Philadelphia 76ers Trying To Maximize Brett Brown’s Potential

By George Kondoleon | Jun 25, 2016

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and his father David (M) and head coach Brett Brown (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia 76ers are finally giving Brett Brown the team that perfectly fits his offensive scheme, which means they are trying to maximize his potential as a head coach.

The Philadelphia 76ers had one of the best draft nights of any team in the 2016 NBA Draft and the team is looking much brighter moving forward this upcoming season compared to any season under head coach Brett Brown.

Brown has been at the forefront of a lot of criticism besides being given the worst talent in the league for all three of his seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. His 47-199 record tells nothing to the magnitude of importance Brown has on this organization and this rebuild. His developmental system has allowed for this process to truly come to life, and his offensive savviness has been hidden by a thin line of talent.

For three seasons, Brett Brown has preached pace and space and thus far the Philadelphia 76ers have shown the speed. In Brown’s three seasons the team’s pace has been 99.2, 95.7, and 97.9, and he’d like to see the team move at an even higher pace moving forward.

Through the draft, the Philadelphia 76ers have seemingly compiled the beginnings of a positionless and small-ball roster that could run by almost any team. Top pick Ben Simmons falling into Brown’s lap is a dream come true for him, as now the team has a true point forward that could cause multitudes of matchup problems.

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Along with Simmons, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is another rookie that’ll come in and excel in transition while also being a versatile enough defender to guard any position from 1-3. The Philadelphia 76ers made the perfect complement picks for not only Ben Simmons, but for Joel Embiid as well.

Joel Embiid is coming into the 2016-17 season trying to prove he is still one of the most promising prospects in the NBA. If he stays healthy, a dangerous transition game, along with a two-man pick and roll, between Simmons and Embiid would be the most dynamic scoring duo Brett Brown has ever had. Embiid’s defensive prowess will also allow for some relief in the low-post and limiting opponent scoring, a stat in which the Philadelphia 76ers finished 29th in the league last season.

Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers are also expecting the transition-starting and exceptional passing Dario Saric. Saric’s full value on the court can only be maximized in the transition, which is why Brett Brown is the perfect mentor for him. A second unit of Saric, Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Nerlens Noel could be deadly pace-wise.

The Philadelphia 76ers are molding a team around pace and Brown’s offense, which is why it could be more likely that post player Jahlil Okafor is gone sometime this offseason. Okafor’s playing style is nowhere near compatible to the players the team is starting to build around. Okafor’s presence in the post allows him to draw in defenders, but Joel Embiid gives the team the same impact.

With this fast paced roster, Jahlil Okafor is now more expendable than ever, and the team will likely target an efficient shooting point guard in some sort of trade. Moving Okafor in a package for a proven outside scorer will also allow Ben Simmons to maximize his passing talent, while also allowing Brett Brown to ramp up the offense without worrying about Okafor stopping the ball in the post.

Next: Sixers Sign James Webb III

Free agency will once again show that the Philadelphia 76ers are providing Brett Brown with the pieces he needs to be successful, and it’s clear that they are trying to peak Brown’s scheme as the team moves into the modern style of basketball with more young talent.