Philadelphia 76ers: Did Brett Brown save his job by benching Al Horford?

Did Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown save his job by moving long time starter big man Al Horford into a reserve role?

It probably should have happened back in December, but Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown made a lineup change in the win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite it being one game, there appears to positives to Al Horford becoming a reserve. The question becomes, is making Horford the team’s sixth man enough to save Brown’s job after this season?

In short, the answer is no, however, it’s not as clear cut as the answer presented would make it seem.

Ownership, along with general manager Elton Brand shouldn’t be concerned if Horford’s a starter or not, but what result it will bring. The effects of Horford coming off the bench and how Brown adjusts the team’s strategy is a big part of his job security. Christopher Kline of The Sixer Sense had this to say about Brown moving Horford out of the starting lineup.

"“This is not good. It is not a positive. It is simply a move Brett Brown had to make. This is a pivotal season not only for the Sixers, but for Brown. He needed to shuffle the deck at some point, as his job may very well depend on it.”"

Kline was right about Browning having to change things up for his job security. If he hadn’t, there was a chance Philly could have been a first-round exit in the playoffs, which would have surely lost him his job. However, this move by itself isn’t a saving grace for Brown. The adjustments he makes now that Horford is on the bench will have a big impact on his future with the club.

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Keeping Joel Embiid and Horford playing under 30 minutes a game should help preserve both big men heading into the playoffs. This should be a top priority for Brown. Both centers have struggled with injuries this season, so having Horford coming off the bench should help with that issue.

For the most part, Embiid and Horford shouldn’t play together too often. It stunts whatever chemistry Embiid and Ben Simmons have, but that doesn’t mean the two big men should never share the floor. The Milwaukee Bucks are one team they can and should do that against due to the defensive matchups.

Another factor is who the Sixers should start in place of Horford moving forward. Furkan Korkmaz got the start against the Clippers, but he’s better served coming off the bench due to his defensive limitations. Glenn Robinson III and Matisse Thybulle are other candidates, but my personal preference is Robinson because out of the three players mentioned in this paragraph he’s the most balanced player on both sides of the ball.

All those adjust should help Philly get further in the playoffs, but there is really only one thing that will save Brown’s job and that is reaching the NBA finals. Winning a title will erase any doubt about his job security, but just getting to the finals should be enough.

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If Horford becoming a reserve helps the Philadelphia 76ers reach the NBA Finals then great, but him coming off the bench in itself alone won’t be enough to save Brown’s job.