Philadelphia 76ers Offseason Report: R.I.P. the Process

Daniel Arellano
Staff Writer

From the outside looking in, the last three years of Philadelphia basketball had been a tumultuous cocktail of abysmal talent mixed with years of shrewd planning. Spearheaded by Sam Hinkie, the 76ers had become a target of both praise and jeering. Regardless of opinion on the matter, a few things had become undeniable:

1. The 76ers were truly gaming the system. Losing as many games as possible by filling out the roster with young nobodies placed the 76ers in as strong of a position as possible before each year's lottery. They even struck gold (or at least silver) in their discovery of the then-unknown wing Robert Covington.
2. The front office had only blown up a roster that had already been doomed by the enormous price of Andrew Bynum. Making things worse, after multiple knee injuries and surgeries Bynum admitted that he simply  didn't have the same love for the game that he once had.
3. The Sixers were bad. Like, really bad. This was reflected in the ticket sales. After Hinkie's hiring the Philadelphia attendance rate dropped from 17th to 29th to dead last  in 2015. 

As interesting of a game theory experiment it may had been, "The Process" was a stain upon the NBA's brand. Even the most casual of fans had heard about the infamous 26 straight losses in the 2013-2014 season and the 28 game losing streak during the 2015 calendar year. But what many didn't acknowledge was that Philadelphia had acquired a treasure trove of assets in exchange for veterans and the franchise's proud history. In any case, the success of "The Process" simply cannot be evaluated yet. Whether Sam Hinkie was a visionary or simply the blind leading the blind will be determined by the next few years in the City of Brotherly Love.

The introduction of the Colangelo duo to the franchise marked the end of Hinkies tenure. In a remarkable display of coincidence, Bryan Colangelo was appointed GM by his father the day immediately following Hinkie's resignation. Whispers around the league have suggested that commissioner Silver may have played a role in the disestablishment of "The Process." Boom or bust, Hinkie will not be able to reap the seeds that he has sown in Philadelphia. 

At the very least, the Sixers are beginning to resemble an NBA team thanks to a couple of signings in the more orthodox approach taken by the Colangelos. Two much needed veterans have been signed in the form of Gerald Henderson and Jerryd Bayless (2 years/$18M and 3/$27M, respectively). Although these contracts could be considered slight overpays by the front office, it is a great sign for the organization that two veterans have chosen to come to a team that can be instantly ruled out by most free agents. Both are guards that should complement incoming rookie Ben Simmons well due to their ability to function without the ball and provide spacing. Although neither are enough to turn around any team in the association, this is a strong step towards a functioning roster. 

Of course, the Sixer's pride and joy lies not with its tactful free agent signings but with its seemingly limitless supply of draft picks and incoming rookies. The athletic duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid has one of the highest ceilings in the NBA, but it is not without some very obvious question marks. Perhaps the most obvious is the health of Joel Embiid, a rookie member of the draft class of 2014. Let that sink in for a minute. This is no Euro stash that chose to play overseas, such as Dario Saric. Rather, Embiid has simply been unable to participate in a single game since being drafted over two years ago. Although believers may point to numerous Instagram videos of him beating up on poor assistant coaches, anybody that remembers Yi Jianlian will wisely withhold judgement until he sets foot on an NBA court.