Philadelphia 76ers: Hire Elton Brand as Coach

The Philadelphia 76ers need to hire former player Elton Brand as an assistant coach to usher in the new era.

If one had to choose a few words to describe NBA veteran Elton Brand, they would probably choose a series of words similar or identical to: hard working, well respected, Philadelphian, and wise. All of those words, to me, point to one thing — the next assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

We haven’t heard much from or about Brand since the season ended. In fact, we aren’t even certain that he’s retiring, but it looks as if it’s that time for him, after coming out of a semi-retirement to play for the Sixers this past season. There have been no rumors of the Sixers reaching out to Brand to bring him on in any capacity, whether that be a player or coach.

Brand was one of the signings seemingly orchestrated by Jerry Colangelo in his short time with the Sixers. Jerry felt the team needed a veteran presence, and what better player to help bolster that than a near 40-year old?

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Brand didn’t play a whole lot in his first few weeks. He often rode the end of the bench, but was that solid veteran voice at the end, giving pep talks to players during gams and practices. By the time the end of the season neared, Brand was getting regular minutes due to several injuries in the frontcourt. That may not have been the original plan, but it was what Brand was asked to do, and he rolled with it.

Brand is the epitome of a good leader, setting an example for younger players to follow on the Sixers last season. Throughout his entire NBA career, Brand only faced one game of suspension time. He’s been on his best behavior.

But it’s not just that. Brand went out of his way with the Sixers to do what his job description asked of him. He was supposed to be a guiding voice for the young guys, offering them help when they needed it and steering them in the right direction with his knowledge of already having been through what they had.

As the winter months approached Philadelphia, Brand offered his all-wheel drive vehicle to Jahlil Okafor to borrow so that he wouldn’t have an excuse to splurge his money on his own. Sure, Okafor, could have afforded almost any vehicle he wanted, but Brand telling him he should save his money not only made Okafor think twice about buying another vehicle this year, but it also probably will make him think twice about spending rather than saving over the course of his career.

Brand is a player and a person with high character, and that’s the type of person you want as a leader in your organization. Now, with his playing prime far behind him, what can the Sixers do to keep Brand around?

They can hire him as an assistant coach.

The Sixers actually lost a few assistant coaches this offseason. Will Weaver left the team due to family matters, and Sean Rooks tragically passed away. So there’s reason to believe that the team will be looking for more assistant coaches to bring on, and what better time than when the Sixers have four rookie players debuting this season?

It’s a pivotal time. The Sixers need to mold those rookies and get their careers started in the best way possible. Having people like Brand around to help them and guide them in the early stages will ensure long and prosperous careers.

With Brand already in the Philly area, and likely a new retiree, he may be on the lookout for any basketball-related work. Brand may be intrigued with the idea of helping to coach basketball in the city that his family lives, and the city that he has played in for five seasons.

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The Sixers, if they don’t even reach out to Brand, are wasting a perfectly usable resource. The leadership, the player presence, and the character Brand brings to the Sixers is unmatchable from most other candidates. They need to hire him as an assistant coach.

Philadelphia 76ers Need to Hire Elton Brand as Coach

By Josh Wilson | Jul 19, 2016

The Philadelphia 76ers need to hire former player Elton Brand as an assistant coach to usher in the new era.

More from The Sixer Sense