With the signing of Elton Brand, the Philadelphia 76ers have re-prioritized their approach. Mentoring Players got a huge boost.
If you look at the surface, the Philadelphia 76ers signing of 36 year old power forward Elton Brand is a public relations move, a “feel good” phenomenon of a player with a good reputation for his sportsmanship coming to a team with a bevy of young minds to mold and mentor. He joined the NBA in 2000, and has spent the past 15 years amassing a collection of stories, history, wisdom, and on-court savvy. You look at the signing of a veteran player, and you see signs of Jerry Colangelo.
Both Elton Brand and Jerry Colangelo want to give back something to the NBA. Vision, history, a sense of purpose, all have value to a young man looking to find his “fit” in a large organization, especially one with competition at every turn.
Brand was on the roster of the Atlanta Hawks in 2014-2015, where he appeared in 36 games while averaging 2.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 13.5 minutes per game. His numbers will likely be no more than that for the Sixers. Curiously, the Sixers did have Jason Richardson last season, who spent the last few years of his career on the Sixers. When I made note in a recent article about the retirement of Jason Richardson, I was clear that the team would have benefited this year with his presence on the roster:
"While it’s clear that the time had come for Richardson to walk away from the game, his production and work ethic would have been a true bonus to the Sixers this season. A no-nonsense guy, his dunks will be the aspect of his game that will be most remembered. But Richardson’s professionalism was always the constant and dependable aspect of his career. From the basketball court to interviews, it’s almost impossible to hear a negative word from anyone who spent time around the guy. Richardson adapted his game to new circumstances and always came out more respected than before."
But Elton Brand on the team is just a tip of the iceberg. Let’s discuss further.
Next: Roster Makeover
Roster Makeover
The starting roster for the road opener against the Boston Celtics was: center Jahlil Okafor, power forward Nerlens Noel, small forward JaKarr Sampson, shooting guard Hollis Thompson, and point guard Isaiah Canaan, with the bench seating power forward Richaun Holmes, power forward Christian Wood, small forward Jerami Grant, and point guard T.J. McConnell. Shooting guard Nik Stauskas, small forward Robert Covington, and point guard Kendall Marshall were unavailable to play because they were injured on day one.
The team opened the season with Tony Wroten, Carl Landry, and Joel Embiid on the injured list.
Since opening day, some things have changed.
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The team has since parted ways with Christian Wood and Tony Wroten. In their place, the team has welcomed Ish Smith and Elton Brand. Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington, Kendall Marshall, and Carl Landry have returned to the roster, healthy and ready to play. Opening the year, the challenge facing Brett Brown was finding enough healthy bodies to ensure the starters did not get overwhelmed with playing too many minutes from the beginning. The team had lost 4 years of NBA experience, and in return acquired 21 years of NBA experience.
This new roster has the benefit of some veteran players. The combined 29 years of NBA experience in Elton Brand, Ish Smith and Carl Landry is greater than the combined experience of the remaining twelve players. That is a pool of knowledge, a pool that is now available to each man on the Philadelphia 76ers roster.
Next: Front Office Ramps Up
Front Office Ramps Up
Head Coach Brett Brown is absolutely the right man for the job of coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. Before the 2015-2016 season began, we discussed his importance to this young team. He’s a wise sahib, a mentor, a friend, a teacher, a coach. Unfortunately, he’s just one man.
Part of the challenges of wearing too many hats is the struggle with changing them. The Philadelphia Eagles former head coach Chip Kelly was given authority over the general manager functions of the Philadelphia Eagles, despite having no background in the field or training in the area. The challenge was further complicated when the team promoted the former general manager Howie Roseman, who remained in the building. But perhaps the biggest struggle was the fact that both roles in the same man – which drove player relations with the head coach to the forefront of perseonnel decisions.
Bad for the team, bad for the person.
That same sybil-setup has been challenging Brett Brown for three years. While he promotes and teaches players new to the team and the NBA, he is also obligated to act as disciplinarian at times. That type of role is not exactly the strong suit of Brett Brown. That type of role works well with an associate head coach, a position which has been vacant since the team lost assistant head coach Chad Iske to take over as assistant head coach of the Sacramento Kings in April 2015. After going vacant for eight months, the team finally filled the position with Assistant Head Coach Mike D’Antoni.
D’Antoni joined his new team when the Sixers when the team played at Phoenix on December 26. From the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro:
"“I always wanted to get back in,” D’Antoni said after Philadelphia’s Saturday shootaround. “I found out you can’t play golf in the wintertime, so I had to go to work. “You’re always in it. You’re never out of it. But to be able now to actually talk to players and coaches, that’s the fun part of coaching. When you have a receptive group, as coaches and players, it really makes it fun. This is kind of what we coaches live for. It’s heaven-sent for me. I’m happy as heck.” D’Antoni was clear that it is “Brett’s gig.” “The biggest factor why I’m here? Brett’s a great guy,” D’Antoni said. “After a while, you just want to be around good people and they’re good people. From all I’ve heard, the players are buying in and are good guys. As a coach, that’s all you want.” – Mike D’Antoni as interviewed by Paul Coro"
It was clear that Colangelo was the force behind persuading D’Antoni to join the Sixers. They have been linked throughout their careers, including a 253-136 record when Colangelo was GM/Owner of the Phoenix Suns and D’Antoni was the head coach. So there’s a new dynamic for the team now. A “wisened” coach who can now mentor the mentor.
Next: Evolution of Sixer Lineup
Evolution Of Sixer Lineup
So Elton Brand is coming, what should the Sixers expect?
His minutes will be limited. Power forward Carl Landry has been healthy for the past eight games, and has averaged eleven minutes per game over that period. Brand will average fewer minutes per game than that. But Brand needn’t have much time to impact this team. His shooting accuracy over the course of his career has averaged 50% from the floor, 8.6 rebounds per game will certainly help out this team, albeit on a limited basis.
The true impact will occur on the play of his younger teammates. You’ve seen an impact of Carl Landry’s presence on this team. They have been having some modest success now. Rather than wilt when their opposition mounts a comeback, the Sixers have been scrapping back. Brand will add to that resolve. You see, Brand was a hardworking, non-flashy workhorse that competed on both ends of the court. Brand did not have great size for a power forward. However, Brand developed a solid post-game, a sold mid-range and turnaround jumper, and had soft hands around the rim, a nose for the ball, impressive defensive instincts and long arms, which helped him block more shots than many seven-foot centers.
Brand becomes that guy, the reference for players to access during the game, while on the bench or in the lockerroom.
"“Because you wouldn’t believe what goes on at halftime when a coaching staff is in another room. And you wouldn’t believe what goes on on the bench when you’re down 20. And you wouldn’t believe what goes on in a player’s mind when it’s a two-point game with a minute and a half left and ‘Do they know their assignments?” – Brett Brown"
The presumed association is Elton Brand will take Jahlil Okafor under his wing. But the team has Richaun Holmes (an underrated player), Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, alongside Okafor who could all benefit from his tutelage. Imagine if Nerlens Noel begins to pump in 20 points a game? Imagine if rookie Richaun Holmes can pick the brain of a veteran like Elton Brand? So far, Holmes has been a pleasant addition to the roster. He thinks so as well.
"“It’s going pretty well,” Holmes said. “I’m learning from the guys who have been here and figuring out things as I go from each game and try to get better. Everything is definitely fast-paced, but I think I’m up for the challenge and that’s a credit to the coaching staff. They keep us prepared and ready to play.- Richaun Holmes"
The Sixers team is built to bring players with potential and upside to the peak of their NBA abilities as quickly as possible. Right now, each player on the roster is working to either develop their own abilities, or to mentor others into doing so. The team is starting to pull together and compete. By the All-Star break, we’ll know how far we’ve come. If we haven’t shown enough improvement in some positions, the team may work a trade for another veteran.
Next: Room To Grow
Room to Grow
The team is set at center (for now), and from my perspective, power forward. The team is stable at point guard for now as well. But the team needs help at the wings. Could that be an area the team will address this season? If Robert Covington retains in his slump, the best chance at a double digit scoring threat will have faded. This team is young and learning, but does not have that long range artillery we had hoped to find.
Covington and Nik Stauskas appeared to be the two Brett Brown had focused upon, believing them to be bona fide two-way threats. But both players have suffered extended slumps this season. It’s that inconsistency that leaves the Sixers struggling in the face of intense competition. A new face, another veteran, could settle down the wing men. We’ve seen talk about the situation in Philly: too many big men for the team going forward. If you are looking to off-load any of these players, you would want a certain high quality return.
Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George is unhappy this season, as he has been relegated to the power forward spot. With the Sixers sitting on trade assets and big men, could this be a window of opportunity to secure George?
"“It’s the concern just over the course of a season just how my body would take it, especially coming off the injury that I had and a whole year of rehabbing. Again, I’m not too thrilled on it, but it could change the more comfortable I get at the position. But we’ll see. But again, I could very much end up loving it, so it’s all up in the air. I’m open to the position.” – Paul George on move to power forward"
ALSO ON SIXER SENSE: How Jahlil Okafor Could Be Next Carmelo Anthony
The Sixers could package one of their bigs, my guess would be Jahlil Okafor, and draft picks to wrest the star player from Indiana. That would give Indiana a top first round player from the 2015 draft, and draft ammunition to build down the road. Paul George would be an instant difference make in a Sixers jersey. There could be other players, but the obvious player to seek out is the frowning fellow in Indiana.
In any case, the team is growing into their destiny, but there is plenty of room to grown faster and further. Sixer Fans just need to be patient for a while longer.