DLeethal wrote:nycericanguy wrote:Chandler wrote:One thing that really struck me is the Sixers are playing thibs like minutes and it’s showing up in the 4th as they lose steamAnd I think our depth and freshness is one big reason why our team has been so good in the 4th this year (plus clutch shooting)
The Sixers have zero chemistry and SVG (who has the curse of thinking himself funny) admitted as much by repeatedly saying the Sixers had to have maxey or embiid effectively go iso to the hoop. No action, no passing, and no answers how to stop the Knicks
Thibs never played anyone 38mpg while he was here. But PHI looks tired because Embiid is done, PG is old and washed, and they have no bench. I dont think it has anything to do with MPG. We had a young team with Thibs and we did not look tired last playoffs.
We had a great run last year and should have made the finals, but Thibs never had this sort of depth. We made that KAT trade knowing it was going to deplete us and that we'd need an offseason to really replenish the bench and we did. Brown came into a great situation.
Thibs never had a bench his final season but the claim isn’t totally meritless. Brown certainly managed minutes more cautiously than Thibs ever really did bench or not. Also Josh did play 37.5 mpg. But even if we totally discredit that argument, the anti Thibs argument is being proven not through the bench but through the play. The optimization of Towns as a hub, Brunson’s iso usage is down yet his production is still elite, the wing production on a nightly basis, and more than anything, the defensive scheming to hide the deficiencies of Towns and Brunson. Mike Brown’s defensive coaching has been absolutely elite during these playoffs. Maxey has been rendered a complete non factor. Truly amazing stuff.
Brown has managed Mitch preemptively. Not sure Thibs did. Come playoff time he definitely rode the started hard. I remember one sequence where Hart seemed to be playing close to every minute. And the reality is guys broke down, Mitch, OG, even Brunson was majorly dinged. And Hart for sure but he'd go out there with rib protection before he asked for a breather. The only thing I ever heard being attributed to Mikal was a concern over minutes -- and this came from the current NBA iron man.
And of course it's a concern when it leaded to injuries of whatever sort, but that's not the only one. Guys are not as alert, and not at 100% and on tight games you only need one fumbled possession.
I don't have the stats in front of me but I have to imagine Maxey is playing Hart-like minutes (from prior 2 playoff years).
And for the record Thibs did have a bench. Shamet, Mitch, Achiuwa, Mcbride, Kolek.
All that said, Thibs had his way, and he enjoyed a certain amount of success with it. You can't really tell him, do this or do that and expect it just to work, just the same way you can't take a great French chef and put him in an Italian restaurant and expect better Italian food.
Thibs was definitely set in his ways, no doubt. Brown is more of the opposite. He's far more willing to experiment in major ways. Sometimes it works out beautifully (e..g., Towns running the offense out of the high post) and sometimes it's frustrating.
5/9/2026 2:15 PM
