A report came out Tuesday evening that the Philadelphia 76ers have reached out to former Sixers head coach Larry Brown about their coaching vacancy. Brown coached the Sixers from 1997 until 2003, and during his tenure here he led the team to the NBA Finals in 2001, while also winning the NBA Coach of the Year award in the same season. Brown is currently the head coach for Southern Methodist University's men's basketball team and, while he states he is perfectly happy there, I'm sure he would jump at the opportunity to stroll the sidelines once more as the head coach of an NBA team. We all know of the success that Larry had with the Sixers in the past, but how would he fare with this current Sixer team? Let's get into the pros and cons of this coaching candidate.
Pros: Larry is known to be a great teacher of the game of basketball. He obviously has had his share of experience in the game, spending over 40 years of his life dedicated to either playing it or coaching it, so his knowledge would be invaluable for the young players on this team to be exposed to. I've stated in previous articles that the Sixers need a coach who has a proven track record in developing young players, and Brown fits the bill. When Allen Iverson won the Most Valuable Player award in 2001, he credited his development as an all-around player to Larry Brown, calling him "the best coach in the world". Brown's ability to help players develop their skills would be extremely useful to this Sixers' young core of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young, as they each will need guidance in improving their respective games.
Cons: To state it bluntly, Larry Brown is old. He will be 73 years old by the time next season rolls around, and he hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court in two years. Brown is also known to flee any job at the first sign of trouble, and that is the last thing that this Sixers team needs. With a team going through so many changes within the past few years, from head coaches to general managers to owners, this team needs some well-deserved stability. The Sixers need a coach who is in it for the long haul. They need a coach who realizes that this team is a work in progress and not only accepts that fact, but is willing to take the time to work with the team and make it better. Brown has also been recently outspoken about his feelings for advanced analytics, and his views on this front would clash greatly with new GM Sam Hinkie's strong support for these same analytics. Along with these issues, Brown also has a history of being too harsh on his players (in particular the point guards). This could be extremely dangerous because, as we saw with Doug Collins this season, once a coach loses his team, they can become painfully hard to watch.
Larry Brown has had a long, decorated career in the game of basketball, but I do not believe he is the right fit for this young Sixers team. And, given his advanced age, Brown would most likely be more inclined to sign with a team closer to achieving championship status than this current Sixers team is. The NBA Draft is about three weeks away, so I assume the coaching search will be heating up within the upcoming weeks/days.
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