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  4. title => "Will Joel Embiid live in the paint? How Brett Brown wants to help his \u2018unicorn\u2019 build a legacy "
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  6. article_body => "<p>Two days before the Sixers\u2019 regular-season opener vs. the Boston Celtics, Brett Brown was thinking big.<\/p>\n<p>The Sixers' head coach reflected after practice Monday afternoon on his \u201chuge\u201d team, his All-Star big man, Joel Embiid, and the big picture of Embiid\u2019s career.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I think he\u2019s going to have a year that puts us in a position to win a championship. \u2026 I feel a tremendous responsibility to help him define his legacy. And legacies start with championships. And I didn\u2019t take an \u2018s\u2019 off that word on purpose \u2014&nbsp;it\u2019s <em>championships<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel a role and a responsibility to help him. Him owning the paint is as good a place to start as any. It\u2019s where my mind has been centered all summer. It\u2019s the messaging that we\u2019ve discussed as a team and with him. We\u2019ve admitted we\u2019re huge; what does that look like? What can we do to exploit our team? And with Joel especially, I think he\u2019s going to have a fantastic season. \u2026 I\u2019m really excited to help him improve and grow.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Brown has spoken on both Embiid\u2019s legacy and the desire for him to \u201clive in the paint\u201d more this season multiple times over the past few weeks. He\u2019s&nbsp;determined to get more out of Embiid beyond the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/joel-embiid-load-management-sixers-media-day-elton-brand-bryan-colangelo\" target=\"_blank\"> fundamental tenets of conditioning and health<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Embiid was second in the NBA&nbsp;with 8.1 post&nbsp;ups per game last season, <a href=\"https:\/\/stats.nba.com\/players\/playtype-post-up\/?SeasonYear=2018-19&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;sort=POSS&amp;dir=1\" target=\"_blank\">per NBA.com\/Stats<\/a>, and it sounds like Brown wants that number&nbsp;to increase.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For his part, Embiid has said he wants to be the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/joel-embiid-wants-to-be-goat-knows-what-it-will-take-be-part-conversation\" target=\"_blank\">greatest to ever do it<\/a>.\u201d And he was clear during training camp that his preference is to be stationed more down low and less outside of the three-point line.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike I\u2019ve always said before, I don\u2019t like shooting threes,\u201d Embiid said on Oct. 4. \u201cBut this year since we\u2019re going to have Ben [Simmons] willing to take those threes, maybe it\u2019s going to put my game more inside. I\u2019m hoping that he will shoot them, so I do my job, what I do inside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brown had no doubt Monday when asked if Embiid will be more of a low-post force this season.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I don\u2019t think it, I know it. When you look at him, he is a unicorn. When we say who is Joel Embiid like, or who is like Joel Embiid \u2014&nbsp;Joel can score in a variety of ways. Is he [Shaquille O\u2019Neal]? He\u2019s got a little bit of that in him. Is he Arvydas Sabonis? That was a pretty multi-dimensional player. Is he Hakeem [Olajuwon]? [Tim] Duncan was a good low-post player and could step out at the elbow or foul line and make a jump shot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you start trying to put him in a box and say, \u2018This is all you are,\u2019 it\u2019s a huge, na\u00efve mistake. It\u2019s a really na\u00efve mistake. Where is he at his best? We get where it is, and we have to center our gravity more in that area of where it is. I think it\u2019s going to equal free throws and kick outs and all of that. But to think that\u2019s the only floor spot where he lives is really recklessly na\u00efve. You go Shaq, Shaq, Shaq \u2014&nbsp;it\u2019s deeper than that. It\u2019s on me as his coach, and on him, to better understand how do I best impact the game, help this team win championships, take off like I want to take off at the start of the year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sabonis, Olajuwon and O\u2019Neal are all enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Duncan, who Brown knows well from his time as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, will surely be inducted in 2020. Brown told NBC Sports Philadelphia last March that the Sixers\u2019 post offense around Embiid \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/brett-brown-interview-sixers-post-offense-ben-simmons-joel-embiid-film-review\" target=\"_blank\">replicates what we did with Duncan for 12 years in San Antonio<\/a>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While assistant coach Kevin Young said at Brown\u2019s coaches clinic on Sept. 23 that the Sixers plan to run more \u201cExplosion\u201d this season, the free-flowing, improvisational movement off a player in the post that often enabled Simmons to find cutters in 2018-19, the emphasis with Embiid has generally been on having players set at specific starting spots, surrounding the 25-year-old with outlets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Embiid said at media day that decision-making&nbsp;out of double teams&nbsp;was one&nbsp;of his focuses during the offseason. He did improve in that area last year, turning the ball over on 13.1 percent of his post-up possessions, the lowest rate of his career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Brown and Embiid\u2019s larger ambitions of championships, legacies and the like might sound outlandish to some&nbsp;in isolation. In context, though, there are tangible steps they can take&nbsp;toward those goals.<\/p>\n<p>Both Brown and his big man hope many take place in the paint.<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/sixers-talk-a-philadelphia-76ers-podcast\/episodes\/01dbba2a-8f8d-4bc9-bf47-0a47f48c052b\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&amp;creative_id=nbcsphi1356&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Sixers<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-shooting-brett-brown-tobias-harris-josh-richardson-joel-embiid-mike-scott\">Sixers will hang their hat on defense, but those shooting questions haven\u2019t gone away<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/furkan-korkmaz-sixers-bench-shake-milton-zhaire-smith\">Sixers' vision of what Korkmaz could be shouldn't lead them to block out other options<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-season-roster-christ-koumadje-haywood-highsmith-isaiah-miles-delaware-blue-coats\">Sixers waive 3 players, which should leave them with their roster for opener<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/shizz-alston-terry-harris-julian-washburn-sixers-roster-delaware-blue-coats\">Former Temple star and Tobias Harris\u2019 brother will join Sixers\u2019 G-League team<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-al-horford-joker-movie-ben-simmons-tobias-harris-joel-embiid-josh-richardson-brett-brown\">Spoiler alert: Al Horford is a better teammate than film critic<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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76ers

76ers

Two days before the Sixers’ regular-season opener vs. the Boston Celtics, Brett Brown was thinking big.

The Sixers' head coach reflected after practice Monday afternoon on his “huge” team, his All-Star big man, Joel Embiid, and the big picture of Embiid’s career.

I think he’s going to have a year that puts us in a position to win a championship. … I feel a tremendous responsibility to help him define his legacy. And legacies start with championships. And I didn’t take an ‘s’ off that word on purpose — it’s championships.

“I feel a role and a responsibility to help him. Him owning the paint is as good a place to start as any. It’s where my mind has been centered all summer. It’s the messaging that we’ve discussed as a team and with him. We’ve admitted we’re huge; what does that look like? What can we do to exploit our team? And with Joel especially, I think he’s going to have a fantastic season. … I’m really excited to help him improve and grow.

Brown has spoken on both Embiid’s legacy and the desire for him to “live in the paint” more this season multiple times over the past few weeks. He’s determined to get more out of Embiid beyond the fundamental tenets of conditioning and health. 

Embiid was second in the NBA with 8.1 post ups per game last season, per NBA.com/Stats, and it sounds like Brown wants that number to increase. 

 

For his part, Embiid has said he wants to be the “greatest to ever do it.” And he was clear during training camp that his preference is to be stationed more down low and less outside of the three-point line. 

“Like I’ve always said before, I don’t like shooting threes,” Embiid said on Oct. 4. “But this year since we’re going to have Ben [Simmons] willing to take those threes, maybe it’s going to put my game more inside. I’m hoping that he will shoot them, so I do my job, what I do inside.”

Brown had no doubt Monday when asked if Embiid will be more of a low-post force this season.

I don’t think it, I know it. When you look at him, he is a unicorn. When we say who is Joel Embiid like, or who is like Joel Embiid — Joel can score in a variety of ways. Is he [Shaquille O’Neal]? He’s got a little bit of that in him. Is he Arvydas Sabonis? That was a pretty multi-dimensional player. Is he Hakeem [Olajuwon]? [Tim] Duncan was a good low-post player and could step out at the elbow or foul line and make a jump shot. 

“When you start trying to put him in a box and say, ‘This is all you are,’ it’s a huge, naïve mistake. It’s a really naïve mistake. Where is he at his best? We get where it is, and we have to center our gravity more in that area of where it is. I think it’s going to equal free throws and kick outs and all of that. But to think that’s the only floor spot where he lives is really recklessly naïve. You go Shaq, Shaq, Shaq — it’s deeper than that. It’s on me as his coach, and on him, to better understand how do I best impact the game, help this team win championships, take off like I want to take off at the start of the year.

Sabonis, Olajuwon and O’Neal are all enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Duncan, who Brown knows well from his time as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, will surely be inducted in 2020. Brown told NBC Sports Philadelphia last March that the Sixers’ post offense around Embiid “replicates what we did with Duncan for 12 years in San Antonio.” 

While assistant coach Kevin Young said at Brown’s coaches clinic on Sept. 23 that the Sixers plan to run more “Explosion” this season, the free-flowing, improvisational movement off a player in the post that often enabled Simmons to find cutters in 2018-19, the emphasis with Embiid has generally been on having players set at specific starting spots, surrounding the 25-year-old with outlets. 

 

Embiid said at media day that decision-making out of double teams was one of his focuses during the offseason. He did improve in that area last year, turning the ball over on 13.1 percent of his post-up possessions, the lowest rate of his career. 

Brown and Embiid’s larger ambitions of championships, legacies and the like might sound outlandish to some in isolation. In context, though, there are tangible steps they can take toward those goals.

Both Brown and his big man hope many take place in the paint.

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