Sixers Team Building Will Shift Drastically This Offseason

By George Kondoleon | Apr 27, 2016

Oct 8, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie (R) talks with chief executive officer Scott O /

The Sixers will see changes in team building philosophy this offseason under new general manager Bryan Colangelo.

The Sixers have spent the last three seasons focusing on asset accumulation and trying to find their star. Sam Hinkie did a controversially good job at collecting promising talent as early molds of a competitive team, but now Bryan Colangelo is responsible for turning the page on this team.

It’s no secret the Sixers are still looking for their “star”, even with Jahlil Okafor‘s incredible rookie offensive performance. Colangelo is inheriting a promising situation thanks to Hinkie, who set up the team to almost undoubtedly land in the top 2 in this year’s two-man 2016 NBA Draft, but this doesn’t mean Colangelo has it easy.

With Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and whomever their top 2016 NBA Draft selection is, Colangelo has a great starting base to work with but the shift from asset accumulation to more complete team building will have to come this summer if Colangelo is looking for a quick Sixers turnaround.

More from Philadelphia Sports

Talks of the Sixers’ actions in free agency have been a hot topic since Colangelo’s arrival, with the belief that he could some how swoon players and agents towards the bottom-feeding Sixers. While that may have some marginal truth, the fact is the Sixers will have trouble ringing any type of free agents without overpaying. Colangelo must look to complete his team through a combination of free agency and diligent trade talks.

The Portland Trailblazers became the NBA’s cinderella-story in 2015-16 after losing Wesley Matthews, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Nicolas Batum last summer. The team seemed to make no large moves to replace their starters, but instead signed forward Al-Farouq Aminu and traded for Moe Harkless and Mason Plumlee. It turns out those three acquisitions would become important cogs in Portland’s improbable playoff run.

Granted, Portland started with star Damian Lillard and deadeye shooter CJ McCollum, but Colangelo could learn from the Blazers’ last offseason. Understanding the importance of what players would fit in with the culture and system of the Sixers will ultimately be the deciding factor on how quickly this team will turn around. Actual team building means considering non-basketball factors.

Maybe it is fair to criticize Hinkie for mostly discounting chemistry and system fit throughout his tenure in Philadelphia, and we’ll never know if that was the next chapter to his Process. Either way, Colangelo must identify the culture of the Sixers and find players who will compliment that culture. Just as Portland mixed free agency and trading, Colangelo must do the same.

Throwing money at free agents like Kent Bazemore or Eric Gordon to bring production instead of solely focusing on “veteran leadership” that was so often harped on all season wouldn’t be a hinderance. The team must also look into potential trade options that may go under the radar, but also compliment the team.

The trade with Hawks involving Dennis Schroder is most likely out the window with Hinkie gone, and it may better serve Colangelo to go after a smaller headlining deal. Looking into small pick-ups of perimeter players may seem to have little impact, but could ultimately end up becoming important parts to this Sixers team moving forward.

Hinkie has set up the Sixers to find themselves a star sooner than later, but now Colangelo must start to build around these potential stars and move this rebuild forward. Hinkie accumulated assets, but now Colangelo must gel together these assets and build an actual team.

Next: Saric Not The Center Piece

In the end if the Sixers reach basketball glory, it will be because of work both Hinkie and Colangelo did. Colangelo is in prime position to turn this team around and the Sixers’ future will be affected by every small decision made.

Home/Philadelphia Sports