5 Reasons Brett Brown Deserves to Remain Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach
The Philadelphia 76ers are easily one of the NBA's least-talented teams, but the organization should be confident in knowing that Brett Brown deserves to remain as head coach for years to come.
It doesn't make sense at first glance, either.
Brown currently has an overall record of 32-110 in less than two seasons. He took control of the team who made the term "tanking" a common word in both the NBA community and media. In all reality, the Sixers have simply been a model of instability since he arrived.
Brown might be the only man who can lead Philadelphia back to the top, though.
It all comes down to a complex chain reaction of winning basketball games.
The first step for an NBA head coach is to get the team to trust him. Doing so makes it possible for those players to then develop. Finally, an improved roster should theoretically lead to more wins. Sure, there are a number of intangibles that come along with the process, but this formula covers the majority of the important areas.
Philadelphia's lead man has managed to win more games with an underdeveloped roster than people expected, so he's clearly doing something right.
Here's a look at exactly why he's not only the right person, but why he deserves to be coaching the Sixers.
An Incredibly Positive Attitude
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Brown doesn't act like a coach who has only won 22.5 percent of his games.
He is somehow consistently full of positive enthusiasm and energy.
There's no doubt that he gained control of one of the league's worst rosters during the 2013-14 season. There has been a breath of young talent brought into the franchise since, but Philly has clearly taken the get-worse-before-you-get-better mentality.
You just wouldn't know it if you paid close attention to his demeanor.
Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle wrote about Brown's positive nature. Here's an excerpt from an interview that Brown gave:
"You realize that you have to move on, you have to keep young guys positive. I don’t want their spirits broken.
Sometimes its hard with the personnel that we have. I gotta coach them. I gotta remind them every single day that they have to be focused on the process, not the result. They have to focus every day on and I have trust and faith that those days will add up and there will be rewards if we can stay on point.
They work their tails off. I love coaching them.
"
In case you were wondering, Brown's words came just one day after losing a game to the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 123-70.
Who else would be able to string those kind of sentences together after getting blitzed by 53 points?
There are few coaches in the league who look like they enjoy coaching as much as Brown does. His ability to stay positive during some of the worst times is crucial toward the Sixers' success.
His Relationship with His Players Is Second-to-None
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CSNPhilly.com's Dei Lynam interviewed both Brown and Michael Carter-Williams days after he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Here's what Carter-Williams had to say about his former head coach:
"The ultimate thing it comes down to: Coach Brown coaches and Sam does the moves. That is what it comes down to, that is the agreement, and that is all I know. I think if it came down to Coach Brown, I don't think I would have been moved, to be honest.
"
Brown said his relationship with last year's Rookie of the Year was strong:
"I say that Sam Hinkie has to do his job. I came to the Philadelphia 76ers in large part because of Sam. I had a gut feel that his study is meticulous and so only time will tell with all this. I will say I had a personal attachment and fondness for [Carter-Williams] and the excitement I will have watching him grow in this league, and he will grow.
"
There's certainly a risk associated with a coach developing strong relationships with players. Situations such as the Carter-Williams one puts someone like Brown in a rough spot. He didn't just have a professional interest in his growth, it was personal.
Still, the reward involved with being close to a player completely outweighs any of the downsides. Brown puts his own interest into his roster's development on an individual level. He cares about people getting better, and clearly puts his time into it. You can see it from how he coaches on the sideline to when he jokes around during pregame warmups.
It's a rare trait, and one Philadelphia desperately needs moving forward.
Imagine What He Could Do with a Full Roster
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The Sixers have won 13 games with who on their team?
Now, every roster has a couple of players who are used as glue. They are on the team as potential prospects who play intermittently, yet with little to no expectations.
Philadelphia isn't like any other franchise, though.
Here's a look at who Philly started March 2 against the Toronto Raptors:
| Point Guard | Isaiah Canaan |
| Shooting Guard | JaKarr Sampson |
| Small Forward | Luc Richard Mbah a Moute |
| Power Forward | Nerlens Noel |
| Center | Henry Sims |
Noel is the only member of this five who would potentially start on another team. We could call the other four "Elmer's" since they would end up in that glue role elsewhere. Combine it with the fact that only two players on Philadelphia's roster are over the age of 24, and it's clear how little depth there really is.
Brown's success has to feel like a double-edged sword to Hinkie.
The general manager made move after move in order to trim the roster to next to nothing in hopes of getting the best draft picks possible. Brown was hired to lead the squad in the coming years, but he has ended up squeezing out the most of whatever talent is available.
If Brown has been able to keep the Sixers away from the NBA's worst record for two years, then imagine how well he'll do with a team who is truly gifted.
Now that's something to keep an eye on.
Brown's Emphasis on Defense
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Brown's arrival in Philadelphia was marked with a major stylistic change in the way the Sixers played basketball.
Former head coach Doug Collins did everything in his power to make his players fit his system. It didn't matter how athletic and long his team was. He wanted to slow the game down, and put the focus on defense.
Brown did things much differently when he took over by opening up the floor. The Sixers' roster was built for a faster game on the offensive end, and it's exactly what Brown employed. Unfortunately, a quicker pace put defense on hold.
The coaching change led to a giant difference in points allowed.
| Coach | Year | Points Allowed Per Game |
| Doug Collins | 2012-13 | 96.5 |
| Brett Brown | 2013-14 | 109.9 |
Yes, Philadelphia forgot that you had to stop the other team once it got the basketball.
The good news is that it appears as though the culture is changing, and it is definitely for the best. Brown has cut the horrific 109.9 points given up to a current 100.8.
Putting an emphasis on defense is about changing a culture. A coach has to get his players to buy into putting as much effort into stopping an opponent as they do when they have the basketball themselves. It's a hard concept to get grown men to sell out for, but it's exactly what Brown is doing.
His charismatic attitude is essential toward making the change.
Brett Brown Is the Definition of What the Sixers Are Trying to Do
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Brett Brown's job with the Sixers is his first as an NBA head coach, but he's certainly been around the block.
His coaching career began internationally in Australia's highest professional league. He also spent a total of 12 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs as a member of their staff and assistant coach.
Add up his years of experience, and he ended with four NBA championships and a trip to the Olympics leading the Australian national team.
Brown is identical to the Philadelphia's developmental strategy.
Last year marked the beginning of Brown's time to grow with the Sixers. He got his first shot, with the knowledge that losing was going to take place. There was also an expectation of the team turning into a contender within the next five or six seasons if the tanking strategy worked out.
When it comes to the roster, Philadelphia goal was to take high draft picks and turn them into future superstars who could coexist on a championship-caliber team. The first few years might be rough, but it's all about the bigger picture.
The same can be said about Brown.
He might struggle for a couple of seasons from a record perspective, but that's to be expected. He is full of potential as a head coach, and he could very well fulfill it at the same time as a number of his players do.
That would be the ultimate success.
The plan makes Brett Brown the perfect coach for the Philadelphia 76ers.
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