The Indispensable Larry Brown

The word on the street is that Larry Brown's return to the Sixers in one capacity or another is a foregone conclusion now that his Hornets have been summarily eliminated from the playoffs.

The conventional wisdom seems to be that Brown is the pre-eminent turnaround artist. He is the man who knows exactly what buttons to press to turn a loser into a winner. Perhaps.

Over his 35 year career, coach Brown has certainly achieved noteworthy successes including an NCAA championship at Kansas and NBA championship at Detroit. But he has also left at least three franchises in shambles - New Jersey, Indiana and New York - two more if you count Philadelphia and Detroit. He also seriously underachieved with the U.S. basketball squad at the 2004 Olympics. And he certainly didn't perform any magic with the Charlotte Hornets - making the playoffs in the mediocre Eastern Conference and getting swept in the first round are not going to inspire a remake of "Hoosiers".

Moreover, Brown has a history of unreliability, having left teams with seemingly no warning and inadequate explanation. We are now told that the coach really loves Charlotte and Michael Jordan but he would really like to be with his family in the Delaware Valley. Would Jordan have gone out of his way to recruit Brown if he knew this was in the back of the coach's mind all along?

Larry Brown had one tour of duty in Philadelphia and that was enough. It's time for the Sixers to start fresh with a relatively young crew in the front office and on the bench and start building a team brick by brick. But the indispensable one, coach Brown, wants to be closer to his family so naturally he will be returning to Philly, until he is struck by another whim - like coaching the Ukrainian national team.

Alumni Update: Larry Brown, Kyle Korver

How Are They Doing?

Larry Brown's Charlotte Bobcats are 17-25 and in 4th place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. But they are 10-9 since they acquired Boris Diaw and Raja Bell from the Phoenix Suns. The consensus in Charlotte is that with the personnel moves the team has made in the last month or two, they have a very solid nucleus including a good mix of young players and veterans. However, their bench needs strengthening. The team bears watching.

Kyle Korver played 4 1/2 seasons with the Sixers. In his best year, 06-07, he averaged 30 minutes and 14 ppg. Overall, he averaged about 10 ppg, as a long-range shooter at guard or forward, usually off the bench. His shooting stroke is considered one of the purest in the league, although he is a spot-up shooter, not a creator. In December 07, Korver was traded to Utah for guard Gordon Giricek and a draft choice, primarily for salary cap considerations. How has Korver done with the Jazz? His role is the same as it was in Philly - to provide instant offense off the bench. In about a year, he is averaging about 22 minutes and just under 10 ppg. However, this year his points and especially shooting percentage are down. Team observers attribute this to injuries to key big men, notably Carlos Boozer, enabling opponents to focus their attention on Utah's outside people, especially Korver, who as noted above is not adept at creating his own shot. Even with numerous injuries to key people, the Jazz, 25-18, are in the thick of things in the Northwest Division.

Larry Brown Watch

The Charlotte Bobcats are off to a 2-5 start. Off course, it's far too early to draw any conclusions from this. But it will be interesting to chart the team's progress because of the arrival of Larry Brown as head coach. It has been noted here before that while Brown has left at least four NBA franchises - New Jersey, Indiana, Philadelphia, and New York - in shambles, not to mention one olympic team, his name is at or near the top of every list when a coaching vacancy surfaces whether it be the pros, the collegiate ranks, or the 3rd graders at P.S. 189. Brown is the ultimate "teacher" we're told, the guru of the hardwood. One pictures Coach Brown sitting in the lotus position on a Himalayan peak where general managers come calling. The GM's are accompanied by sherpas carrying sacks of money to entice the coach to come down from the mountain just once more to lead their struggling teams to the promised land. Making the playoffs in the mediocre Eastern Conference should not be an impossible dream for a Hall of Fame coach. But whether he succeeds, or presides over another implosion, count on Brown's reputation to remain unsullied.

Larry Brown

Larry Brown is almost universally hailed as a brilliant coach, coveted by teams at all levels. Yet in his pro coaching career, he has left at least three franchises in shambles - New Jersey, Indiana, and New York. And then there was the 2004 Olympic team debacle. Memo to Charlotte Bobcats: Let the buyer beware.