GM wants coach who can win with roster
GM Brand wants coach who can win with current roster
The next coach of the 76ers will be expected to win with a pointguard-turned-forward who won’t shoot.
The next coach of the 76ers will be expected to win with not one, but two high-priced centers at a time when the NBA is moving in a different direction.
And the next coach of the 76ers likely will be expected to win with a good, not great, max-contract forward, an inexperienced point guard, and a starting wing guard who is known to speak out about his coach.
The next coach of the 76ers, and he will not necessarily be hired any time soon, will inherit Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Al Horford and Tobias Harris, whether he appreciates the mix or not. He will also inherit a mandate to succeed. That much general manager Elton Brand made clear Tuesday, in an end-of-season press conference during which he promised to make a thorough assessment of what went wrong in a disappointing season … then all but absolved the most visible and highest-paid players.
Brand even said the next coach would have to convince him that he could draw the best from Embiid and Simmons, even mentioning that he would consult the two All-Stars during the search.
“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said. “I’m looking to complement them better. They are 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can. They want to be here. They want to be with our organization, and I see them here for a long, long time.”
Embiid had six years with Brett Brown, who was fired Monday. Simmons had four. Neither has ever played for another NBA head coach. So the long-long-time countdown is not new. But after insisting Tuesday that Horford could be a vital piece to a championship team, and touting the skills of Harris, Brand was pushed about other two regulars, Shake Milton and Josh Richardson.
There, he was not quite as inflexible.
“Right now, I am assessing the entire roster,” he said. “When we failed like we failed, losing in the first round and getting swept without Ben Simmons, there are some tough decisions that will have to be made.”
Milton was a young point guard with scoring ability. Richardson is an emerging clubhouse leader who was quick Sunday to throw shade on Brown. Each could have some value in a trade market, yet moving either would not immediately change the structure that Brand has helped put in place.
It’s Brand’s reasonable belief that Simmons, who was injured and unavailable, could have helped defensively in first-round loss to the Celtics. It’s also his belief that Horford, out of place all season in a frontcourt with Embiid and horrifyingly uncomfortable trying to defend Boston’s wings in the playoffs, can play a valuable role. But where?
“It’s for the next coach to make that decision, and to make the determination on how the lineups work,” Brand said. “But Al Horford can fit on a championship-caliber NBA team. Whatever that role is, we’re going to have to figure it out.”
Horford’s contract, four years for $109 million, renders him virtually un-movable in the trade market. Harris, with a $180,000,000 contract, would not have much appeal in trade. But either Simmons or Embiid could be exchanged for superstar talent should Brand choose to re-imagine the Sixers’ foundation.
That, though, he will not consider, and instead will begin any rebirth with a different coach.
“We underperformed,” Brand said. “We felt it was time for a new voice, a new perspective. When I took a step back, it wasn’t an easy decision. We’ve got to talk about the great things Brett did, guiding us through some challenging times. For the next coach, someone who is going to lead this team to the next level, all options are on the table.
“We’ll figure out their temperament, how they plan to use Joel and Ben, their philosophies. So I am looking forward to a thorough interview process with some good candidates who are out there.”
The NBA still trying to work its way through postseason in a bubble, there is some cloudiness about when the next season will begin. The draft, in which the Sixers will select No. 21 overall in the first round, is scheduled for Oct. 16, but could yet be changed. Brand said he could see the value of having his next coach in place before the draft, but did not commit to any timetable. If he dropped any hints during his half-hour availability Tuesday, it was that he would prefer a coach who has won, presumably at the NBA level.
“If you are a championship coach and you do get over the hump, like I wish Brett could have,” he said, “then you have longer leeway with the players to realize, ‘This guy has done it. He has won. I am sick of him yelling at me. I am tired of whatever he is doing, but he has won.’ So I think that’s where it gets to the point where you need a new voice, a new perspective.”
The coaching search, the Sixers say, will begin at once.
“I’m looking for a coach who is going to maximize the talent.,” Brand said. The general manager expressed an openness to “heavy handedness,” a trait Brown never projected. “Being heavy-handed? That could be the case. As we look at recent coaches who have won the championship, it varies. The right coach for this group is what I am going to look for. Once I start that process, I assume that will be clear.
“We will find out what is right for this group.”