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Sixers’ Brett Brown doubts lack of fans at NBA games will water down competitiveness | Off the Dribble

"I think it will be almost comical like the communication with referees and the almost back and forth with players and refs," said Brown.

Sixers head coach Brett Brown is seen behind Al Horford as he speaks with the referees in the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown is seen behind Al Horford as he speaks with the referees in the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
    by Keith Pompey
    Updated 
    Published 

Welcome to the Unhappy 68th.

This is the 68th day since the NBA regular season was suspended March 11. My expectation is the NBA will resume action later this summer. But that shouldn’t stop you from keeping up with the 76ers while we deal with the coronavirus.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every Monday during the pandemic. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers. Thank you for reading.

— Keith Pompey (offthedribble@inquirer.com)

A lot will be revealed during fan-less games

By now, NBA enthusiasts should be aware the hope is for the 2019-20 season to resume at one of two locations without fans.

“I think obviously playing in front of no fans, especially our fans, isn’t ideal,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “Do I think it would water down the competitive side? I don’t.”

But it might reveal things to the television audiences. Sort of like how audiences can now hear instructions from corner men during televised UFC matches without fans.

“I think it will be almost comical like the communication with referees and the almost back and forth with players and refs,” Brown said. “Think about that. Like so much of it really is drowned out with 20,000 people that won’t be [there].”

At least they won’t have to worry about the disparity between their home and road records.

The Sixers have the league’s best home record at 29-2. Yet they are 10-24 away from the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers have lost 10 of their last 11 road games.

Starting Five

  1. Sixers’ Brett Brown feels his process is ‘incomplete’ "I’ve been with you and this city for seven years. We’ve gone through naviculars and pandemics and [four] GMs and 100-whatever players, and here we are. I feel that it’s incomplete,” Brown said.

  2. Sixers podcast: Looking ahead to 2020-21 season. Former Inquirer reporter John Mitchell joins the podcast to discuss COVID-19′s impact on professional sports and the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

  3. Sixers mailbag: Yes, Ben Simmons can become an NBA MVP ... if he gets out of his comfort zone. There’s nothing Simmons can’t do in regards to being an elite NBA player. It’s more about what he’s willing to do.

  4. Sixers’ Mike Scott, Red Bull donate 600 meals to overnight workers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I am honored to be able to provide meals for the overnight staff for CHOP as they are often overlooked, but still working while many of us are sleeping," Scott said.

  5. Ben Simmons was in so much pain in Milwaukee that he was vomiting, and other Sixers insights from Brett Brown. The return of the Sixers’ star point guard from a serious back injury is one of the reasons Brett Brown feels like the final judgment on his team has yet to be written, writes David Murphy

Anniversary of Jordan’s last MVP award

Twenty-two years ago today Michael Jordan was named the NBA’s most valuable player for the fifth time.

The 1997-98 MVP award tied Jordan, arguably the league’s greatest player, for the second-most with Bill Russell. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named MVP a record six times.

Jordan averaged 28.7 points and 1.7 steals in what was his final season as a Chicago Bull. The Bulls concluded that season with a third straight NBA title and sixth in eight seasons.

The final two episodes of the 10-part documentary on Jordan’s career and the Bulls’ 1997-98 season aired Sunday night on ESPN. Jordan was presented the award on May 19, 1998 before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers.

Passing the Rock

Question: When are the Sixers returning to the workout facility?— @John_Dee14 (Twitter)

Answer: That’s a great question. The team’s practice facility is in Camden, and New Jersey has opened up golf courses and will reopen construction projects, retail stores and beaches. However, the Sixers want to continue monitoring what’s going on in the state and at other NBA practice facilities before re-opening.