Sixers’ mission in Game 2: Stop Leonard

PHILADELPHIA is already in trouble in its Eastern Conference semifinal series against Toronto, and 76ers coach Brett Brown might be one of the biggest reasons why.

It’s not that Brown made coaching mistakes in Game 1.

Instead, he might have not made enough mistakes in 2012 and 2013.

Let’s explain: Kawhi Leonard’s first two years in San Antonio were Brown’s last two years as an assistant for the Spurs. When Brown left Gregg Popovich’s staff to take over as coach of the 76ers after the 2012-13 season, he was well aware that Leonard was on the path to becoming something special. And now, after seeing Leonard put up 45 points in Toronto’s 108-95 victory in Game 1 of this series, it’s up to Brown to figure out how to slow that superstar when the series resumes with Game 2 on the Raptors’ home floor Monday night.

“Every year, he gets more dominant,” Brown said. “Even when I came to Philadelphia, those years that I was in Philadelphia looking in the rearview mirror of him evolving under Pop and in the San Antonio Spurs’ system, you could just see this thing’s trending in an incredible way.”

Brown was considered a player-development master during his long tenure with the Spurs. Watching the way Leonard controlled play in Game 1 on Saturday night — 45 points and 11 rebounds on 16-for-23 shooting — perhaps he regretted whatever role he played in the 2014 NBA Finals MVP’s formative pro years.

With Leonard on the floor, Toronto outscored Philadelphia 97-71.

With Leonard on the bench, Toronto was outscored 24-11. He sat for three stints, and Philadelphia cut into Toronto’s lead every time.

“This is going to be erased,” Leonard said, dismissing any notion that the Raptors’ success on Saturday would carry over to Monday night. “Starting back from scratch, 0-0. And we’re going to have to try to come out to win Game 2.”

Game 2 of the Toronto-Philadelphia series is one of two games on Monday’s schedule. The other is a Western Conference semifinal series opener, with third-seeded Portland going to second-seeded Denver.

There’s much more for the 76ers to be fretting over than just Leonard.

Even with point guard Ben Simmons shooting 7 for 8, Philadelphia’s starting five shot 41 percent. 76ers star Joel Embiid struggled against Toronto’s defensive scheme, one led by former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol; Embiid has never scored more than 16 points when facing him. /