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    Woj: Brett Brown 'May Have Some Problems' If 76ers Lose to Raptors in Game 7

    Paul KasabianSenior ContributorMay 10, 2019

    PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Toronto Raptors in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Raptors defeated the 76ers 101-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
    Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

    Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown "may have some problems" if his team loses Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

    "I think in the immediacy Brett Brown may have some problems in Philadelphia," Wojnarowski said on Friday's Get Up! (starting at the 1:50 mark). "He signed a new four-year extension at the end of last season ... but that won't protect him if they decide to make a change. I think getting out of this round will be important for him."

    Brown, 58, has been with the 76ers for the entirety of "The Process" years as the team rebuilt from scratch and obtained as many draft picks as possible starting with the 2013-14 campaign. 

    The fruits of ex-general manager Sam Hinkie's work have come to light over the past two years with a pair of seasons with 50-plus wins and first-round series victories. However, expectations have been sky-high this year with Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris joining Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to form a strong core.

    Philadelphia didn't have much trouble against the Brooklyn Nets in its 4-1 first-round series win, but the Toronto Raptors have taken the 76ers to the brink of elimination.

    However, the 58-24 Raps aren't a pushover team, with superstar forward Kawhi Leonard leading a roster that finished with the NBA's second-best record in the regular season and in the East.

    Woj: Brett Brown 'May Have Some Problems' If 76ers Lose to Raptors in Game 7
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    Therefore, it might be unfair to fire Brown if the No. 3 seed loses Sunday. Embiid and Simmons, its top two stars, are just 25 and 22, respectively with five combined years of NBA experience.

    Young, inexperienced players don't routinely lead their teams to NBA Finals wins. Los Angeles Lakers rookie Magic Johnson was an exception during the team's 1980 title victory, but the point guard also had one of the sport's best players of all time in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar helping him along the way.

    Ultimately, Brown has only led the current iteration of the 76ers roster for three months. He deserves to have another full year with this team. Butler and Harris could potentially move on as free agents, but firing Brown seems a bit shortsighted.

    Toronto hosts Philadelphia for Game 7 at 7 p.m. ET Sunday. TNT will televise the game.