Nick Piccone
When Bryan Colangelo was introduced to the Philly media on Sunday, he mentioned that Brett Brown would get a chance to see his team through – a team hopefully loaded with talent – before he made any decisions about Brown’s future with the team.
As for assistant coaches, Colangelo’ll have his paws all over that one.
The Sixers ended their season last night against the Chicago Bulls, losing 115-105. They finished the season with a 10-72 record, by far the worst in the league. Pretty impressive. Now they have the best odds to get the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft this summer.
But the Sixers general manager might have a new coach in place before next season even begins, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. Moore quotes a source as saying Mike D’Antoni could supplant Brown if next season quickly goes down the drain, and that not even low-level analytics people or scouts even make it to next season.
I don’t think anybody survives, (except) maybe some low-level analytics people,” the source said. “I’m not sure the scouts make it.”
The source called it “50-50” that Brown is the head coach to start the 2016-17 campaign, but believes there’s only a 20 percent chance Brown finishes next season in that capacity.
The source expects associate head coach Mike D’Antoni, who was hired by ex-Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo in December, to succeed Brown.
Another NBA source said, “I think the chances are good (Brown is the coach to start next season),” though “if things go really bad, maybe (Bryan Colangelo would) make a change in the middle of the year.”
It’s pretty clear Colangelo and the Sixers ownership need to see improvement next season. And if they don’t, they’ll be quick to put Brown out to pasture to hire their guy, D’Antoni, who’s probably one of the most overrated basketball coaches I can remember in a long time. Maybe not Eddie Jordan level bad, but I feel no better with D’Antoni at the helm rather than Brown.
Moore continues, saying his source said that when Jerry Colangelo was hired as the chairman of basketball operations back in December, he “didn’t like it when he found out Brown’s two-year extension was a done deal upon joining the franchise.” The extension was announced a few days later, but the Colangelos don’t seem to be “Brett Brown guys.”
That’s fine, though. Brett Brown might not prove to be the guy that can coach these guys – Embiid, Noel, Okafor and Saric – to a championship. But to already put into question if he makes it through next season, especially when the general manager said just a few days ago that Brown deserves to see it through, is troublesome. Some people love D’Antoni, but I just don’t see him being able to do things with this roster that Brown can’t. Give Brown a superstar, and he’ll be in the running for coach of the year. No doubt in my mind.
This all shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. I’m just thoroughly annoyed by all of it. With change like the Sixers have undergone, changing the coach wouldn’t exactly be a move nobody sees coming. Even if the general manager says the coach deserves to see it through. It’s all lip service. Brown does deserve his chance, but I have no faith in this ownership group or Bryan Colangelo to allow him the chance.