76ers' Brand backs Brown after recent skid

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand said Friday he still fully supports head coach Brett Brown, despite the team's recent struggles.

"Brett is our head coach," Brand said before the Sixers' win over the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews. "I believe in Brett’s ability to lead this team."

"I will be responsible for that decision when it comes," he continued, avoiding hypothetical questions about the future of the club's head coaching job while adding "I'm not going to play what-ifs."

Brown has become an easy target for notoriously tough Philadelphia fans and media in the wake of a recent 2-5 swoon, with the team's lack of spacing on display. On Wednesday, forward Al Horford told a local radio station that "there's some stuff going on in our locker room, and we'll keep that internal."

When asked Friday if he would approve of Brown moving Horford to the bench, Brand said it's the coach's call.

"Brett has been empowered to make any decision he feels he needs to win," the GM said, according to The Philly Voice's Kyle Neubeck.

The Sixers rebounded from Thursday's road loss to the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks to beat the Grizzlies at home Friday, getting a career-high 34 points from Furkan Korkmaz in the process.