Two weeks ago, at the outset of their five-game Western Conference road trip, the 76ers were still in Phoenix, one day after defeating the Suns, 111-104. This was no time, however, for Brett Brown to ease up on his team, not even the slightest. Instead, the head coach had his group back on the court for a comprehensive practice at Talking Stick Resort Arena, about 12 hours removed from their second win of the season. A day between games provided the Sixers, who were then preparing for the Utah Jazz, a coveted opportunity to do on-court work in a less-pressurized setting.

Fast-forward to the start of this week. The Sixers have arrived at a juncture of their schedule affording them a stretch of three straight non-game days, an uncommonly long break by NBA standards. More often than not, especially during the opening two months of the annual league calendar, teams rarely go more than a day, let alone two, without playing a game. Not once in November did the Sixers have two days separating contests. Then, in December, they only twice went back-to-back days without games. Between days dedicated to travel and player recovery, the Sixers and their 29 peer NBA clubs are, somewhat surprisingly, left with few chances to squeeze in actual, formal practice sessions once their respective campaigns get underway.

“We have 14 days up until the All-Star break that we can practice,” Brown noted back on December 27th, following the workout the Sixers conducted in Phoenix. At that point, the All-Star break was seven weeks away. “We know this. Fourteen times where you can have a real practice. We tell our guys, we walk things down. We say we’re going to have a professional, purposeful practice.”

Based on Brown’s above quote, it was clear that he and his coaching staff had already mapped out exactly how they planned to utilize the precious openings that were due to surface on the Sixers’ slate. Coming off a challenging back-to-back versus the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, the Sixers were given Monday off. They have on-court drills scheduled for Tuesday, and likely Wednesday, at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. They’ll return to action Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

“I think it can help a lot,” Jerami Grant said Sunday about the Sixers’ mini-hiatus. “By the time our next game comes around, we’ll be refreshed. It’ll definitely help us going forward.”

Now in his second NBA season, Grant is averaging 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while ranking 10th in the league with 63 blocked shots. He and T.J. McConnell are the only two members of the Sixers’ 15-man roster that have appeared in all 40 of the club’s games.

With the Sixers currently having extra practice time at their disposal, Grant said, “It’s definitely valuable. We’re a young team, so any time on the court together is definitely a plus for us. This practice time in the next three days is definitely important for us.”

New to the pace and rhythm of an NBA season is Jahlil Okafor, who had previously been unaware that practice days are so limited at the professional level.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” said Okafor. “We’re always traveling, always on the road, always just getting back to Philly, so we don’t have time to practice. Everything’s on the go. You have to pick up things pretty fast.”

To date, Okafor has suited up in 36 games, two shy of the total he logged last year when he and Duke made their push to the NCAA title. While Okafor’s offensive output has been generally steady throughout the season, the rookie has managed to increase his efficiency in two specific areas since returning from a two-game absence caused by right knee soreness. The past six games, Okafor has increased his scoring frequency, as several statistical measures, such as his per-48 minutes and per-100 possessions rates, reflect. He’s also converted 61.5 percent of his field goal attempts during this stretch. Prior to his injury, he had been shooting 45.8 percent from the floor.

“I feel fine,” said Okafor, as he and the Sixers prepare to reach the midway point of their 82-game season on Thursday. “We have a bunch of people that take care of us nutrition-wise, recovery-wise. Just being honest with them about how I’m feeling. I took a break two weeks ago, because my knee was bothering me, and they make sure I’m fine.”

As fresh as Okafor has looked lately, the rookie believes a few days back in the gym will pay dividends.

"I’m just trying to figure this whole thing out my first year,” Okafor said. “I think it’s good, though. We’ve been playing so many games, especially after a back-to-back. I think it will be good for us to refresh our bodies, get back to practicing, and getting better on certain things.”

The Sixers’ previous lay-off of at least three-days, excluding the All-Star Game break, occurred last March.