The Philadelphia 76ers are 21-34 and it’s Because of Brett Brown

The Philadelphia 76ers have seen success this year, and much of that can be attributed to head coach Brett Brown.

The Philadelphia 76ers are 21-34, and that is a good thing.

So much of the emphasis this year has been on the emergence of Joel Embiid (please get well soon) into superstardom, (yes, he will be back) which is undoubtedly a significant factor with the Philadelphia 76ers and their new found success.

I can honestly say that I’m not surprised with Embiid. Early, it was obvious, to not just me, but many others, that his skill set coupled with his intangibles, meant that a special player was arriving in the city. Okay, as far as step-back three’s and diving into the stands and lighting a fire under each teammate and the fan base — I’ll grant you, that was unforeseen.

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Joel Embiid has size and a handle with face-up and pivot skills. The Sixers backcourt also has received attention in the recent turnaround, a group certainly not unnoticed. With role players like Robert Covington, one of the best role players in the NBA, you are heading for eventual success.

The Sixers as a team have turned around the fans’ attitude and perspective on winning. When you ask some fans about which Philly team is “the closest,” (to a league title) people are starting to actually articulate the words “Philadelphia 76ers.”

Which brings me to my main argument and it is this. The Philadelphia 76ers are now winning primarily because of the efforts of Sam Hinkie. No, maybe, but scratch that. Chalk up the Sixers success to HEAD COACH BRETT BROWN (in terms of improvement and playing as a team).

Proficiency and Growth are both important to education as well as sports. We recently have heard Senator Al Franken remind us of the importance of critical thinking and improvement. This translates into real life success and the growth of the Sixers. Not proficient yet, but the growth is there.

How do we know it’s because of Brett Brown?

Because he has taken a roster chock full of very average talent and he has molded them into a very good basketball team that’s shares and defends. The Sixers play, what Mike Missanelli calls, “together basketball.” Is Brett Brown a candidate for Coach of the Year? Yes.

How do we know it’s because of Brett Brown?

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Because he is an honest coach. Players know what is expected of them and like a Jeff Van Gundy, Brown has a “clear thought process.” Brown hangs with his players off the court. He knows their kids’ names and wives’ or girlfriends’ or partners’ names.

Considering also the praise of Gregg Popovich:

"“There’s nobody that can do the job that he’s doing considering the situation as it has been,” Popovich said. “His demeanor and ability to stay positive and just teach and get satisfaction out of watching young players absorb things is beyond my comprehension. He’s a consummate teacher and upbeat individual. You wouldn’t wish all that losing on anybody, but if it was anybody who could handle it, it’s Brett Brown just because of his character. And now with the winning, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”"

How do we know it’s because of Brett Brown?

He’s an innovator. Remember Chip Kelly was a football junkie? Brown is too, and when it’s combined with empathy and communication skills, (something Kelly may have lacked), it really shows. Brown runs his coaching staff like a NFL staff. There is a “Special Team’s Coach” for out of bounds plays, special situations and free throw restarts. And I joke about Hinkie, but that is not a joke, for Brown uses some analytical data and assigns roles to his “Offensive and Defensive Coordinators.”

Jessica Camerato writes, “Brown often references his experiences coaching future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan when talking about successful big men. He already has connected Duncan with Joel Embiid as a mentor-type figure.” How’s that for a frame of reference?

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Aside from becoming a good coach, Brown already had the tools. Consider Popovich once more:

"“All of a sudden, people probably start to think, ‘Well maybe this guy can coach,’” Popovich said. “But he was already coaching. But it’s easier for people like me to coach Tim Duncan that makes you look pretty good. But at this level, you have to have a level of talent to match everybody else. When you don’t, you pay the price.”"

How do we know it’s Brett Brown?

He is overlearning and becoming a good coach as he develops this group.

Go Sixers.