The Sixers Can’t Possibly Be Dumb Enough to Fire Brett Brown if They Lose Tonight
Alright, let’s get straight to the newest negativity surrounding the Sixers:
Brett Brown “has little chance of surviving” as 76ers HC if they lose Game 7, per @TheSteinLine pic.twitter.com/w0xKpMqf3i
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) May 11, 2019
If they don’t have a story these days, they’ll make one (guess I shouldn’t quote Drake on a day like today). But, it’s hard to ignore what would be an earthshaking move for this franchise in such an important moment in the arc of the Embiid/Simmons era.
This would be the wrong move. For so many reasons. Brett Brown has steadied a ship that so many times has looked like it was careening for an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. For a franchise that’s joked about and notorious for instability, Brett Brown was the only stable force. Every year they shake up the roster and make Brett juggle it. They told him to save face when they were losing. Once they started winning with actual stars, he was the one to make them coexist. Through every mind-boggling controversy, he’s been the one to keep the ship afloat.
By the time July 1 hits, Zhaire Smith, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will be the only players under contract on this team. If they free agent stars want him back, you probably keep him. More importantly, if Joel Embiid wants Brett Brown as the coach, you keep him. No questions asked. It’s a star driven league more than any other sport out there. Should go without saying that you don’t piss of your stars.
He’s done everything. EVERYTHING the Sixers have asked and NEEDED him to do.
Brett Brown, who was thrust into the GM role as well as Head Coach this summer. All because this spineless, gutless front office allowed the NBA to force out a very qualified GM in place for a very unqualified GM who really only had the job because of nepotism. Brett Brown had to be the coach, he had to be the decision maker, he had to be the spokesman, he did everything but dribble the god damn ball up the court. My mind is blown this report could even exist as a rumor and be taken seriously.
On a larger scale, what the hell are we doing in the NBA? Ryen Russillo brought this up the other day on the Woj Pod: are we seriously giving teams two years to figure things out and make an NBA Finals before we scrap it? If that was the case, the Trailblazers, also playing in a Game 7 today, should’ve folded up shop years ago. Most teams like Portland are smart enough to see the complexities of an NBA season go beyond just what round you make it to. This Sixers core went from pissing away every game a year ago in the Celtics series to taking the Raptors to 7 games. Any numbnuts who thinks they haven’t grown just because it’s the same round should be forced to watch strictly Spike Ball they are now airing on ESPN.
The reasons Brett Brown should continue to be the coach of this team are beyond endless. But, there’s no reason to dignify this stupidity on such an important day. Because whether it’s Brett’s last day on the job or not, it’s the most important day in Sixers history since 2001. Almost two decades. I’m excited because I don’t know what’s to come, hopefully it’s not Brett’s exit.
But hey, I’m old enough to remember when the Eagles season started with a report Doug Pederson didn’t have the locker room and Jim Schwartz was going to take his job. He turned around, said that’s cute, and went and got himself a Super Bowl ring. Let’s go Brett.