Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, much to ownership’s surprise, stepped down from his position yesterday. Hinkie leaves the team with a slew of draft picks, an extremely high chance that two will be in the top five this year, a trio of talented big men and a potentially arriving european star in Dario Saric. Hinkie also exits as the organizational steward of one of the most unsuccessful teams of all time. Philadelphia currently posts a meager ten wins, a total which is unlikely to change before season’s end. It is often said the least desirable location in the NBA standings is middle of the pack, contend or lose and hope for fortuitous lottery balls and high draft pick riches. For three years the 76ers have embodied the latter philosophy. For three years at no point in time have the 76ers, as an organization, attempted to win any game. Their personnel decisions reflect a franchise with eyes firmly affixed to future horizons with little concern for present impressions and fan loyalty. Disappointing and tough to watch though it has been, at least there was a wholehearted commitment to failure, the Sixers never wavered in their unending quest for defeat.
Hinkie seemingly compounded the teams drive for futility by holding fast to the theory of always drafting the best player available, regardless of positional need or redundancy. This process has resulted in three centers drafted in three consecutive years. The thinking being that with so many young players and picks, the roster would eventually be sorted out via trade. Unquestionably Joel Embiid’s two season long absence, while dealing with injury, has derailed Philadelphia’s development. He may end up being the best of their big men in the long run.
With no end in sight, in December the 76ers hired stellar basketball executive Jerry Colangelo as Chairman of Basketball Operations. This was widely viewed as an undercutting of Hinkie’s power. Imagine being a starting two guard with James Harden coming off the bench, the writing is on the wall, your days are numbered. Best case scenario Hinkie would remain in a semi neutered capacity, running all decisions by his newly appointed senior advisor, not the most desirable of situations. Which brings us to today.
The Philadelphia 76ers now sit last in the standings, exactly where ownership wanted to be. There is no way the team would be in their current standing without them signing off. Which is why the Colangelo hiring, imminent hiring of Colangelo’s son (To replace Hinkie), and relative feeling of exclusion by Sam Hinkie, resulted in his resignation, smacks of so much hypocrisy. This was the offseason when they would change gears. With extremely high odds of landing a young star or two in the draft, a boatload of cap space, Embiid returning and Dario Saric’s arrival, wins would soon become a coveted commodity. Hinkie got the 76ers where they wanted to be, he and ownership committed to tanking and are about to begin the youth development process. Why now squeeze him out? Unless, ownership expressed their desire to shift interest towards winning and Hinkie balked at the notion, he deserved the opportunity to pilot the ascending plane.
Should all pan out for Philadelphia and they rise to basketball relevance, make no mistake, the structure the Colangelo’s manage is placed squarely upon a Sam Hunkie built foundation.
