Philadelphia 76ers: The Confessions of a Process Apostate

Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

 I doubted the plan the Philadelphia 76ers implemented under Sam Hinkie. I was wrong. Sort of.

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been a long time since my last confession, and these are my sins:
I lost faith in The Process. I doubted the wisdom of Sam Hinkie’s plan for the Philadelphia 76ers.

My lapse occurred at some point during the Sixers’ 10-72 campaign last season. Hinkie’s grand rebuilding project was beginning to resemble a confidence scheme. Just wait until the next draft, his ardent disciples would say. No one said The Process would last one or two seasons, the Hinkieites declared. Keep the faith, they demanded.

The product on the court was an unmitigated disaster. To be sure, the players competed. The effort was there. The ability, however, was lacking.

When the 4th Quarter commenced, the youthful Sixers would routinely lose their defensive discipline. The talent gap widened into a chasm as the opponent would execute offensive sets with ease. Meanwhile, the Sixers’ offense would bog down thanks to fruitless exhibitions of hero ball. The ball movement that propelled the team for three-quarters would disappear. Each empty offensive trip would further reinforce the need for a competent ball handler.

It certainly appeared that Hinkie had no idea how to construct an NBA roster. How else does one explain the lack of a dependable point guard in a league that demands one? The general manager had chosen three centers with high lottery picks in successive drafts, but did not bother to supply them with a veteran guard who could help them cultivate their offensive skills.

The asset collection strategy also left the roster in a state of unbalance. When the three big men were healthy, would any combination of the trio be able to play together? How would the minutes be managed? Would Jahlil Okafor even fit in the space-and-pace scheme Brett Brown was implementing?

More from Philadelphia 76ers

The Hinkie revisionists might try to deny it now, but Coach Brown’s frustrations with the strategy behind The Process were growing as the losses mounted. After the 2014-15 season, Brown told the media that he was not looking “to coach gypsies.” Reports indicated that he was less than enthused after Hinkie dealt Michael Carter-Williams for a future first round pick. The selection, which currently belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers, is top-three protected. Since the Lakers stink, the Sixers might not collect the pick until 2018, when the protection is lifted.

But MCW couldn’t shoot, the Process enthusiasts asserted. The reigning Rookie of the Year was not good enough. Better to trade him now for the possibility of a better player at some undetermined point in the future.

And herein lies the source of my frustration with The Process and its followers. Hinkie and his merry band of devotees were so enamored of the future that they didn’t seem to care about the present. They worshiped at the altar of potential. They had a long-term vision of a championship squad that extended so far into the distance that one could only see it by wearing the pinkest of rose-colored glasses.

It was ludicrous, honestly. All the delusional talk of not settling for mediocrity, of contending for championships at some point down the road. The Philadelphia 76ers looked more like the Delaware 87ers. The organization seemed more concerned with tinkering with the logo and the uniforms than worrying about the caliber of the players who would wear the jerseys. The team made investments in the in-game entertainment experience, but it all seemed like an elaborate diversion to distract from the subpar on-court product.

Meanwhile, the dwindling number of fans in the stands seemed content to watch the team lose. Ping pong balls took precedence over the pursuit of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

 And then, Sam Hinkie departed as Joel Embiid arrived.

After the disastrous 2015-16 season, Hinkie’s time as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers was coming to an end. Rather than transition into another role within the organization, Hinkie offered a thirteen-page treatise that doubled as a resignation letter. The piece is littered with borrowed wisdom from the likes of Warren Buffett and Abraham Lincoln, among others. Frankly, the entire essay resembles something a fellow who attended one too many TED Talks might craft. Nevertheless, it offers tremendous insight into an opaque strategy birthed from a brilliant mind.

Philadelphia 76ers
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

“Investing in disruptive innovation doesn’t ferment misunderstanding, it necessitates it,” Hinkie writes (Hinkie’s use of a comma splice in this sentence really undercuts his image as a genius, at least in this former English teacher’s estimation). The innovation Hinkie introduced was simple: he practiced patience in an impetuous league. He took “the longest view in the room” among myopic GMs looking to win immediately. He collected 2nd round draft picks with the zeal of a philatelist at a rare stamp convention. He drafted high-ceiling players like Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel, taking a chance that they would be able to overcome injuries and develop into productive players. He was willing to invest a draft pick in Dario Saric, even though the Croatian forward was committed to playing in Turkey for two years.

He plucked Robert Covington from the depths of the NBADL and allowed the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff to develop Covington’s defensive game. He signed TJ McConnell as an undrafted free agent and let Brown’s staff work its magic once again.

There were plenty of misses along the way. Yet, Hinkie left the organization in excellent shape. Now, basketball’s version of Moses has retreated to Mount Palo Alto to watch the Sixers march into the Promised Land.

The ultimate success of Hinkie’s philosophy rests on the shoulders of Joel Embiid and the savvy of new GM Bryan Colangelo. Embiid has galvanized the fan base and injected new life into the long-moribund Wells Fargo Center. His All-Star caliber play and charismatic personality have captivated the town.

Colangelo deserves high marks for a trade that brought Ersan Ilyasova to the organization. The move has paid immediate dividends. The GM will need similar good fortune in order to resolve the logjam at center that he inherited from his predecessor. The possibility of securing equal value in a potential trade involving Nerlens Noel and/or Jahlil Okafor is remote. Additionally, Embiid’s lingering health issues might necessitate keeping Noel. Will he be willing to stay and play second fiddle to Embiid when he could start elsewhere? Can Noel and Embiid play together? What the heck was Hinkie thinking when he drafted Okafor?

Embiid might very well redeem The Process, but one would be remiss to overlook the improved play of his teammates, who are also justifying the strategy. The players seem in tune with Brown’s system. The Sixers’ style of play has been a joy to watch. The ball movement is tremendous. In last night’s contest against the Sacramento Kings, Saric seemed to be channeling Magic Johnson as he dished out one great pass after another. The unselfishness on the offensive end is reminiscent of the Spurs and Warriors. The talent is not at that level, but the foundation is certainly in place.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ rapid improvement has taken place while #1 pick and noted hater of ties Ben Simmons has watched from the bench as he recovers from a broken foot. It remains to be seen if Simmons can establish himself on a team that is starting to gel, but his passing skills and immense talent will certainly facilitate the integration.

In the final analysis, I have to admit that I was mostly wrong about Hinkie’s strategy. I won’t apologize for having doubts, though. Frankly, the fervor with which Hinkie’s disciples have exalted his strategy has blinded them to the several missteps the Prophet of The Process made while he managed the team. The Hinkieites would have been better served if they reserved the same level of skepticism for The Process that they harbored for every other organizational philosophy in the NBA.

Next: Sixers Sign Chasson Randle to Three-Year Deal

Nonetheless, their patience and faith in Hinkie’s vision has been validated- for now. For my penance, I will happily eat crow. It’s a small price to pay in exchange for the return of professional basketball to the City of Brotherly Love and the rebirth of the Philadelphia 76ers.