The Philadelphia 76ers have not shown much fight in their first two playoff games against the Boston Celtics. According to head coach Brett Brown, that may be a product of the team’s locker room makeup.
Following Philadelphia’s 128-101 loss to the Celtics on Thursday night, Brown indicated that the Sixers are lacking a true emotional player.
“There’s nobody in that locker room that’s a kick-a-chair, throw-a-towel, flip-a-desk kind of player,” Brown said, per Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “And that’s OK.”
Brown had to have had Jimmy Butler in mind when he made that remark. Butler is regarded as one of the most intense, hard-working players in the NBA, and the 76ers sent him to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade last offseason.
Butler cares so much about winning that he has clashed with teammates in the past who do not match his intensity. He also had security called on him at the Orlando bubble because he was making so much noise working out.
While Butler may rub some people the wrong way, his passion for the game can elevate teammates in certain spots. The Sixers have been missing that this season, and it’s showing in the playoffs.
