Everyone loves a winner.
Brett Brown, the Sixers’ new head coach and 24th in franchise history, has had the good fortune of being around winning people for as long as he can remember.
“How lucky am I to be around the coaches I have been around?” Brown asked Wednesday at his introductory press conference. “I have been around Hall of Fame coaches. Coach (Gregg) Popovich is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Rick Pitino, in September, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Last year, Lindsay Gaze, who is sort of the Pete Carril of the South Pacific with his motion offense, was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. And my father, who raised me, has been inducted into the New England Hall of Fame. That is my background. The son of a coach, I have been around the game my whole life.”
Brown touched upon the many coaching influences he has had throughout his life. Perhaps the biggest one of those is Popovich, who Brown has spent the last 13 years with in the Spurs organization.
The longest-tenured coach in the league, “Pop” has a certain way of doing things. Members of his staff and his players understand you don’t venture far away from those principles.
“The first word that comes to mind is accountability,” Brown said of Popovich’s approach. “A mistake made against the Miami Heat in Game 6 is dealt with like we would deal with a mistake made at Charlotte in January. There is a brutal honesty in regards to accountability.
“There is a human side of Pop that a lot of people just don’t understand. He is a good man, but there’s a toughness and a competitiveness and a demanding, non-negotiable stance that you can’t help but bring with you. It is highly influencing.”
NBA
While having the right mentality goes a long way, Brown will be the first to tell you that NBA franchises win with stars. The Sixers will need to develop a star or attract one in free agency some time during Brown’s tenure in order to get the team among the league’s elite.
Brown was spoiled in San Antonio because the Spurs had a roster with three stars in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“Those three guys are pretty special and the fact that they have been with that franchise their whole career is very unique,” Brown said. “Those guys are different cats character-wise. They come to practice, they buy in, there is a discipline to their attitude, a discipline to their diet and a discipline to showing up on time. They genuinely care. They want to get better.
“Isn’t it interesting when you ask somebody if they really want to get better? Some people like that question. Some people, it takes them back. It is a strong, honest question and those three guys really display what a professional does and needs to do.”
Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have 21 All-Star selections between them. The Sixers’ roster is currently void of any All-Stars. However, Brown believes the roster he has inherited is full of “workable pieces.”
“I have always been a fan of Thaddeus (Young),” Brown said. “I see in Evan (Turner) just that potential. You see the versatility of Spencer (Hawes). You get a taste of Michael Carter-Williams from what he did in college. I think you see what a healthy, fit Lavoy (Allen) could bring to the table.
“I think there are pieces there that we can build around, and I think there is a toughness that the city almost demands. I really look forward to seeing the young guys that we are going to try and bring along.”
Brown, who initially joined the Spurs as the director of player development, spoke highly of San Antonio’s tools for helping players progress. Just as he wants to maintain Popovich’s sense of accountability, Brown also plans to follow a similar model for bringing players along.
“I have seen guys over the years get floaters and jump shots,” Brown said. “I saw for many years people go under pick-and-rolls on Tony Parker and we learned how to take advantage of it, and he became a better shooter and so on. Everybody has his own road map.”
Brown begins his journey with the Sixers after securing a four-year contract from the organization. He understands winning and even more so the work ethic that must be put in to reach a championship level.
“I have been a part of five NBA championships and we won four,” Brown said. “I have been a part of five Game 7s. You appreciate how hard it is to be playing in May and how really hard it is playing in June.”
Brown’s challenge has officially started this August and the Sixers hope one day it can end with a championship in June.