Brown stepped softly around Simmons’ critique
NEW YORK >> After a second consecutive loss the other night, Ben Simmons said the one word, delivered the one insult, spread the one concept that has the potential to either infect or inspire a team.
He called the 76ers soft. As if Brett Brown was going to come into the media capital of the world Sunday and not be asked for his reaction to that potentially inflammatory mouthful.
“I really leave it alone,” Brown said, before a 108105 victory over the Knicks. “The group internally will respond as they respond. He chose that word. It’s his right to comment on how he sees it. And the team will respond as the team responds.
“But I really don’t go there and I have my own assessment on what have been our issues over the past few games especially.”
Simmons was aggravated after a loss to Atlanta Friday, just two days after a loss to the Wizards. Though J.J. Redick did not play in Washington and Joel Embiid did not face the Hawks, Simmons’ words were pointed.
“I just don’t think we’re physical enough,” Simmons said. “Defensively, I don’t think we take it personally enough when guys score on us. It should be a pride thing. When somebody scores, it should be a pride thing every time.”
He had numbers to support the outburst, the Hawks and Wizards each having dumped 123 points on the Sixers. As for Brown, he did make some concessions to Simmons’ greater point, which was that, defensively, the Sixers had been showing problems.
“I think there are some communication issues that at times haunt us in transition defense, some of it our switching schemes in halfcourt,” Brown allowed. “If I would point to one thing that stands out the most, it is that.”
Sunday, the Sixers allowed 18 points fewer than they did against either the Wizards or Hawks.
“We have to lock down on defense, and offensively take care of the ball,” said Simmons, after collecting 20 points and 22 rebounds. “I think it’s really it. Everybody needs to be locked in.”
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One bright Sixers point in the loss Friday, and then again in the Sunday victory, was T.J. McConnell.
McConnell followed his 7-for-8, six-assist, one-turnover, plus-14 effort against Atlanta by shooting 3-for-4 with four assists Sunday.
“He just brought some energy,” Brown said, of the Atlanta game. “At times when you look at in the light of day, when you study the game film against Washington and Atlanta, there was some energy that we didn’t have. He provided it. And we need all of that from everybody.”
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The Sixers will face Dario Saric, Robert Covington, the Minnesota Timberwolves and questions about their trade for Jimmy Butler Tuesday at 7 in the Wells Fargo Center.
Since Saric and Covington were known to be among his favorite players, Brown is looking forward to the reunion.
“I’m just excited to see them,” Brown said. “I follow them all the time. I played text-tag with Robert in the last 48 hours. You saw Robert when nobody even knew about him. And then we gave him $60 million. You visited Dario Saric over in Europe before he came to the shores. Think about this: I brought Joel Embiid, Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel to Spain to watch him play in the world championship, just to show support and let him meet teammates.
“And so I have been with those guys for a long time. I have seen them grow. They are fantastic people. They helped us start a culture. And I truly look forward to seeing them.”
So does Embiid.
“I just talked to both of them yesterday,” he said. “I am excited to have them back at the Wells Fargo. It will be fun, not to play against them, because I love playing with them. But I hope Cov plays. I know he’s been hurt (with a bone bruise on his right knee). And Dario was a funny dude. Just around the locker room, he was loved.”