If former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown had his way, he and franchise legend Allen Iverson would help turn around the organization — and Brown thinks he could do it today.
Jon Marks of Sheridan Hoops notes Brown said he’d only need five minutes to turn around Philadelphia, who should reach out to its best player of the recent generation.
“I’m sick of what’s going on there. You know I care about the Sixers. It’s an unbelievable basketball city and I had a great experience there. I don’t want to get on them when they’re struggling, but they don’t have any veteran leadership. I want to help. I could straighten it out in five minutes. I wish they’d get Allen involved. All those young kids worship him.”
Brown spent six seasons at the helm of the 76ers from 1997-2003 and helped the organization become a perennial playoff contender, though his tenure coincided with Iverson’s growth.
There’s no denying Brown has consistently improved a team immediately after accepting a job, but changing a 1-25 team is a-whole-nother animal.
While Philadelphia has decent pieces headlined by Jahlil Okafor, the roster isn’t on the verge of anything above mediocrity because of general manager Sam Hinkie’s commitment to a high draft spot.
Consequently, at the urging of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the 76ers recently hired Jerry Colangelo as the chairman of basketball operations. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes Colangelo is working to hire ex-NBA coach Mark D’Antoni as an assistant coach, a sensible move Hinkie had managed to avoid.
Brown would certainly help the Sixers record a few more victories, but no one is completely fixing “The Process” in five minutes — even if Iverson is involved.