October 30, 2015
Whether or not the Sixers’ grand rebuilding project ultimately pays off is still a matter of debate. One thing is for certain, though: If the team does eventually end up as a contender, this thing won’t have gone in a straight line to get there.
Two games into year three of the Hinkie-Brown-Harris partnership, the team’s head coach sounds like a general preparing to defend a siege. If this isn’t the most shorthanded Brett Brown has been as Sixers head coach, it’s got to be pretty close.
“We’re going to experience some heartache over the next month,” Brown said. “Everybody bunker in. That’s a fact, I’ve said it. It shouldn’t be a mystery. We may draw one out and go find a brilliant performance, but this is going to be a fistfight for awhile.”
The Sixers will be without their projected top two options at point guard (Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten) and their best perimeter offensive player for likely at least a couple of weeks. If you take newcomer Nik Stauskas (3-6) out of the equation, the Sixers’ guards and wings shot a combined 6-23 from the field in a blowout 99-71 loss to the Utah Jazz.
“We’re going to experience some heartache over the next month,” Brown said. “Everybody bunker in. That’s a fact, I’ve said it. It shouldn’t be a mystery. We may draw one out and go find a brilliant performance, but this is going to be a fistfight for awhile.”
Some of that futility is due to the matchup. There just aren’t many rim protectors like Rudy Gobert (six blocks, infinity altered shots) in the NBA. Anytime the Sixers were able to successfully get into the paint after decent ball movement, “The Stifle Tower” was there to thwart any shots. Scoring won’t be quite this difficult every night.
“It was a long night, I admit that,” Brown said. “But I feel like we can point at the problem. When you leave a game and aren’t sure what the hell just happened, then you worry a little bit. I feel like I know what happened. “
It won’t exactly come easy, either. After an excellent debut on Wednesday up in Boston, Jahlil Okafor fell back to Earth, which is fine. The 6-foot-11 rookie showed some flashes, but he shot 4-12 from the field and was a -35 for the game. According to Brown, his star pupil should be prepared for more of the same, at least in the short term.
“[I’m] just trying to not get too high, not get too low,” Okafor said. “Just trust the process as we always say and try to get this thing going, especially when everybody gets healthy.”
“I did alright [tonight]. I’m worried about more so the team and what we need to be able to do to win.”
Things should get a little better as the season unfolds. We have seen it happen before with this team. After losing their first 17 games last year, the Sixers “rebounded” and played much better basketball in the middle of the season.
Brown brought up a phrase Gregg Popovich championed in San Antonio, “pounding the rock.” It’s a credo of sorts that tries to emphasize persistence even when there doesn’t seem to be any tangible progress. Process over results, if you will.
“They’re not going to come in with a new set of rules tomorrow,” Brown said. “The table is set and we’re going to walk it down.”
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
