Philadelphia 76ers: Firing Brett Brown Not The Worst Idea

Recent reports have arisen that the Philadelphia 76ers may fire their head coach Brett Brown in favor of assistant Mike D’Antoni.

The Philadelphia 76ers are going through major front office changes, and it may not stop now. Reports that the team may fire head coach Brett Brown in favor of Mike D’Antoni have come out, and Philadelphia 76ers fans aren’t happy about it. Brett Brown is a great guy and if given the right tools, could become an even better coach, but firing him wouldn’t be a total disaster move.

Brett Brown is tied with five other coaches for 7th on the list of longest tenured coaches, and in his three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, he has racked up a record of 47-199 thanks to being at the helm of the worst roster in the NBA throughout his tenure here. Brown is a product of the famed ‘Popovich coaching tree’ and has shown some glimpses of incredible coaching ability and play-creation.

Brown’s signature play off the inbound involves “elevator screens” to open up space for an open 3-pointer in the near corner, and it shows his knack for being able to get shooters open. Brown, despite his poor roster, was criticized early on in the 2015-16 season about late-game lineups that led to close-game losses.

Brett Brown has shown a strong commitment to this team and the city, willingly signing an extension earlier this season. Brown’s coaching record does require some context, but for him to further commit to coaching through what was still “The Process” and a bottom-half team shows he truly believes in future success for the Philadelphia 76ers.

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When Mike D’Antoni joined the staff as an assistant coach, some speculated that it might be a sign that Brown’s time is coming to an end, but all that speculation was shut down until recently. Firing Brett Brown in favor of D’Antoni wouldn’t cripple the Philadelphia 76ers, and it may even be good for the team moving forward.

This isn’t because of quality of coaching, rather than for a complete cultural change. D’Antoni would bring experience and a similar offense to this young and developing squad, as he’ll try to mimic the success he had with the 7-seconds or less Phoenix Suns teams he led to the playoffs. This would also completely rid the Philadelphia 76ers of any reminiscence of Sam Hinkie and the Process.

Bryan Colangelo must not change the cultural mindset within the organization, but work to change the league perception of the Philadelphia 76ers. Hiring D’Antoni will show free agents, fellow owners, and its players that the Sixers are ready and willing to compete now. There are implications of hiring D’Antoni, however.

Many of the players are comfortable with coach Brett Brown, and letting go of him will further add to the inconsistency the franchise has seen the past 3 seasons. Furthermore, D’Antoni’s signature offense will put center Jahlil Okafor on an island, as he’ll struggle with the pace of the offense. Okafor’s low post dominance will not be as evident in the high-paced offense that suits his fellow big man Nerlens Noel much better. The Philadelphia 76ers would also have to pinpoint their offseason focus on acquiring a quick, distributing guard.

Next: 2015-2016 Sixers Season Awards

Brett Brown wants to be the coach of the future for the Philadelphia 76ers, but will he get the chance to be? The Philadelphia 76ers and Bryan Colangelo must decide if the team could further change their league perception with Brown at the helm, or if bringing in D’Antoni will take the team to higher levels. Either way, the Philadelphia 76ers will be in decent shape with Brown or D’Antoni in control.