Sixers' Brown craves stability

IF THERE is one word you could use to describe the 76ers, and that's not an easy task, it would probably be unstable. Players come and go, styles of play are here one minute, gone the next.

Until Sam Hinkie's plan starts to really come together, that is the life that coach Brett Brown and this organization is going to have.

In San Antonio, Brown was blessed with the type of stability rarely seen in sports. The Spurs rolled out 50-win seasons as easily as Hank Aaron hit 30 home runs. The machine kept rolling year after year, with just a few tweaks here and there. It is the exact opposite of what Brown has now, but he knows the importance of getting back to that level of stability.

"I don't feel like I can be at my best unless you have that, and sometimes that doesn't exist in the world of pro sports and you have to deal with it," he says. "I feel that, inevitably, the people of Philadelphia have heard me talk about culture and how upset I get when nobody ever applies the term longevity with that kicked-around word. It's just used as a word and it's so unfair. Stability, longevity has a chance to produce culture. That's what we aspire to one day have in Philadellphia. It doesn't force things to be handled recklessly or feel like you have to rush into it. But at some point, that has to be the end game."

When that end game will be here is anybody's guess. The cupboard is obviously stocked with a ton of draft picks. There are Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric, all waiting to make their mark in the league. Perhaps when the picks are mostly taken and the pieces are somewhat all together, the stability the coach so craves will be here.

I remember the moment as if it just happened. It was a Saturday, April 28, 2012. There were less than 2 minutes left in a game the Chicago Bulls had well in hand against the Sixers. It was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the United Center. I turned to Chicago writer Sam Smith, who was sitting next to me, and asked why coach Tom Thibodeau still had star Derrick Rose in the game. Just as Smith started to explain to me, Rose crumpled just feet from us, his left ACL torn.

The injuries since for Rose have been many and almost all serious. While many will say he has pocketed millions and we shouldn't worry about what might be a career-threatening knee injury, the NBA could be losing someone who was the 2010-11 MVP and was going to be an absolute superstar. In his prime before injury, there were few players as fun to watch as Rose, who is scheduled for knee surgery today. His prime game will be missed.

What is up with the recent trend of important sports figures shunning the media? From star running backs to Super Bowl-winning coaches to a local head coach to Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie.

And while many fans may roll their eyes while reading that sentence, this isn't a sports writer complaining about his job; it's someone who is fighting for you, the fan.

Though many may say they don't care if they hear from the likes of Marshawn Lynch or Bill Belichick or Chip Kelly or the Sixers' front office, what kind of precedent does this set? What if more and more sports figures follow suit? What if many more athletes are withdrawn from the media, or if coaches speak only when it's demanded by their leagues?

You can say you don't care, but think about how you became a sports fan in the first place. You became a fan of a team or a player because you learned something about them. You did that by reading about that player or team, by watching them in television interviews. You didn't just form an opinion by watching that player or team perform. Almost always there was more to it than that, and it is our job to provide that information.

The fans deserve to learn more about the players and teams they spend a huge amount of money to see play. They deserve to hear honest answers to honest questions from players and coaches and general managers. Sure, questions can sometimes seem contentious, and every person has the right not to answer. But not making themselves available to fair questions isn't right for the fans.

Hinkie spoke to the masses the day after trading Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels. He is good in front of the microphone and appears very comfortable. He certainly has a lot to tell the fans about what the future of this team may hold. He has been open about not wanting to speak to the media, in part due to the fear that he may give a competitive advantage to the Sixers' rivals, in part because it's not his personality.

The misconception about Hinkie is that he doesn't talk at all. He is very helpful to the media when asked and is fun to talk hoops with. I have told him that he should come out more often, but he says it's not his style.

Like others who feel that way, it's a shame. Not for the writers, but for the fans. Without the access that we have to the sports figures, you don't get to learn as much as you'd like.

Washington Wizards (33-25) at Sixers (12-45)

When: Tonight, 7 o'clock

Where: Wells Fargo Center

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: The Wizards are struggling, having lost five in a row and 10 of their last 12 games.

Sixers at Indiana Pacers (23-34)

When: Sunday, 6 o'clock

Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: Indiana has been hot of late, having won seven of its last 10 games. The Pacers will need this game as they make a push for a playoff spot.

Toronto Raptors (37-20) at Sixers

When: Monday, 7 o'clock

Where: Wells Fargo Center

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: Kyle Lowry seems to turn his game up more than a notch when he plays against his hometown team. No reason to think he won't do it again as his Raptors fight for good playoff seeding.

Sixers at Oklahoma City Thunder (32-25)

When: Wednesday, 8 o'clock

Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: After Tuesday's win at home against the Pacers, the Thunder was 9-1 in February. Kevin Durant may not be back for this one after a foot procedure. In the Indiana game, Russell Westbrook had a triple-double without playing in the fourth.

.729: That's the foul-shooting percentage of Nerlens Noel over his past 18 games.

.494: That's the foul shooting percentage of Nerlens Noel in his first 35 games.