While many fans seem to be okay with the Sixers plan for the future, former coach Larry Brown does not approve. Having brought the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001 and helping Allen Iverson grow into an absolute superstar, Brown knows what he is talking about and wasn't shy in expressing his opinion on the Sixers rebuild with John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"I hate what's going on in Philly," the Hall of Fame coach said Wednesday. "They don't have a basketball person in the organization. It makes me sick to my stomach."
Currently coaching basketball at Southern Methodist, Brown had a nice run in the NBA, coaching a record nine NBA teams and leading eight of them to the postseason. He coached the Sixers from 1997-2003. Brown thinks very highly of current coach Brett Brown, but said he wouldn't be able to coach the team in this situation, where losing isn't a big deal.
"No, I wouldn't do it. We wouldn't lose. Brett can coach, he's one of Pop's guys," Brown said, referring to San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "But what they are doing to that city to me is mind-boggling. That's the greatest basketball city in the world with its fans and you want them to sit back and watch you lose.
"Can you imagine telling Allen Iverson that this is a rebuilding season so we're going to be bad on purpose?" Brown continued. "I love [Nerlens] Noel, I love Joel [Embiid]. But you can't put that stuff into them. Again, it boggles my mind. I understand you have to get assets to get better. You get assets by developing young players, draft picks, and moving contracts. But how much teaching is going on?"
Before the beginning of the 2013-14 season, Sixers owner Josh Harris cleaned house and Brought in Sam Hinkie, who had been the assistant general manager in Houston with the Rockets. Harris was impressed with Sam's focus on advanced basketball analytics and thought he would be the right guy to help rebuild this team. The Sixers only won 19 games last season, second worst in the NBA, but have some young talent in the making with the recent debut of Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams and most recent top pick, Joel Embiid, who will miss likely the entire year with a broken foot. Though the potential for talent is there, Larry Brown isn't a fan of the analytics game by any means.
"These analytics, they don't mean squat to me," Brown said. "Throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. To say that these analytics guys have the answer is crazy. It doesn't apply to basketball. Everybody uses the data you get, but that's what coaching is. Maybe it will work, I don't know. But it's a shame what those fans are going through waiting to see if it will."
Brown also had a back and forth with Sixers CEO Scott O'Neil, who took jabs at Brown's team at SMU. Larry responded to those comments in an interview with CSNPhilly.com's Neil Hartman. Those comments can be found here, including Brown's thoughts on not being invited to Allen Iverson's retirement ceremony.
The state of the Sixers isn't pretty by any means. It seems as if the fans that still admit to being fans are okay with the direction of Sam Hinkie because it is a plan to build something that can last. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but all we know is that the coach that last brought the Sixers to the NBA Finals doesn't think the "best fans in basketball" deserve this.
Brandon Apter is a writer for Sixerdelphia.com
