 2014 draft out of Kansas. The 7-foot, 250-pound native of Cameroon missed all of his first two seasons with a broken bone in his foot and most of last season with a knee injury. Finally healthy, he’s averaging team-high totals of 22.4 points and 11.2 rebounds.

Simmons, 21, was the first overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Louisiana State University. He missed all of last season with a broken bone in his foot. This season, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound native of Australia is playing point forward with averages of 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists.

Although he missed the game on Nov. 24 against Orlando with a swollen elbow, Simmons is expected back for the early season showdown against the threetime defending Eastern Conference champions.

“No one knew exactly how he was going to perform. We just knew he had talent,” Wade said of Simmons. “His numbers are incredible for a guy who hasn’t played basketball in almost one year. He’s definitely figured out what works for him and is sticking to it. He’s not getting into the 3-ball game everybody is getting into. He’s playing his game and definitely a match-up problem for most teams.”

Fifth-year head coach Brett Brown has the 76ers headed in the right direction after they slogged through the previous four seasons with 75 victories and 253 defeats. Brown also is getting steady production from veteran shooting guard J.J. Redick (16.1 points) and fifth-year forward Robert Covington

(15.9 points, 6.0 rebounds.)

“It’s a young team, obviously, but a very confident team,” Wade said. “They have a great coach. Over the years, with them rebuilding, from the outside you couldn’t really tell how great of a coach he is. But if you played against those guys, you could tell. They’ve always been competitive and played hard at the defensive end. Now they’ve added more talent to that. This is a team that believes its time is not later, it’s coming real soon.”

Wade is averaging 10.2 points for the Cavs and flourishing as the facilitator for the second unit.

James is 32 and defying time in his 15th NBA season with averages of 28.5 points, 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds.

“Early in the season, especially after playing well and winning seven games in a row, this is the kind of challenge we need,” Wade said.

The Cavs return home on Nov. 28 to face the Miami Heat. Tipoff is 7 p.m.