Tag: Elton Brand

Elton Brand, Brett Brown discussed lineup change, benching Al Horford

The Philadelphia 76ers have discussed lineup changes, including moving Al Horford to the bench.

The Philadelphia 76ers have not exactly been the juggernaut that everybody expected out of them when the season began. There was talk of being the 1 seed and being in the title conversation in the Eastern Conference.

While they are still in the title conversation, it’s now in serious doubt as they sit at the 6 seed in the East. That was not the plan for this season and it puts everything in question when talking about this team.

One specific question has been the fit of Al Horford who was brought in to help the Sixers make the next step. However, his numbers have been low across the board and his fit with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons has not been pretty to watch on the season on the offensive end.

So naturally, a change in the starting lineup has been brought up with Horford in mind. However, benching a guy you gave $109 million to?

“Brett’s been empowered to any decision he feels to win,” said general manager Elton Brand. “Whatever that is, he’s been empowered to do it. Whatever you see fit, whatever player or bench role, he’s been empowered. It hasn’t been this latest road woe and losing streak, we talked about this weeks ago. Whatever you feel needs to be done. Let’s win.”

Brown has admitted to thinking about moving Horford to the bench and possibly making a change to the starting lineup, but he also acknowledged by they brought him in in the first place.

“It’s all on the table,” said coach Brett Brown. “When we decided to bring Al in, it was with the notion that we think you can guard Giannis (Antetokounmpo), we think you can guard (Pascal) Siakam, and all of the other stuff that Al Horford provides. There definitely was a playoff portion of ‘Let’s reward Al with a contract and get him into our program’.”

When Horford and Embiid are on the floor together with the other regular starters of Simmons, Josh Richardson, and Tobias Harris, the team scores only 106.3 points per 100 possessions. So that aspect still remains a huge issue for them, but on the defensive end of the floor, they give up only 97.2 points per 100 possessions. If the offense can continue to work itself out, this can still be saved. Horford is still a very valuable piece.

“I believe in this group, it’s going to be determined,” Brand continued. “I put this roster together and everything he does bring, I think will come to the surface.”

This team has gone through different versions of itself all season, so a change to the starting lineup this late in the season would offer yet another challenge for them moving forward.

“As it sits now, we’re trying to find a rhythm beat with 30 games left, it truly is all on the table,” said Brown. “This is the bottom line, if this is going to make us a better team, then we will do that. Do I think it’s going to impact his minutes or ending the game? No, but always studying the balance of the roster and trying to get the most out of it.”

The Sixers had better figuring everything out quickly in order to fulfill their potential. [lawrence-related id=25180,25171,25155]

Brett Brown says Sixers should give Elton Brand a 50-year contract

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown praises the work of Elton Brand and says the Sixers should keep him around.

When Elton Brand took over the Philadelphia 76ers general manager position from Bryan Colangelo in the summer of 2018, he was making a big jump after one year as the general manager of the team’s G League affiliate, the then-Delaware 87ers.

In a short amount of time and virtually zero experience, he has turned the Sixers into a legitimate title contender after making a lot of bold moves. With the trade deadline coming up quickly on February 6, Brand is in a position where he has to make another move to try and get his team in position to make a championship run in 2020.

Coach Brett Brown has been included in those talks as he says his relationship with Brand is strong as ever and that the Sixers should keep him in tow for a very long time.

“I speak to Elton Brand a minimum of two times every day and if you take that number and you got like ‘OK there’s seven days in a week, that’s 14 times’,” said Brown pregame on Friday. “I bet 10 of those 14 times are face time where I look at him and he looks at me and we talk. It’s a relationship that I value very much. I think the world of him. The club should sign him to a 50-year contract, he’s just incredible to me.”

It also helps that Brown coached Brand for a small amount of time with the Sixers. That type of relationship can allow a coach-general manager tandem thrive and in turn, it leads to success.

“The fact that I coached him and I’ve coached against him and now he’s my general manager, we talk all the time and it’s a very easy conversation,” the coach explained. “It’s all part of it day-to-day stuff, trade deadline, it’s all part of it. It’s just a relationship that I personally value very much and I respect him very much for the job that he’s doing.”

This is a job that Brand does not have to do. He has made a lot of money in a mostly successful playing career in the NBA and he did a lot in the game. Brown has been impressed with the way that he carries himself in a position of such importance.

“He doesn’t need to do this,” Brown added. “He’s not poor and he does it with such passion and pride and he’s in shape and you call him at 7:00 in the morning and he’s on his way to yoga. Like he’s in the game. He’s healthy, he’s in it to mean it. Like he really wants to do a good job here.”

For Philadelphia to make the title run that they plan on, they most certainly will need to add a shooter to space the floor for them. That will be on Brand to make sure he gets the job done and if history is any indication, he won’t be afraid to make that move. [lawrence-related id=23688,23641,23634]

Report: Sixers interested in Robert Covington, others in trade season

The Philadelphia 76ers have their eyes set on Robert Covington and others as the trade deadline approaches.

The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to add another piece to their clunky roster to make sure they are at their best to make a run to the NBA Finals in April and May. In order to do that, they will need to add more shooting surrounding their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to make sure they can have enough space on the floor to operate.

There was a report earlier in January that the Sixers have begun looking around for shooters and it appears that they have a list of players they have inquired on. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner released a report of the list of players that general manager Elton Brand and his team have inquired on.

O’Conner wrote:

The Sixers have expressed interest in a long list of wings, including Malik Beasley (Nuggets), Glenn Robinson III (Warriors), Davis Bertans (Wizards), E’Twaun Moore (Pelicans), and Andre Iguodala (Grizzlies), according to multiple league sources. Most interestingly, sources say the Sixers inquired about Robert Covington, whom they dealt to the Timberwolves in 2018 in the Butler trade.

Covington is a guy that Sixers fans are all-too-familiar with as he spent 4.5 seasons in Philadelphia before being moved for Jimmy Butler in 2018. He is shooting 34.9% from deep for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2019-20 and his defense continues to be top-notch. He would be a nice addition to this specific roster.

Iguodala, another former Sixer, would also be a great piece to this team due to his versatility on both ends of the floor and his experience winning with the Golden State Warriors. Of the other names mentioned, Bertans would probably bring the most help due to his real stretch 4 ability. He would be a nice piece off the bench or even in the starting lineup should coach Brett Brown make a drastic change.

The trade deadline is February 6 so that is still a ways away, but that date can creep up on a team. Brand will have to work fast for things to happen for his team.  [lawrence-related id=23079,23064,23055]

Report: Sixers in trade market for shooters with playmaking ability

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the market for some shooting and playmakers at the deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2019-20 season hoping to buck the current NBA trend of small ball by trying to win with bigger guys and play some smash-mouth basketball. Unfortunately, they’ve had some issues with trying to implement that style successfully.

Philadelphia is in the midst of a four-game losing skid that has dropped them to the 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, not exactly what people had expected when they brought in Al Horford and Josh Richardson in the offseason. During the skid, the Sixers clunky offense has averaged only 104 points per 100 possessions which, putting it lightly, is just not good.

Joel Embiid has taken the brunt of the lack of spacing the Sixers have had as he has been receiving double teams every night and it’s affecting him in a tough way. He scored 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting in the loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday night to finish an 0-4 road trip and he then expressed his frustrations that the losses are taking a toll on him.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon then added that the Sixers are looking for more shooters with playmaking ability to help the team’s moribund offense ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. MacMahon wrote:

The Sixers’ poor spacing is of particular concern, especially for Embiid. Sources say the Sixers will search the trade market for perimeter shooting threats with playmaking ability, a need that was apparent as Philadelphia went 6-of-27 from 3-point range Friday night.

There are plenty of options that general manager Elton Brand and the Sixers could seek out. They could look for a guy like Alec Burks pf the Golden State Warriors or maybe one of the players on the Detroit Pistons since it seems that they are ready to blow things up with the Andre Drummond trade rumors. They could look at a shooter like Langston Galloway or Luke Kennard or maybe even Derrick Rose.

No matter how you look at it, the experiment is on rocky terms right now. The Sixers need to make a move to bring in a shooter and help their offense. [lawrence-related id=22692,22667,22659]

Elton Brand believes Sixers get better by growth, won’t rule out moves

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand believes the Sixers just need time, but he won’t rule out any moves.

The Philadelphia 76ers have aspirations to win a championship in the 2019-20 season. That’s the reason why they made the moves they have made in recent seasons in order to seriously compete for a championship.

After a 121-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day, the Sixers are now 23-10 on the season as they continue to work in all of these new pieces. Considering all of the new pieces added to the team’s construction and how odd these pieces fit, the start is encouraging. Philadelphia possesses an impressive 6-2 record against the five other teams in the top 6 in the Eastern Conference standings.

So how do the Sixers get better?

“I’d say growth with the continuity, the chemistry, that’ll help us a lot,” said general manager Elton Brand. “There’s teams that are, if you look at the daily standings, that are higher than us and we’ve beaten, some of them, twice already. So I feel once we get more continuity, get more chemistry we’ll be fine. We’ll be where we need to be.”

In the 2018-19 season, Brand made a couple of bold moves by first trading for Jimmy Butler and then Tobias Harris. His bold moves continued in the summer when he signed Al Horford in free agency and then brought back Harris on a maximum contract. While he is happy with where the current Sixers are at the moment, he won’t rule out any more possible moves to help Philadelphia move forward.

“As GM, I’ll always look at that,” he added. “Any way that I can make the team better, I will, but again, I’m encouraged about where we are and I look forward to having this group actually grow and compete against upper-level teams.”

Some believe Philadelphia needs to add another shooter or they need to add some more scoring off the bench. Those concerns were raised higher when they struggled against the zone defenses employed by some recent opponents that caused the Sixers to struggle offensively. Those concerns are also on Brand’s mind as the season continues on.

“Again, I’m encouraged,” he added. “As the GM I’ll always look at opportunities to improve the team, that is my job to make sure Brett and the group have the pieces to compete for a championship. Right now, I’m definitely encouraged about where we are.”

The Sixers probably do need another shooter, but to Brand’s point, they are 23-10 and they possess some impressive wins. Maybe all they really do need is continuity and that time to grow as a group. [lawrence-related id=22164,22156,22146]

Sixers’ Elton Brand on Josh Richardson: ‘I see him being a go-to scorer’

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand has high expectations for Josh Richardson.

The Philadelphia 76ers earned themselves an impressive 121-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day on Wednesday and they are feeling good about themselves.

Before the game began, general manager Elton Brand gave his end of the year press conference where he gave his thoughts on everything surrounding the team.

One aspect about his team has been the play of Josh Richardson who has done a terrific job of being the team’s glue guy and being the guy who keeps the team together a bit. He has struggled a bit since returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out for six games, but he was really cooking before the injury averaging 22 points and shooting 60% from the floor over the three games before suffering the injury on November 27.

“Pre-injury, it was special,” said Brand. “It was that piece where we were saying ‘Wow, this is something we haven’t had in a while. This is something that’s going to help carry us’. Missing eight games (in total this season), getting your legs back, I see him being a go-to scorer for this team in the future.”

Richardson was brought in to give the Sixers help in all aspects of the game on both ends of the floor. He is a good perimeter defender and he’s adept at running the pick-and-roll and as a secondary ball-handler next to Ben Simmons. He also has big scoring capabilities when he gets right.

Richardson had 18 points in the win over the Bucks and he drilled four 3-pointers in the win. He is not only working back from the hamstring injury, but also a wrist injury he suffered against in a win over the Boston Celtics on December 12. Postgame, he said he’s beginning to feel a bit better.

“Yeah, I finally got to take the tape off my wrist,” said a smiling Richardson. “Well actually I just took it off by myself, I didn’t even tell anyone. It’s feeling better so I feel better about that.”

The Sixers have plenty of go-to scoring options, such as Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris for example, but Richardson can play a role in that aspect of the game. There’s a lot to his game that can help the Sixers grow into the championship contenders that they expect to be. [lawrence-related id=22156,22146,22137]

Elton Brand says Sixers want Joel Embiid to have fun on the court

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand says he wants his superstar big man to have fun.

Before the Philadelphia 76ers took the court and delivered an impressive 121-109 win over the NBA leading Milwaukee Bucks, general manager Elton Brand made himself available to the media to give his thoughts on the team.

One question that popped up was superstar Joel Embiid’s balance of trying to be mature, but also have a lot of fun on the floor. Embiid recently said he is struggling with striking that balance and he wants to have more fun out there playing the game citing that his thoughts changed after the early season brawl with Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.

“I want Joel to have fun,” Brand said. “I want him to show his love for the game, he loves this game. I want him to have fun, I want him to be able to be himself out there, ride the energy of these fans, the spirit of these fans. We know how great the city of Philadelphia is, especially when it comes to supporting their sports teams, so I want him to have fun.”

The brawl with Towns cost Embiid a two-game suspension and it hurt the team a bit. Despite that, Brand wants his superstar big man to be himself out on the floor.

“I don’t want him to get fined,” he said with a laugh. “But I do want him to have fun out there and be himself and be dominant out there.”

Overall, Brand is happy with where his big man is at right now. The Sixers have had him on a load management plan to ensure his health for the playoffs and he is still putting up big numbers.

“A dominant player,” Brand continued. “He’s played 300 less minutes than he has last season at this time, seven less games than he has last year at this time. So I’m very pleased where he is.”

For the Sixers to seriously contend for an NBA championship when the playoffs begin in April, they will definitely need Embiid to focus up and make sure he’s feeling good. As long as he is at his healthy best and he’s motivated, the Sixers will always have a shot. [lawrence-related id=22146,22137,22128]

General manager Elton Brand says Sixers believe in Ben Simmons’ shot

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand says the team still believes in Ben Simmons’ jump shot.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a 22-10 start as they enter the Christmas Day matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, but there have been concerns surrounding a team whose stated goal is to win a championship in 2020.

One of those big concerns has been the lack of progression in Ben Simmons’ jump shot. The Sixers point guard does so many good things on the floor, but the big concern has been his jumper in a league so predicated on shooting and spacing.

General manager Elton Brand in the preseason said the team wants him to shoot and that he’s going to shoot, but the numbers have not been there. He has taken only five 3-pointers on the season and he has made two, so there is some type of progression there, but there has to be more.

“We believe in Ben. We believe in his shot and his progression,” said Brand before the Christmas game. “He’s a point guard, 17 assists the other night (Monday), he wants to make the highest percentage play every time. He will unlock another level of our team once he starts doing that more and he knows that, coach (Brett Brown) knows that, and we’re working towards that.”

Simmons has made big strides in his game in 2019-20, especially on the defensive end where he is quickly becoming one of the top defenders in the league regardless of position. He has closed games out on that end coming up with big steals and big stops on the defensive end and it’s something that Brand has acknowledged.

“Ben, leading the league in steals, playing defense, closing games in defense, and I think fitting into the team,” he said. “My goal is to have a better team so that takes time, that takes growth.”

For the Sixers to have success in the playoffs, however, they will have to figure out the Simmons spacing issue. There were many times in the previous two playoff seasons where teams would block Simmons off from going into the paint and then that was it. The offense would bog down and it would cause a lot of dysfunction and it made life tough for Joel Embiid to operate on the low block.

“Ben’s going to do more than his fair share defensively,” Brand added. “I think he’s going to unlock some other things with his spacing. We’re going to put him in places on the court that Joel and the rest of the team can be successful. It’s not a concern.”

With the concern of this team being his jumper and the spacing in the playoffs, it would make sense for him to take more jumpers in the regular season in preparation for the postseason.

“If it’s not going to happen in the regular season, the time to work on it, it won’t happen later on in the season or in the playoffs,” he added. “It’s a work in progress, it’s true, and once he gains the confidence and realizes that that’s a high percentage play for the team and for us, we’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.”

The Simmons jump shot issue will continue to pop up throughout the season as the team steamrolls towards the NBA Playoffs. It’s an issue that has to be fixed sooner rather than later. [lawrence-related id=22090,22082,22067]

Who has scored the most points for losing teams in NBA history?

Who has scored the most points for losing teams in NBA history?

[sigallery id=”6n2X9xF6dhXT9DA2JeiRP9″ title=”” type=”sigallery”]

[lawrence-related id=1244129]

[lawrence-related id=1273510]

[lawrence-related id=1247471]

[lawrence-related id=1233359]