Philadelphia 76ers: 3 takeaways from 2019 NBA offseason

3. Brown still has major influence in team building

Depending on the franchise, the relationship between the executives and coach can vary. Though it’s seldom a good idea to let the coach have too much power, letting him have a voice is constructive in the right settings.

Philly seems to be one of those settings. Dating back to the 2018 NBA Draft, mere weeks after Bryan Colangelo was fired, the front office was somewhat without a leader. In absence of an official “general manager,” the Sixers went with a collaborative effort spearheaded by Brett Brown.

The team did well on draft night, picking up an extra first-round pick (which Elton Brand later used in the Tobias Harris trade), getting Zhaire Smith for Mikal Bridges, striking gold on Landry Shamet at No. 26 and landing Shake Milton at 54.

Contrary to the popular notion that coaches can’t manage assets poorly, Brown did well in this department.

Brown has a select group of players he likes across the positional spectrum: smart, defensive-minded players. This has been known since his time in San Antonio; only in the past year has he been able to grab those commodities.

Fast forward a year later, and the first pick the Sixers make screams Brown: Matisse Thybulle. A hawk on defense who fits into a role on offense, Thybulle is exactly who you want to put around  star players, and exactly the type of rookie who Brown is willing to give minutes to.

Fellow draftee Marial Shayok has the length and mentality to be an NBA defender someday, which a lot of prospects in this draft had a low chance of doing. He was a high floor selection, i.e. a coach’s pick.

Though Brown did a great job of maximizing J.J. Redick these past two seasons, that’s not the ideal archetype for Brown’s defensive scheme.

This is evidenced by Redick not only being the smallest player in the Sixers’ starting lineup by the end, but also by him having a deal set up with New Orleans immediately as free agency began.

If the Sixers had a 3-and-D wing better than James Ennis last season, he would’ve started over Jonathan Clay.

And what do ya know? Josh Richardson is a Sixer now! Overused in Miami, Richardson can settle in as a defensive-minded wing who shoots off the catch in Philly. He’s known for containing elite point guards, a group the 76ers struggled to defend last season after trading Robert Covington.

Another kink in Brown’s system is his propensity to send two bigs out at once. Without coincidence, the Sixers will now deploy two of the best centers in the game for stretches.

Now to be fair, these aren’t your ordinary towers; Joel Embiid and Al Horford transcend the positional spectrum with their unique skill sets.  But even with minimal talent after Embiid, he still preferred to play athletic bigs like Richaun Holmes and Jonah Bolden at the 4 next to a true 5.

Putting all these tidbits together allows for a positive conclusion: Brown’s voice is being heard, without it completely draining the asset cupboard. Not to mention, this version of the 76ers is damn good.