The Sixer Sense
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Can O’Brien and Brown Coach These Philadelphia 76ers?

By Bret Stuter

Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown goes over a play with his team during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown goes over a play with his team during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Oh Brien!

The strength of Jim O’Brien is in another area of coaching expertise. If Brown is the guy packing the car and filling the gas take, O’Brien is the one who plans the route.

O’Brien has been involved in rebuilds before, as worked to rebuild the struggling Celtics and led them twice to the playoffs in just three seasons from 2001-2005. During the 2003–04 NBA season, however, O’Brien disagreed with Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge over Ainge’s plans to blow up the roster and rebuild.   To do so, Ainge traded Eric Williams and Tony Battie, two hardworking players, in December 2003. Seeing that Ainge had taken two of the better players out of the roster, O’Brien resigned in January 2004.

He didn’t remain unemployed for long, and was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers heading into the 2004-2005 season, a year the 76ers made the playoffs. With the release of coach Maurice Cheeks from the Portland Trailblazers, the Philadelphia 76ers terminated O’Brien to open the head coaching spot for Cheeks, who they immediately hired. He was hired as head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 2007, but after three plus seasons of failing to get that team to the playoffs, general manager Larry Byrd fired O’Brien.

O’Brien, in his NBA experience, micro-managed defense. He was a stickler for it, and it showed in his team’s performance as well as in his speech when interviewed:

"“I don’t feel the need to move the defense back and forth when we have the ball,” he said. “I’ll take the first good, open shot that we can get. I’m not adverse to that. I just believe we’ll work so hard on defense that the players will feel confident with their ability to create on offense.” – Jim O’Brien"

To be honest, the Philadelphia 76ers were nowhere prepared for the likes of a defensive minded coach in previous seasons. The team barely managed to have enough healthy bodies, and the intensity of a defensive-oriented coach would have left player and coach very frustrated by mid-season. This season, however, the team is healthy, has enough defensive minded players in each position, and is in a position to challenge for some wins.

This team is ready for James Francis Xavier O’Brien.

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