Sixers mailbag: Brett Brown shouldn’t be on the hot seat

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to head coach Brett Brown during a timeout against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to head coach Brett Brown during a timeout against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Should Brett Brown be fired?

The answer here is a resounding N-O.

It feels like we’ve been saying this forever, but it still holds true to this day: Brett Brown needs more time. A tough schedule and lots of new faces means close games are inherently difficult for the Sixers, regardless of how well certain plays are drawn up on the sidelines. It’s execution more than raw strategy that needs to get better, and Brown deserves time to work through that.

We also need to remember everything he has gone through to get here. He endured five years of all-out rebuilding with countless G-League talents populating his roster and little shot at actually competing for a playoff spot. His rosters have always been flawed, and it’s tough to lob unreasonable expectations at him the first year he has real talent that makes sense in an actual NBA scheme.

Aside from the Suns and Lakers game, in which the Sixers let their foot off the proverbial gas pedal a bit too much, Brown has always had this team playing with an impressive amount of effort. Even during the Process years, Philly teams gutted out each and every possession — and that has often been the case this season.

Injuries have also stripped the rotation of all it’s depth, which puts Brown in an even tougher spot. He never wanted to play Furkan Korkmaz and J.J. Redick is the same lineup, I promise you. His options are running dry.

Give the man time and take into account the circumstances under which he’s operating before you make irrational calls for his firing.