76ers' Brett Brown Isn't Thinking About his Future Right now
Heading into the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, many rumors around the NBA indicated that the Philadelphia 76ers could move on from Brett Brown depending on how the team performs in the postseason that year.
After fighting through seven games with the eventual NBA Champions, the Sixers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The term "run it back" was popular within the Sixers organization, and Philly decided to allow Brown to do so as they kept him in charge of the squad for another season.
Now that we're back in the playoffs more than a year later, Brown is in a similar position. Except for this time, his team's playoff performance isn't leaving anybody with an ounce of hope. Unlike the last two postseasons, the Sixers are struggling to get by the first round of the playoffs.
And at this point, Philly is one loss away from being sent home by way of a sweep against the Boston Celtics. The writing is on the wall for Brett Brown at the moment, but the 76ers' longtime coach admits he isn't too worried about what's in store for the future. Instead, he's focused on getting his team to climb back and try to save the season. And in Brown's case, possibly his future in Philadelphia. Again, the latter factor isn't his on his mind, however.
"I don't [think about the future] -- I really don't," Brown said following the Game 3 loss. "I understand the circumstance, but my job is to focus on what I really can do. My players deserve that. I've been in this city for seven years, and tonight's loss is what's most on my mind. My effort truly is on trying to find a win and keep this series alive and do my job for my players."
On Sunday, the Sixers will compete with the Celtics in Game 4 of the series. A win for Philly buys them another few days down in Orlando. A loss, though, sends them packing and ends their 2019-2020 season officially. If that's the case, then Brown's tenure in Philadelphia could realistically be finished. At the moment, though, the Sixers aren't focused on anything beyond Sunday afternoon.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_