Philadelphia 76ers to Interview Big Names to Create Strong Coaching Staff for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons

Things are apparently going downhill for the Philadelphia 76ers franchise at the moment. They suffered an embarrassing sweep in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. As a result, the front office fired head coach Brett Brown after seven seasons, and his spot is yet to be filled. Philly needs an experienced head coach, and there are plenty of candidates to choose from. 

Firing Brett Brown seemed like a sudden decision, but fans expected the move. In his long tenure as the coach, Brown could not guide the Sixers past the conference semi-finals. 

They’ve had brilliant rosters over the years, but they never proved their talent on the court. With just a 39.1% success rate in the regular season, Brown did not fulfill the high expectations that he had set, and thus, the management had to let him go. 

Philly is one of the most fabled franchises in the league’s rich history. However, they’ve fallen short of expectations for several years running. In fact, it has been about two decades since they appeared in the conference finals, and their most recent trip came during the 2000-01 season. 

This certainly calls for a change, and the front office is upping the pace on its coaching hunt. There are several suitable names who can fill in the role of Brett Brown and lead the team.

Big names shortlisted for the Philadelphia 76ers coaching job

Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand is on a mission to reconstruct the franchise. The nucleus of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will remain intact, and hiring a new HC remains a priority. The names that are in the mix to receive the nod are mind-blowing.

The first one is Mike D’Antoni, who parted ways with the Rockets after crashing out from the second round of the playoffs. Moreover, Shams Charania of ‘The Athletic’ reports that Brand has already met with several potential candidates for the vacant head coach position. In addition, Brand is keen on assembling a strong list of suitable candidates within the next ten days. 

“Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, ex-Thunder coach Billy Donovan and Clippers assistant Ty Lue are expected to be part of the next round of interviews and are strongly vying for and interested in the position, according to sources,” Charania wrote. 

Among those aforementioned names, only Tyronn Lue has championship experience. Lue was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers when they completed their terrific comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Lue can be an exciting new fit, but Billy Donovan boasts more experience. The 55-year-old is a two time NCAA champion as a HC and is one of the most revered college coaches. 

There are exciting times ahead for the Philadelphia 76ers. They’re about to see a change in coaching personnel after seven long years. Simmons and Embiid are a great duo who require proper reinforcements to help them make a deep playoff run.