Sixers coaching candidate: Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Lue is the heavy favorite to get the Sixers job — so much so that many have already penciled him into Philadelphia’s future plans. While it’s too early to proceed with any degree of certainty, Lue checks a lot of boxes for Philadelphia. He also feels like a very Elton Brand hire. A “basketball mind,” if you will.
Lue is also one of my favorite candidates for the job, and would mark a tremendous success on the part of Philadelphia’s front office. He’s a creative and adaptive offensive mind, something Brett Brown often was not. He also stood up to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, which is no small feat. He has the track record of someone who can hold Embiid and Simmons accountable.
With 10 years under his belt as a player, Lue “knows the game” from a player’s perspective. He also has a championship under his belt as a head coach. And yes, that championship has the obligatory LeBron-shaped asterisk next to it, but frankly, we judge every coach in history by RINGZ. Why is Lue any different?
He went toe-to-toe with LeBron on the sidelines and in the locker room. He has ties to Klutch Sports, and he can hopefully whisper sweet magic to Ben Simmons, who needs accountability and a stern voice more than most. That, tied with a willingness to adjust and adapt his offensive schemes to specific matchups, makes him a near-perfect candidate. He checks every major box.