The Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Brett Brown on Monday, this after getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
While the Sixers have plenty of problems, NBA on TNT analyst Jared Greenberg sees one overarching problem: accountability – or lack thereof.
“There’s no question,” Greenberg said on The DA Show. “There’s got to be a certain level of accountability. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, from a talent standpoint, they’ve got it. They are All-Stars. They have the potential to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, potentially the MVP conversation. But they don’t appear to be held accountable to be leaders, to set an example, and to improve for the greater good.”
Brown, who went 221-344 (.391) with Philadelphia, is at least partially responsible for that.
“For all the flaws in Brett Brown – and I think he’s got plenty,” Greenberg said. “There’s plenty of things we can break down about him personally not holding these guys accountable, maybe some of is on-court decisions, his lack of in-game adjustments. But the one thing that he needs to win an award for is the PR job he’s done for these two over the years. Every summer, he goes out of his way to sell us on the idea that Joel Embiid got himself in shape – and he never has. And he sold us on the idea of how hard Ben Simmons has worked on his shot and how Ben Simmons is willing to do what’s best for the team and not necessarily what’s best for him and he’s going to make a little sacrifice on the court and shoot the ball to spread the floor a little bit and make everybody else better – and ultimately he doesn’t.
“But every year we hear the same nonsense,” Greenberg continued. “Credit Brett Brown for trying to stick up for his guys or at least protect them. But it also falls ultimately on Brett Brown in terms of is there not only accountability, but is there consequence when Joel Embiid [shows] up late to practice or [shows] up with fast-food bags to a game? Is there accountability for Ben Simmons to actually execute what it’s been said he’s practicing?”
Brown reportedly did not like confrontation. Greenberg can vouch for that.
“I saw that firsthand,” he said. “He did not like confrontation with his players. Not that he wanted to be their friend, but I think he felt like stick to the basketball stuff and we’ll all be fine. It just didn’t work.”