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Inside the Sixers: Brown's job more difficult than most other coaches'

MEMPHIS - Brett Brown doesn't want your pity. The 76ers coach actually enjoys the situation that he's in. That's because he's the leader of his ball club, just like close friend Gregg Popovich, the coach and unquestioned leader of the San Antonio Spurs.

76ers head coach Brett Brown. (Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports)
76ers head coach Brett Brown. (Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports)Read more

MEMPHIS - Brett Brown doesn't want your pity.

The 76ers coach actually enjoys the situation that he's in. That's because he's the leader of his ball club, just like close friend Gregg Popovich, the coach and unquestioned leader of the San Antonio Spurs.

Brown, a former Spurs assistant, hopes to follow in Popovich's footsteps and bring another title to his own struggling franchise.

Like Brown, Popovich experienced a woeful first season as a rookie head coach. His 1996-97 squad went 17-47 after he took over for Bob Hill following the first 18 games of the season. Brown's squad posted a 19-63 record last season.

But, it can be argued, that's where the similarities end.

Popovich's early squads had veterans to lead the way. They policed the locker room and were visible models for the younger players, showing them how to act on and off the court.

The most notable veteran was David Robinson, who was in his ninth year during Tim Duncan's rookie season in 1997-98.

In addition to being an eventual Hall of Famer, Robinson was a hard worker with a military background. So the then-young Duncan had the luxury of soaking up all types of information from his older teammate.

But Robinson wasn't alone. In Duncan's rookie campaign, the team had eight veterans who had been in the league at least seven years. As a result, Popovich didn't have to teach players how to become professionals.

Robinson, Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, and Will Perdue passed it along to guys such as Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. In turn, they have passed it along to Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, and Danny Green.

Brown doesn't have that luxury. His role is more like that of a Cubmaster.

The Sixers have only two veterans. Luc Mbah a Moute and the injured Jason Richardson are the only players with more than six years of experience. So Brown's job is to guide, emotionally support, and educate his young group.

"It's very difficult to do," Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "But he's done a heck of a job of coaching, teaching, and being a leader and being the voice of that team. It's a tough job."

Make that a tough job that Brown cherishes.

He said it was part of the challenge of accepting the job. Brown wanted to put his personal mark on every aspect of the franchise.

So far, the Sixers have implemented his beliefs in sports science and diet as part of their player development.

"There are things we think strongly, with how do you act and how do you show up on time and interact with teammates," Brown said. "It's all about culture, which is really behavior. And so to have a chance to do that all over the place, I love it."

However, his role requires long hours.

"You think about things that you wouldn't normally think about if you were just worrying about pick-and-roll defense," he said. "It's all-consuming, and it's all day every day. It's just part of being a coach here, and I really do enjoy it."

While there has been some improvement, Brown's approach is still a work in progress - one in which young players are learning things on the fly.

But the Sixers have assumed their coach's personality. They are a scrappy bunch that plays hard whether they're up 10 points or down by 30. It's almost as if they don't realize what their record is - 8-35 heading into Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.

"So leadership comes in a bunch of different ways," Brown said. "It's just the group that we inherited, and I feel comfortable coaching this team. I like the role that I have assumed with this young team."

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