February 3, 2003 Larry Brown soon might leave the Philadelphia 76ers. Then again, he might not. I'm not going anywhere," Brown said after earlier suggesting someone else might be better off coaching the 76ers. "Since [the Eagles'] Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb have gotten out of town, people don't have anything else to write about. You guys listen to 100 things I say, and write about one thing. It's typical." Pat Riley, a fellow traumatized coaching veteran, suggested everyone relax. "He only gets neurotic once a month," the Heat's coach joked. "I get neurotic every night." But Brown just might go this time. The reason: Allen Iverson. But not because they can't get along. Instead, the thinking is that Brown probably has seen the best of Iverson, that he is heading downhill and taking the 76ers with him. The team is 25-23 after a 15-4 start. Sure, Brown, as de facto general manager, hasn't helped the situation with his tinkering. The perfect defensive team that went to the 2001 Finals has been altered drastically. Brown now waxes longingly for George Lynch and Tyrone Hill, saying last week after a loss, "George Lynch, Tyrone, people like that wouldn't let this happen." Brown recently said three starters can't guard anyone and singled out several players, most notably Keith Van Horn. "He can't be on our team and take 12 shots or eight shots," Brown said. "Why would you have the guy? I want him hungry enough to demand the ball." And Brown may see the big decline coming with Iverson, 27, who is averaging 26.9 points a game. Although Iverson remains a force, many around the NBA see his body breaking down more quickly because of his reckless style of play. "I said when [Iverson] came in that he was a 10-year player, and I still say that," said NBA veteran Eddie Johnson, now a Suns broadcaster. "You cannot survive not taking care of your body." In his seventh season, Iverson is at a four-year low in his scoring average, is shooting 40 percent and is at a career-low 26.7 percent on threes. "I might be playing the worst I've played in my career," Iverson admitted recently. At 62, Brown might not want to ride the 76ers down as Riley has with Miami. Denver has been mentioned as one possible next stop for Brown. The rebuilding Nuggets have oodles of salary-cap room, a potential star in Nene Hilario and another lottery draft pick. Brown has coached there, and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe played for Brown at UCLA and has remained close
The perfect coach for us. Les? Calling Leslie Alexander... Seriously, this guy has all the tools Rudy doesn't. x/o adjustments rotations discipline respect gets xtra wins/playoffs everywhere - Clippers/SA/Indy/Philly. takes no guff, but can work even with an Iverson. You never associate Larry Brown with "clueless" "inexplicable" or "bizzare" coaching. You never think of Larry Brown too stuck on a "special" player pal that he can't crack him for a screw up. I would be offering Brown huge huge jack to step in right now. If Larry Brown is coach of the Rockets - they make the 2nd round, this year, finals in 2. With Rudy, we miss the playoffs. Again. Yeah, the money you spend on the coach MATTERS.
Was Larry Brown the assistant to Rudy in the 2000 Olympics? If Philly lets Larry Brown loose without conditions, it's not a bad idea. Rudy can be promoted now. Brown coached Miller and Smits to the East Conf Champ games, only lost to the Bulls by a thin hair. Actually, in that 7th game at Chicago, Indy played better and lead all game long until at the very end. I bet Brown would love this opportunity to death. Les, do you need a telephone?
As much as I want Rudy gone, and Brown in, we're not gonna have a change in coaching during the season. Maybe this summer if we dont make the playoffs. Actually, definitely this summer if we dont make the playoffs.
