Brown bagged

Coach's exit may signal end of an era in Philly

By John Hollinger, SI.com

76ers at a Glance Head coach: Randy Ayers 2002-03: 48-34 2002-03 Stats Key Additions PF Marc Jackson (T'wolves) SF Glenn Robinson (Hawks) Key Losses SF Keith Van Horn (Knicks) PF Brian Skinner (Bucks) PF Tyrone Hill (free agent) Projected Lineup Starters Reserves PG  E. Snow J. Salmons SG  A. Iverson A. McKie SF  G. Robinson G. Buckner PF  K. Thomas M. Jackson C  D. Coleman S. Dalembert

How much was the coach, and how much was the players? That's the question facing the 76ers after they parted ways with head coach Larry Brown during the offseason and replaced him with assistant Randy Ayers.

Under Brown, the Sixers went to the 2001 Finals and were annual participants in the playoffs. On the other hand, the players had a huge part in that. Allen Iverson and Eric Snow are still on the roster, forming one of the best backcourts in the NBA. The Sixers also re-signed frontcourt free agents Kenny Thomas and Derrick Coleman, who were vital cogs as the team got scorching hot during the second half of the season last year.

But Ayers is not the only new face in Philadelphia. The 76ers dealt forward Keith Van Horn to New York in a complicated trade that netted Glenn Robinson from the Hawks and big man Marc Jackson from Minnesota. Robinson's fit with the 76ers has been the subject of debate -- his shooting is desperately needed, but his craving for the ball may not mesh well with Iverson and he plays virtually no defense.

But the bigger concern for the 76ers is up front, where Coleman is 36 and injury-prone and the supporting cast doesn't sport an impressive resume. One has to wonder if Brown didn't get out just in the nick of time.

Backcourt. Philadelphia's backcourt is simply outstanding. For starters, there's Iverson. The two-time scoring champ "only" racked up 27.6 a night last year, and posted his usual unimpressive field-goal percentage (41.4 percent). But look a little closer, and you'll see a changed man. Iverson passed like crazy during the second half of the season. He averaged over seven assists a game in the playoffs and continued spreading the wealth in his play for the U.S. this summer. His newfound awareness of the other four players on the court should especially benefit Robinson, who likes to be set up by others for his deadly mid-range jump shots.

But the underrated weapon in this backcourt is Snow. A devastating defensive player, the 6-foot-3 Snow is strong enough to take shooting guards that are too big for the 6-0 Iverson to guard, yet quick enough to defend the Marburys and Kidds that oppose him at point guard. Offensively, his steady improvement has been something to behold. He still can't make a 3-pointer, but his mid-range jumper is reliable enough that he's become a capable scoring threat in addition to his passing and ballhandling skills.

Behind those two is Aaron McKie, a one-time Sixth Man winner who struggled last year in the bizarre role of alternating between point guard and small forward. This year Ayers will ask him to focus on playing shooting guard, where he should be more comfortable firing away off the bench instead of becoming mired in the role confusion that seemed to plague him last year.

Second-year pro John Salmons comes off the bench to fill out the backcourt. He's a strong defender who struggles shooting but had a promising summer league and will see more minutes this year.

Shooting. One reason the 76ers were so excited to get Robinson was because their outside shooting is such a liability. Only two teams made fewer 3-pointers than the 76ers a year ago, and only the anemic Nuggets shot worse than their 31.1 percent. But the flip side is that they also lost their best shooter in the deal. Van Horn was the only Sixer to make more than a third of his trifectas, so the Big Dog -- who prefers shooting from inside the arc anyway -- may not budge that number much.

Snow and Salmons are poor shooters, but they at least know it and attempt very few 3-pointers. Iverson, on the other hand, launched over 300 bombs last year and really needs to stop: he made just 27.7 percent of his attempts. While that was a career-low, his 31 percent lifetime mark is nothing to brag about either. The fact is that teams gleefully concede the long shot to Iverson rather than have to deal with his fearsome forays to the basket, so he should only be hoisting threes as a last resort.

Meanwhile, the 76ers will continue to face packed-in zones until they prove that they can beat teams from the perimeter. Robinson obviously plays a huge role in that, but a recovery from McKie would also help. McKie slumped from 39.8 percent in 2001-02 to 33.0 percent last year, and only took half as many attempts. The threat has to come from one of those two, because none of the other perimeter players are capable long-range shooters.

Oddly enough, the 76ers were one of the best foul shooting teams in the league at 77.5 percent.

Will the frontcourt hold up? The Sixers steamrolled through last season's second half before the Pistons booted them from the posteason. That success was built largely on the success of two role players, Kenny Thomas and Derrick Coleman. Coleman took over at the center position despite being undersized and shocked the masses with inspired play and a rare run of health. Thomas, meanwhile, suddenly turned into a beast on the glass when he arrived in Philly after a midseason trade. He averaged 8.5 boards a game in Philadelphia and shot 48.2 percent, both of which comfortably exceeded his previous career-bests.

But questions loom. For one, each gives up three inches. Thomas is just 6-foot-7 and will no longer have the 6-10 Van Horn around to bail him out of matchups with longer players. Coleman, meanwhile, is 6-10 and can't jump anymore, and has missed 90 games with a variety of ailments over the past three seasons. At 36, nobody's expecting an 82-game season, and his performance could drop off quickly from the wear and tear in the middle.

Behind them is Marc Jackson, who is a decent reserve but decidedly weak on the defensive end. Samuel Dalembert, another oft-injured big man, is also in the mix, but the loss of frontcourt reserves Brian Skinner and Tyrone Hill to free agency will leave a dent.

Hanging on. The 76ers still have the devastating backcourt, but it's unlikely that Thomas and Coleman can repeate their performances of a year ago. Meanwhile, the front line is going to be a nightly handicap at the defensive end. Iverson and Snow should be enough for the 76ers to squeak into the playoffs, but Brown has always had a knack for knowing the right time to go, and it appears he's chosen wisely once again.

John Hollinger covers basketball for SI.com and is the author of Pro Basketball Prospectus. Click here to send him a question or comment.