The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Position Analysis Under Brett Brown: Part I Center

By Bret Stuter

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December 30, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown instructs during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The 76ers defeated the Kings 110-105. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 30, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown instructs during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The 76ers defeated the Kings 110-105. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

He’s been called Mentor, Head Coach, Life Trainer, Keystone, and by critics Anchor. But Which Is It?  It’s Time For A Philadelphia 76ers Position Analysis Under Brett Brown 

Trust The Process. That’s the duct tape response to this Philadelphia 76ers team woes for the past three years. It’s taken on ridicule to some, blind faith to others, and to some it represents the intricate chessboard strategy deployed by president and general manager Sam Hinkie to take a team on a ridiculous unavoidable decline and use that slope to create a team which, for the second straight season, has become one of the last to taste victory.

Early in the season, some reports had pointed to the current roster of players and speculated that it’s a hornet’s nest – that this team is so devoid of talent that each player will do everything in their power to jettison from the 76ers at the first opportunity.

Sensationalistic journalism at its worst.

Some reports had become slightly more subtle.  Some have likened the absence of NBA free agent talent in this recent off-season as a clear indication that nobody of any importance wants to play in Philadelphia.  Some have translated the lack of interest of the Philadelphia 76ers in sinking valuable capital – roster spots and salary dollars – into a multiyear deal with an NBA veteran which may add an additional occasional win into a “nobody wants that team” argument.   They see slack in the rope and have decided that its because nothing is at the end, not because the general manager of the 76ers simply wasn’t shopping yet.

Sensationalistic journalism again.

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And finally, some have pointed to this devolving of talent, to the signing of undrafted free agents to see what they can do on an NBA roster while they await the maturation of true NBA potential stars like Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Nik Stauskas, and even rehabbing Joel Embiid as evidence that the coaching talents of Brett Brown are not as good as the brochure.  Some wonder aloud now if Brett Brown is truly the man for the job, is truly the counterpart to the raw youthful energetic talents of this NBA young roster.  Despite the team extending him, despite the vote of confidence freely given by new executive Jerry Colangelo, some have linked the teams fortunes to the head coach.  Wrong move.

For those who argue that, it’s hard to find an event like this one in any former NBA team.  The Philadelphia 76ers have leveraged D-league, undrafted, hopeful talent into an NBA ‘trial basis” roster that gives players a chance they might never have had otherwise.  To place the outcomes of high-risk high-rewards chances at the feet of the man who patiently plays the hand dealt to him is an injustice of basic logic.

In short, I’m not buying it.

So what am I proposing in this article?  Simply put, lets break down the five starting positions of this Sixers organization, and then project what it could look like next year in 2016 (I admittedly will be forced to make some assumptions to do this. But that’s what makes this so fun, right?)

So what are we waiting for?  Let’s get started!

Next: Center Position