Coach Brett Browns p(r)ep talk shows new side to Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are honing a playoff mindset at the insistance of head coach Brett Brown in their final push to the NBA Playoffs

The Philadelphia 76ers have fought a growing perception that the the coaching staff is okay with the team “as is”. The persistance of high turnovers, the lapse in team defense, and inconsistent shooting continues to haunt the team, even as they gird for their first postseaon push. But the rules changed today. Head Coach Brett Brown changed them. And he’s placing his players on notice.

Coach Brown timed that meeting very well. The Philadelphia 76ers have 14 games remaining of the 82 game season. Nine games play in Philadelphia, five games are on the road. The team has won their last two games, but in a very dramatic come-from-behind fashion.

Faith shaken, not stirred

Even those of us with great faith in this team were shaken.  If the team struggled against weaker opponents, what chance can the team possibly have against the NBA’s best teams in the playoffs? And with the close calls against the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, a come-to-Jesus meeting was due. After all, neither team has much to play for. But both teams gave the Philadelphia 76ers all they could handle.

Now the team is withing 1.5 games of the 3-seed, and only up two games from the 8-seed. That’s a narrow path to navigate for a very young team on their first blush of postseason relevance. And perhaps it’s that very “all new to them” perspective that has triggered a new facet of Coach Brown’s approach. That of a drill instructor.

76ers, on my command

The passion of Coach Brett Brown is not always as obvious as that of other head coaches. He does not shout or scream. He does not belittle a player in social media. In fact, he goes to great lengths to ensure that he does not throw any player under the bus. But the recent lackluster efforts by the team, particularly on defense surrendering 110 points to the New York Knicks and 116 points to the Brooklyn Nets alarmed Brown.

He knew he had to intervene.

And like any parent of teenage children, the only avenue to doing so effectively is to get their attention. That usually means emphasizing the importance of the situation with clear aggrevation. Like a military drill instructor, the most certain way to achieve optimal focus and training effecitiveness is to instill an almost fear-induced culture.

Short term results

While that is counter-productive over the long haul, it’s surprisingly effective in a short-term situation. And for these Philadelphia 76ers, the time is now. No tomorrows. The fact is that Coach Brown issued the team a wake-up call. The team has all the feel of “going through the motions” in recent games. Whether the team felt overconfident or lethargic mattered little. The outcome of either resulted in uninspired play on the court and risking a devastating loss.

Brown had seen enough.

Even as recent comments suggested that point guard Ben Simmons future lie as a power forward, Brown has laid down the gauntlet upon his team.

3-seed? Still possible

The reality is that the Philadelphia 76ers are in a position not unseen in many many years. The opportunity to reach the NBA playoffs as a potential top-4-seed is a distinction few first-timers can achieve. This 76ers team is within grasp of that level of greatness.

To get there requires Coach Brown’s psychological efforts to rouse the sleeping roster. This team has plenty of talent. Brown simply encourages his players to grab that opportunity and hold on for all they are worth. With 38 wins, the Philadelphia 76ers are still in play for the 3-seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. A year ago, that is the spot held by the Toronto Raptors.

Playoff impacts

The playoff push for the Philadelphia 76ers resumes tonight as the Sixers host the Charlotte Hornets. The teams last met on March 6, when the 76ers defeated the Hornets in Charlotte by the score of 128-114. In that game, Robert Covington played outstanding defense.  So far, the Philadelphia 76ers are 2-0 against the Hornets and can sweep them with a victory tonight.

Next: Do Philadelphia 76ers know Ben Simmons’ value?

Other games with NBA Eastern Conference playoff impacts are the Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers, the Denver Nuggets at the Miami Heat, and the Detroit Pistons at the Sacramento Kings. With a win tonight and losses by the Cavaliers and Pacers, the Philadelphia could emerge just .5 games out of the 3-seed.  The fact that Coach Brown can get in his players faces and read them the riot act is actually very reassuring. It’s time someone spoke up. Thankfully, it was the head coach.