LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Boston Celtics had defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday just in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 110-106 victory that could seal the fate of one head coach.
After the final buzzer sounded in what was a ‘home’ game for the Sixers, most of the players and coaching staff had left the court, but there were a few who remained.
While Celtics star Kemba Walker did his walk-off interview after a 32-point performance, an interesting song began playing: “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men.
Within coaching circles, the Sixers are expected to share manners with head coach Brett Brown in the coming days, Yahoo Sports sources said. His contract runs through the 2021-22 season.
Brown was brief when asked how disappointing it was to end the season this way.
“I mean, it’s hard,” he replied immediately, then waited for the next question.
Brown, who was elected coach of “The Process” seven years ago, never took full control of the locker room during his tenure, sources said.
‘I’m not the GM. I do not make the decisions, “said Joel Embiid on Sunday when asked about his coach’s future. “All I know is that we have a great organization and a lot of great people.”
Players often disputed Brown’s game plan over specific matchups, and there was a lack of confidence in the locker room and an inability to hold players accountable, sources said.
Al Horford, one of the quieter and more reserved players in the league, declared before the season went into hiatus that he was frustrated by not being able to communicate and establish a defined role with him.
The handling of rookie Matisse Thybulle, who has shown that he is an elite defender, was a leader. His minutes fluctuated at bizarre nodes, leaving some in the locker room to ask if Brown had an ax to sleep with the youngster, sources said.
When asked on Sunday if Sixers fans could best see what he had to offer as a coach, Brown simply replied, “No.”
Josh Richardson, who spent his first four seasons in the Miami Heat culture, spoke about the Sixers’ culture.
“I don’t think there was a lot of accountability this season and that was part of the problem,” he said after losing the final season. Tobias Harris – who finished with 20 points and five boards and had a terrible fall on Sunday – took some responsibility, saying he needed to look in the mirror and become a better leader.
The lack of accountability and leadership glare this year.
Last season there was a concern about the fit of Jimmy Butler, who is now thriving with the Heat and one game away from defeating the Indiana Pacers.
Butler was last seen signing with Philly last offseason and the organization was aware of it, but the Sixers were still willing to offer him a maximum contract if he did not take recruiting visits, sources said.
Butler disagreed with that provision, sources said, and both sides threatened ways of sharing. Butler was a force for the Sixers and proved to be their finisher in the stretch, but he was not sold that the team was invested in winning, and his leadership style sometimes went the wrong way.
Brown did not appreciate how outspoken Butler was with his coaching tactics, and Ben Simmons once took issue with a text message Butler sent in a team group chat instructing Simmons what not to do in an upcoming game against Brooklyn, sources said.
The Sixers are dealing with multiple injuries this season that have improved other issues. It was a massive blow when Simmons lost for the season due to a knee injury he sustained in the seeding games.
Embiid, the team’s franchise player, solved the team’s problems.
‘That’s a very stupid question. There are no problems, “Embiid replied after recording 30 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.” We just did not know. “
To consistently win and transform the Sixers into the championships the franchise has predicted, a change must be made.
Even without Simmons in the lineup, the sweep of the first round was unacceptable.
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