Just like that, a new NBA season is upon us. Following a week of training camp, teams have kicked off their preseason matchups with the start of the regular season less than two weeks away. The Philadelphia 76ers had a lot of eyes on them heading into training camp due to the Ben Simmons holdout, but there are more positive things to take away from their opening week of action. Here are two positive surprises coming out of Sixers camp. 

2 Sixers surprises

Sixers not letting Simmons saga distract them 

Since their exit in the postseason, the Sixers have constantly found themselves in headlines. League-wide talk grew more when reports emerged that Ben Simmons formally requested a trade out of Philadelphia.

Things are never calm when an All-Star wants out of his situation, and the Simmons saga has approached an extreme case of player empowerment. That said, the team has done a great job not letting this cloud distract them from the task at hand.

Players and coaches fielded multiple questions on Media Day, but talk regarding Simmons has been minimal since then. Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris have done a great job leading this group and entering camp with the right mindset. They understand that what happens with Simmons is out of their control and they are focused on the players around them every day.

With how things have played out publicly, this situation had the potential to derail training camp for the Sixers. Credit to Doc Rivers, Embiid, and Harris for not letting the outside noise divert them from the work that needs to be done.

Young players appear ready to step up 

While the absence of Simmons has not derailed Sixers camp, it is something Rivers needs to prepare for. With each new report, it becomes more apparent the 25-year-old has no intention of ever suiting up for Philadelphia again.

Replacing everything Simmons provides on the floor is no easy task. Even with his offensive shortcomings, he is still a big reason why the Sixers have been near the top of the Eastern Conference in recent seasons.

One player is not going to be able to replace the lost production. It will take a collective effort from the team to fill the hole left by the former No. 1 pick. Luckily for Rivers, two of the standouts in training camp appear ready to step up and take on more.

Rivers cited multiple players having good days in camp last week, but the two common standouts were Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle. If these two can carry a strong performance training camp performance into the regular season, they can play a huge role in softening the blow of losing Simmons.

Outside of Tyrese Maxey, Milton is now the team's only option at point guard. Understanding this, he put in time during the offseason to grow as a facilitator. Rivers has credited Milton constantly during camp for his ability to run the offense for the second unit. 

Thybulle had a busy offseason, and the extra time put in has paid dividends. Rivers and teammates have mentioned Thybulle looks like a more confident player on both ends of the floor. Growing on the offensive end is key for Thybulle's development. If he can find ways to score more regularly, it will allow Rivers to play him more moving forward. 

The Sixers need growth from the younger players with the regular season just around the corner, and Milton and Thybulle seemed poised to play bigger roles in 2021.