Brown envisions his Sixers someday playing like the Spurs

AFTER A LONG practice day that starts early in the film room, goes to the court and back to the film room - littered with meetings with his coaching staff and one-on-ones with his players, 76ers coach Brett Brown usually heads back to his hotel room (final plans on a home not completed, yet) for a little bit of relaxation.

Thursday night, that included flicking on the television and catching a bit of the Miami Heat-San Antonio Spurs game. No doubt the memories flooded back to Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season, when Miami won an improbable game, aided by a last-second three by Ray Allen, to force a win-it-all game in which the Heat captured its second consecutive title.

But that wasn't foremost on Brown's mind. Instead, as he watched his former team beat up on the Heat, the only thought that rushed into his head was getting his current team looking like his former one. No doubt that process (if perfected) will take up most, if not all, of the 4 years he's signed on for. Watching just reaffirmed the direction that needs to be taken to turn this abysmal organization into some kind of respectability.

"I think that they look better [than when he was there]," Brown said of the Spurs. "I think [Marco] Belinelli has come in and really fit into that style of play. The improvement of Patty Mills is evident. Their second unit especially is their wrecking crew because they come in with quick points and all play together. You come in with [Manu Ginobili] and [Tiago Splitter] and [Boris Diaw] and [Mills] and Belinelli and they just play together. It's a very European, international, global feel that they've created."

Of course, it helps that San Antonio had David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, among others, while Brown was there. Still, without the talent, there are other variables Brown wants his team to emulate.

"It starts with what they had," he said. "Their rebuild was so different because they had David and then he got injured and they won 20 games and here comes Timmy and they had a pretty decent surrounding crew when Timmy came in. They started on a post game and they surrounded shooters around David and Timmy. And then they really got into letting Manu drive. Manu was always significantly better when [Matt] Bonner or [Robert] Horry was on the floor, because there was space. And then we would pick-and-roll Tony and you had to space around that. And then they all coexisted.

"This is what I want, this is what I want to help create. You see a team that plays as a team first. The layers underneath that are, they really pass the ball. They found a system that enables them to have a hybrid of pick-and-roll, ball movement from side to side, a Euro-type feel that they all can coexist and play together in a system. You add those components where there's a prideful defensive identity, there's a free-flowing, unselfish offense all under the roof of some really unselfish players and a hell of a coach. That's what you want to create, that's what you hope to bring to this city. That's what I see."

Realizing that vision right now is very distant, but the plan was right in front of his eyes, on his television, Thursday night.

Nerlens Noel was on the floor wearing a practice jersey yesterday, something he hasn't done all that much. There didn't appear to be much sweat soaking his tank top (media are not allowed to watch practice), but it was a progressive movement.

"He's slowly doing a little bit more physical stuff," Brown said. "He's slowly doing a little bit more where he can play against another body, and I highlight the word slowly and I highlight the word cautiously."

When pressed on whether Noel is going against a body or bodies, he said: "Bodies. A little bit, a little bit more. He's moving in that direction. Whether we ever get to see him in a game this year, it really is 'Who knows?' I've gone on record to say I wish I could coach him and get some games under our belt with him. The boxes that he has to tick, those have yet to be ticked."

In other injury news, Brown said forward Brandon Davies could be back within a week and guard Jason Richardson, though a great help to the coaching staff, probably won't play this season after a severe knee injury last season.

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