Heavy -1750 Odds Say Brett Brown Will Resign or Be Fired By Sixers
- Following a first round sweep by the Boston Celtics, the odds heavily favor Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown leaving his position
- The Sixers are set for major changes this offseason and replacing Brown should just be the start
- Is there any chance the Sixers stick with Brown and make different moves?
A team once fancied to compete for the title, the Philadelphia 76ers season ended in brutal embarrassment. They were swept by the Boston Celtics, setting the franchise up for yet another offseason of major change. Head coach Brett Brown is expected to leave his position.
Philly played without Ben Simmons, and that was a major factor in their first round loss, but this entire season has been a disappointment. Brown had to deal with an ill-fitting roster, though the results were still disappointing with a woeful road record seeing them fall into the sixth seed.
The prop in the table below has the odds for Brown to depart the Sixers this offseason, either by firing or handing in his resignation.
Odds Brett Brown Fired or Resigns from Philadelphia 76ers
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -1750 |
| No | +650 |
Odds taken August 24th
Brown to Take the Blame
Brown’s comments after the Sixers’ elimination made it clear his time in Philly is over. Joel Embiid, given the chance to stick up for Brown, evaded the question. The Brown and Sixers relationship has clearly run its course and a damning article from Chris Haynes added further certainty that Brown is on his way out.
Haynes’ reporting claimed that Brown never took full control of the locker room. Players were not held accountable and they often questioned his decision making. The handling of defensive sensation Matisse Thybulle was a specific point brought up by Jimmy Butler while leaving the team in free agency last summer. Brown clearly did not fancy working with Butler, and Butler’s confrontational style of leadership was causing tension in the team.
#Sixers head coach Brett Brown has dealt with many significant injuries on his team over the years. Ben Simmons back and knee injuries were some of the latest.
He was asked if we ever got to see him at his best. pic.twitter.com/ynUjrEe9Ry
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) August 24, 2020
Keith Pompey, a day before Haynes’ article was published, posted a similarly critical piece of Brown, once again suggesting a lack of accountability for Simmons and Embiid.
Brown has not been perfect, but the way the blame has been shifted almost entirely onto him is unfair.
Dysfunction Throughout the Organization
The Sixers have made a string of mistakes over the last few years. The first of which was firing Sam Hinkie. Hinkie processed this team, he had landed two stars, and they were loaded with assets and good role players in Robert Covington and Dario Saric.
The pursuit of another ‘star’ led to the team trading all those assets and handing out two of the worst contracts in the NBA to Tobias Harris and Al Horford, respectively, compiling a roster that was so drastically flawed.
Joel Embiid averaged 30.0 PPG and 12.3 RPG vs the Celtics.
His team got swept. pic.twitter.com/Ox18vpUe1h
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 23, 2020
This goes beyond Brown. From appointing Bryan Colangelo to the Markelle Fultz trade, to hiring Elton Brand and building a roster with four max or near-max players for two positions, the Sixers have undone the work of Hinkie in little more than a couple of seasons.
Brown is responsible for some ordinary coaching decisions, and perhaps there should have been more improvement from Embiid and Simmons, but he was not put in a position to succeed. The fault primarily lies with Colangelo, Brand and ownership.
Inevitable Scapegoat
Sacking Brown is the easy way out. Firing Brand requires the people who selected him to admit they made a mistake under two years ago. Brand tearing this roster apart means he would need to admit he got it horribly long last offseason. One of those things must happen if the Sixers are to be a legitimate contender next season, but for now, Brown is the easy scapegoat.
The Sixers 2020-21 contracts:
Tobias Harris $34.4M
Joel Embiid $29.5M
Ben Simmons $28.8M
Al Horford $27.5M
Josh Richardson $10.9M pic.twitter.com/bTxQJ6ViOj— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) August 23, 2020
Other coaches would have done better with this roster, though not many would have managed to make it a competitive series against Boston. The Sixers have no above-average NBA guards, they have very limited playmaking and their spacing is a shambles. Without Simmons, they are not even a great defensive team.
Plenty of coaches will be interested in this job. Embiid and Simmons can work together. They are still such an exciting duo.
If the Sixers think a new head coach will fix everything, though, they are going to be in for a nasty surprise next season.
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
