NBA Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers Have Right Man for Rebuilding Job in Head Coach Brett Brown

Fresh Videos

By @papreps

brett brown, philadelphia 76ers,

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Ask any fan on the street in Philadelphia about who the best pro coach in the city is and you’ll hear Brett Brown’s name just as much as any of them, if not more. The fans in that sports-crazy town know who can coach and who cannot.

It’s extremely hard to earn the reputation of the city’s best coach representing the city’s worst team, the Philadelphia 76ers, but most fans know the hand that Brown has been dealt and give him the benefit of a handicap. Brown has been given little talent, but he always has his team playing hard and the fans are appreciative of that.

On Saturday night, in an 89-81 win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets, it again became apparent that the Sixers have the right man behind the bench. Despite falling behind by 16 points in the first half, Brown’s demeanor remained calm, coaching the team to a 10-point lead in the second half on the way to their fourth-straight home win. The team plays hard every night and probably only two regular starters now, point guard Michael Carter-Williams and center Nerlens Noel, will be good enough to earn significant minutes two years from now. By then, the infusion of new talent should make the rest of the world aware of how great a coach Brown is.

Until then, though, Brown will have to leave clues along the way, like leading the Sixers to a modest three-game home winning streak before the loss to the Hornets. Brown has done this despite an organizational business model that sees failure as success. GM Sam Hinkie jettisoned whatever veteran presence Brown had at the start of last season when he got rid of players like Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. Getting rid of those three helped the Sixers earn the No. 3 overall pick and, with it, they chose 7-foot center Joel Embiid – so they won by losing.

Few coaches survive rebuilding jobs, but Brown has the intestinal fortitude necessary to do so. He’s a disciplinarian, but also a nurturer who sees the biggest picture is the development of young players. Someday, either Chip Kelly of the Philadelphia Eagles, Ryne Sandberg of the Philadelphia Phillies, Craig Berube of the Philadelphia Flyers or Brown could be hoisting a league championship trophy, but do not bet against Brown grabbing one first.

Mike Gibson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on