Philadelphia 76ers: Minor changes in front office are not enough

The Philadelphia 76ers will make changes in the front office, but will it be enough?

Times, they are a-changin’ in South Philly. The Philadelphia 76ers have fired Brett Brown and plan to undergo further changes in the front office. One constant, however, will be the presence of Elton Brand, who is expected to retain his position as president of basketball operations.

On the surface, this is probably a fine move — as long as the changes to Philadelphia’s power structure are real and substantial. This cannot end in a minor shuffling of the cards. Alex Rucker, Ned Cohen — the days of the “collaborative” — should end. Must end.

Luckily, early quotes from Brand seem to indicate the potential for such change. In his press conference on Tuesday morning, Brand indicated that the “collaboration days” didn’t work, and says he will single-handedly lead the Sixers’ search for a new head coach. That notably removes Scott O’Neil, current Sixers CEO, from the equation.

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This is probably the most positive comment from Brand, as it does hint at some level of accountability in the front office — or, at the very least, it’s an acknowledgement of how disorganized and unproductive the team’s power structure has been in recent years.

As ESPN’s Zach Lowe said recently on his podcast, the Sixers have had too many voices in the room. Power has been split between too many people. While I’m not particularly confident in Brand’s aptitude as the lead decision-maker, at least Philadelphia appears ready to consolidate its chain of command.

With that said, Brand was mostly vague over the course of his press conference. He did not name specific names, nor did he go into specifics about the kinds of changes Philadelphia will make. This has to end with Alex Rucker, Ned Cohen, and the other Colangelo-era collaborators out the door. This can not simply be the same group of people in “more defined roles,” or however else one would describe it.

I have already lobbied my pitch for Brand’s firing. It’s clear that will not happen. Not this summer, at least. He will get a chance to right the wrongs of last summer, and to hopefully make large-scale changes to a disastrous roster he helped build. If Brand still has respect league-wide, this is the year for him to earn it.

Philadelphia’s greatest weakness since the Hinkie era has been working the margins. Neither Colangelo nor Brand have been very good as milking value out of non-blockbuster transactions. With Brand giving more free reign, and with cap space and tradable assets at a minimum, Brand must improve his record in those scenarios. The Sixers must use the mid-level exception, draft picks, and minimum contracts to reshape a grossly disfigured roster.

This season will put test Brand’s mettle — and, by extension, the extent to which ownership is truly willing to reflect, change, and progress. Philadelphia is still in a dark place, and the way forward is not clear. If the Sixers cannot make innovative and crafty decisions up top, next season will only end in more disappointment.