Having a more patient Brown rather than Collins in his ear could make a world of difference in his final season before hitting free agency. And no, he’s not getting an extension.
Is E.T. is part of the problem or part of the solution? We’re about to find out.
4. Does the teacher having willing students? Brown’s reputation in San Antonio (and with the Australian national team) was as a teacher; he is the son of a coach who helped Parker and Manu Ginobili get the most of their games. Now he takes on a team that doesn’t have any Parkers, Ginobilis or certainly Duncans, but might have some others with raw talent.
How well and how quickly he can develop it – while still trying to put a presentable product on the floor – will define this season.
But Brown can treat it as a throwaway season – these guys are going to be the epitome of the work Tankapalooza – because he is working in the first year of a four-year contract. If the Sixers hadn’t offered four years, Brown would have never taken the job.
5. Is 9-73 (or 7-59) within reach? Depending who you ask, the mark for NBA futility belongs to either the 9-73 Sixers of 1972-73 (.123) or the 7-59 Charlotte Bobcats of the 2011-12 lockout season, who actually have a worse winning percentage of .118.
A segment of the community believes this club can seriously “challenge” those marks, since the franchise’s unofficial mantra is to tank the season with hope of landing an Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or some other stud through the draft. But no player likes to lose on purpose, so getting these guys to buy into that philosophy won’t work.
There is some talent here which from time to time will emerge enough to give these Sixers closer to 20 wins than single figures. Still, it is preordained that they will be watching ping pong balls drop next May to determine their ultimate fate.
Jon Marks has covered the Philadelphia 76ers from the days of Dr. J and his teammate, Joe Bryant (best known as Kobe’s dad). He has won awards from the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association and North Jersey Press Club. His other claim to fame is driving Rick Mahorn to a playoff game after missing the team bus. Follow him on Twitter.