2019-2020 Sixers Season/Offseason

[Lawman]

As per Jon Johnson of WIP:

No Sixers tested positive for Covid. None have opted out of Orlando.

[xogfog]

Not that he was going to play but Zhaire Smith will not be going to Orlando, official reason is knee injury.

[bigegypt0417]

Brett Brown has been playing Shake Milton at the point with Ben Simmons playing the 4...interesting.

[bigegypt0417]

Really hope Ben Simmons carries this mindset into the resumption of the season...

https://www.libertyballers.com/platform/amp/2020/7/25/21337837/ben-simmons-off-to-a-good-start-at-power-forward-philadelphia-76ers-sixers-nba-orlando?utm_campaign=libertyballers&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true

[phillychuck]

I get so tired of people saying Simmons is now a power forward. In transition, he is still a point guard, and in about half the Sixers' sets Tobias is playing the power forward and Ben is a small forward who gets most of his buckets slashing to the hoop. He is the quintessential "position-less" player.

[zambonir]

Very true, but he's essentially taking Horford's spot, with Milton taking his.

Ben's just fine in my book but the issue will ultimately be the same - he's not gonna shoot, and Milton's not JJ Reddick (or Butler). But it could be fun. Expectations seem simultaneous higher and lower now.

[Purduke]

In the end it doesn't matter what Ben does in the regular season until he demonstrates he is not a significant liability once the playoffs begin. Everyone knows playoff basketball is different - half court, practice time, defenses designed to exploit particular player weaknesses etc. Ben knows what that looks like from the last two seasons.

I'll give him some credit based on what we saw in the beginning of this season -- his demeanor seemed much more focused and serious. I had hoped to see that after the embarrassment 2 years ago, but it my have taken the coach telling him that is role in the last 5 minutes of the game was to bring-the-ball-to-mid-court-and-hand-it-to-Butler-and-then-get-lost in-the-corner-somewhere to get through. But even a better demeanor won't necessarily make him an offensive asset in the last 5 minutes come playoff ball.

[zambonir]

I wouldn't call Ben a playoff liability because without his defense they go nowhere (this year or last). But with no Butler (and Harris not necessarily the man) he'll have to do more. Hey, he took two three-pointers yesterday!

[phillychuck]

Hey, he took two three-pointers yesterday!

Confidently and in rhythm. No hesitation, smooth form. Shot both times he had space and was square.

This is a very good thing.

[bigegypt0417]

Brett Brown is more than likely coaching his last games as the head coach of the Sixers.

[kmc1019]

If Brown goes, Elton Brand should be gone as well. Roster is simply not built in a manner that can win in the current version of the league. Last night's starting backcourt of Milton and Richardson combined for 4 points in 50 minutes. The Horford signing and the double-overpay for Tobias Harris (first in the assets they traded to get him, then by paying him a SuperMax contract) may hamstring the franchise for years to come. Sixers have a generational talent in Embiid, it is painful to watch it be squandered.

[zambonir]

I think the decision was probably already made before the layoff, barring the postseason miracle that wasn't going to happen then or now.

I'm not sure there is any coach who can get better results with this line-up overall. But a new voice is one of the last cards they have to play. So agreeed, do you want Brand to hire a coach? Do you even trust the guy who hired Brand (and Colangelo) to redirect the franchise yet again? I don't think Budenholzer and Nurse and Spoelstra are better coaches than Brown, I think they work for better organizations.

It would be an interesting year to try and hire a college coach, given there might not be college basketball in normal form and budgets will be cut.

It's hard to believe the Horford move worked out as badly as it did. And that affected Harris too because he's basically fine as an overpaid starter. His salary is more a quirk of the cap system, but if Horford's not your third-best best player and there's no shooter (not even a sixth man) Harris is both of those things, and he falls short there.

[VoteForKalas]

I would personally drive both Brown and Brand to the airport....they definitely need to go.

Brown has let this team run the program; the behavior by Simmons and Embiid this season have shown Brown has zero respect and they will continue to walk all over him which destroys the team ethic and makes it extremely difficult for us to win anything. Having selfish stars dooms any team.

Brand proves with the horrible Horford signing and many other dubious moves should never have been GM.

The ownership unfortunately cannot be kicked to the curb (and they need to be). I wish we had held true to the process; all I can pray is Harris sells soon.

[bigegypt0417]

Brown has let this team run the program; the behavior by Simmons and Embiid this season have shown Brown has zero respect and they will continue to walk all over him which destroys the team ethic and makes it extremely difficult for us to win anything. Having selfish stars dooms any team.

What particular behavior of Simmons are you calling in to question?

[zambonir]

Yup, everything you describe is on ownership. The only real fix is to bring in a coach or GM who the players can't go around to Harris and Rubin. Coaching selfish stars is why coaching is such a hard job but even Riley and Phil Jackson couldn't do it if they weren't unequivocally in charge. And the Spurs won because their culture was always bigger than any player (until it wasn't, and things fell apart).

They probably should have just let Brown stay GM, as the perception when they hired Brand is that the ownership and front office didn't want a huge change. But somewhere along the way Brand is the one who got the autonomy.

I still think there is something we don't know about the Jimmy Butler situation, whether it involves Brand, Brown or other players. Not that Butler is likely blameless.

[VoteForKalas]

Start with how Simmons completely ignored Brown on shooting the ball, not just 3 pt shots, but even regular jump shots to the detriment of the offense and team. That is completely selfish to put your own "discomfort" with shooting over what is best for the team. Blowing off your coach for over a year now and attacking the media for having the audacity to ask you questions about it I guess are ok too with Simmons.

[VoteForKalas]

Yup, everything you describe is on ownership. The only real fix is to bring in a coach or GM who the players can't go around to Harris and Rubin. Coaching selfish stars is why coaching is such a hard job but even Riley and Phil Jackson couldn't do it if they weren't unequivocally in charge. And the Spurs won because their culture was always bigger than any player (until it wasn't, and things fell apart).

They probably should have just let Brown stay GM, as the perception when they hired Brand is that the ownership and front office didn't want a huge change. But somewhere along the way Brand is the one who got the autonomy.

I still think there is something we don't know about the Jimmy Butler situation, whether it involves Brand, Brown or other players. Not that Butler is likely blameless.

Agreed there are details we do not know about Butler. I agree Brown and Brand are among the many ownership decisions that have failed over the years. However, I think Brown and Brand are not excused by that organizational flaw completely: they have made many mistakes of their own and failed to get this team further. I still see no plan from either of them for making that happen.

[bigegypt0417]

Is it discomfort or just an overall lack of confidence?

There is alot of things that are wrong with this team but discussing Simmons as selfish seems like a bridge too far for a guy who is a team guy.

[zambonir]

I'm not gonna criticize Simmons or call him selfish, but the reality is the reality: Brown has not been able to get enough out of him, whether it's his fault or the player's fault or both. Of course it is also a roster construction issue that only seems to have gotten worse.

Ben's still really young, I give him a pass for that as well, but by the time he turns into one of the truly best players in the league we might not have the other one anymore (and he's not perfect either obviously).

[VoteForKalas]

s it discomfort or just an overall lack of confidence?

There is alot of things that are wrong with this team but discussing Simmons as selfish seems like a bridge too far for a guy who is a team guy.

Does it matter? He refused to work on it and develop his game to the detriment of the team because of his "lack of confidence" or "discomfort". He is an adult, he needs to get over himself and realize he is expected to be a true professional and put the team first.

How is that being a team guy? Be honest, Simmons has done and been allowed to do whatever he wants since he was drafted. He's gotten the mega deal without changing a thing. He has the endorsements and fame without winning anything. It is the NBA, a star's league, but unlike other stars who want more than anything to win, work relentlessly on their games and push teammates to do the same, Simmons falls short so far. Why? Because he has put himself before the team. Until that changes and Embiid does the same, this team will end their era with 0 rings and a legacy of frustration.