This article appears in its original format on
Hoops Habit.
--
“The crops have been
eaten.”
Picture a barren farm field, ravaged of the best of its
current crop, and left with extremely limited prospects for future sustenance. There
might be enough lentil and corn crop to get by, but certainly not enough seeds
to sow to thrive and grow going forward in the larger environment.
That desolate turf is how Sam Hinkie viewed the Sixers upon
taking over as the team’s General Manager in 2013. He saw a middling team who
had gone all in on a move to better themselves, and got burned. All that was
left in the wake of the Andrew Bynum debacle was scorched Earth, roster
remains, and a very bleak outlook for the franchise’s future. The team’s best
player, Andre Iguodala was gone. Their most recent draft picks, Moe Harkless
and Nik Vucevic were gone. Their first round picks in the upcoming 2014 &
2016 NBA Drafts; gone. Cap space was tight due to several questionable
contracts. Not only were the organization’s present prospects compromised, but
their future outlook was as well.
The crops had been
eaten.
Enter: ‘The Process’; an
ambitious plan to punt the present in
favor of future fortification and eventual self-sustenance. Given the ambitious
aim of Hinkie’s plan to restructure the Sixers, the gratification was never going
to be immediate. Such NBA success rarely is – save for a couple recent Eastern
Conference examples) – but moderate short-term success was never the desired
goal. The franchise’s fan base had become accustomed to near-.500 records and
first-round flameouts, and yearned for something more; something consistent,
something sustainable.
