The Sixer Sense
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NBA players want to play for Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 08: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells to his team next to assistant coach Lloyd Pierce during the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 90-82. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 08: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells to his team next to assistant coach Lloyd Pierce during the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 90-82. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 08: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells to his team next to assistant coach Lloyd Pierce during the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 90-82. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 08: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells to his team next to assistant coach Lloyd Pierce during the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 8, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 90-82. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is rapidly earning a reputation as a players’ coach. That reputation is attractive to NBA players seeking new teams

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is that rare combination of mentor, tactician, and strategist. He was already an incredibly capable basketball court manager when he arrived to the 76ers from the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. But he arrived as the understudy to then Philadelphia 76ers executive Sam Hinkie. As such, he integrated what he saw and felt with the science and math of basketball analytics.

That allowed Brown to develop important cause and effect relationships for his methods, and the subsequent results.  Those results have yet to show up in the wins column.

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    • But they have showed up on the basketball court. In a big way. This is a team that never quits, nor does it back down. This is the team grown from seeds by head coach Brown.  He learned from one of the best under San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Charles Popovich. Now he is making his mark on his own team.

    Brown optimism contagious

    Fans have gone warm to lukewarm on the coach. After all, it’s tough to cheer a team that loses as many as seven times the number of games it wins.

    But behind each win, there was a confident smile.  Behind each loss, there was an unshed tear.  Brown understands the pride of Philadelphia, but he is the perfect coach for these Sixers.

    He attracts talent. It’s not something he starts out each day focused upon. It just happens.

    He has a good word for his own and opposing players. He never throws anyone under the bus. And his results? Let’s talk about those:

    He can coach!

    This is a coach who transformed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot into a late season standout. The same player who started the season getting more fouls than points.  This is the coach who elevated the injury-riddled roster to 20 wins in 50 games in 2017.  While that doesn’t sound like much, he had anywhere from three to five starters injured.

    They kept playing.

    This is not a coach who preaches to the media about how tough he nor his players have it. He focuses on the team. The fact that each player counts upon the other to deliver. And that trial by fire has built the team into a cohesive unit.   A unit which looks inward for the keys to success, not outwards.  This is a team that is often outmanned, but they never notice.

    Next: Should Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless feel secure?

    Brown may not scream. He may not boast. But he can coach, and he knows how to turn players talent to full throttle.  NBA players notice that, and want to play for a coach like Brown.  Fans are beginning to notice too.