Depressed Fan

It struck me as odd, and possibly even a huge conflict of interest, that Larry Brown was advising the Sixers on the Allen Iverson deal. This article from ESPN.com may shed some light on his motives for lending a helping hand.

It seems as though Larry Brown is pondering taking a bigger role within the Sixers organization. Or at least, that's the rumor. I'm going to take this logic a step further and predict that not only will Brown return to the Sixers organization in some kind of official role this year, but he'll be coaching the Sixers next season.

There is logic behind this claim, Larry Brown doesn't want to be remembered for his last coaching stop with the New York Knicks. Taking that job, with that GM, was the worst mistake he could've made. Brown is more of a teacher than a coach. There's nothing he loves more than taking raw talent, and molding it into a winning team. This is why he coveted the North Carolina job years ago, this is why he took Allen Iverson and a bunch of also-rans to the finals, and this is why he is the only coach to win an NBA championship without a true superstar in the past decade. I think Brown will have his thumbprint on the upcoming draft, and he'll take this team over next season.

From the historical perspective, I hate the fact that Brown left the Sixers high and dry a couple years ago. I hate the fact that he couldn't find a way to get along with Iverson. Emotionally, it would be hard to swallow seeing him on that bench again. That being said, I think he's absolutely the right guy to coach this team ... if he's going to stay here for four or five years.

Logically, if you're a Sixers' fan, you have to want Brown to take over this team next year. Think about the pieces he'll have to work with, especially if they get Oden in the draft. This is the quickest route back to the playoffs. Make no mistake, it won't be that quick even with Brown, but it should be a lot more fun to watch, and he would be able to get the most out of guys like Iguodala and Dalembert.