The Undervalued Veterans Of Philadelphia 76ers
By Bret Stuter
Brown Knows What He Has
Like it or not, Brown has invested at a minimum a year getting to know his players: their strengths, weaknesses, their discipline, their buttons.
When the team was facing a season without a true point guard, and had a hot undrafted prospect in T.J. McConnell, Brown went with the veteran Isaiah Canaan. When the team had a true power forward in rookie Richaun Holmes, but a center converting to power forward in returning player Nerlens Noel, Brown went with Noel.
Brown understands that there is a great deal of pressure in entering the NBA as a rookie, and he is the type of coach who will not set up a young player to fail. That means he will hold a player on the bench until they show sufficient confidence, skill, and fortitude to start. Some seldom got to that point last season.
But conversely, each player on the Philadelphia 76ers roster last season, with the exception of part-timers Christian Wood, Sonny Weems, and Phil Pressey, earned at least one start under Brown. In fact, eleven players for the Philadelphia 76ers earned more than ten starts last year. In stark contrast, the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors had just seven players reach that plateau. The Cleveland Cavaliers as well as the Los Angeles Lakers had just eight to do so. Even the Brooklyn Nets had just nine players do so.
That diversity of starters has given many of the Philadelphia 76ers young players a strong focus of what parts of their games need emphasis on this off-season. With that focus, the players can arrive this year with stronger skills, improved work habits, and a true awareness of their coaches’ expectations. All of these factors will give them an immediate edge as the players are assembled onto this team’s roster.
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