Happy trails to Hinkie's Power.

[Boris Badenov]

http://www.sporcle.com/games/naqwerty3/trust-the-process

This is a fun game to play.

How many of the players who spent time on the Sixers during Hinkie's tenure can you name?

I got 30.

That was fun.  You killed me.  I only got fifteen.

Wow. What a collection of dreck.

Out of the top 10 by most games played, only 4 guys were 1st round picks, and two of those were Tony Wroten and James Anderson, who were dumped by other teams for nothing.

[Who]

http://www.sporcle.com/games/naqwerty3/trust-the-process

This is a fun game to play.

How many of the players who spent time on the Sixers during Hinkie's tenure can you name?

I got 30.

That was fun.  You killed me.  I only got fifteen.

I got 27/53. Only half.

Fun game. I love those sporcle quizzes.

[LarBrd33]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

If you just look at the facts, you can make an argument, I think a valid argument, that he did a lot of good things that put them in great position going forward, but was pushed out.

I think Sam is really, really bright. If I was an organization right now, I would try to get him on the phone and have him be the contrarian to whatever my plan was, whether it's a paid position or just free advice.One thing I knew from my time in Houston and I continue to know now, is he's an exceptionally bright guy who works hard.

You cannot judge Sam Hinkie's three-year tenure today. You have to wait and see if [Joel Embiid] develops. If Embiid doesn't ever play, there's something. If Embiid goes on to be a perennial All-Star, then you have to give Sam Hinkie a lot of credit. Same with [Jahlil] Okafor, [Dario Saric] who may or may not be coming over this year.

This isn't just a Sam Hinkie plan, you don't get to do whatever you want as a general manager. This is a collaborative plan, that was cosigned by whoever in ownership has that ability to do that. I hate when people it's Sam Hinkie coming up with this; yeah he had some of these ideas, but they had to be approved.

The record is awful, historically bad. But there are things that were done very well, and a lot remains to be seen on his plan. I think we have to wait for judgment. I think if he had played the media game better and more, I think that will serve him going forward in his next job.

Most of this whooshes over the heads of casual fans.  Thank heavens for guys like Barkley, Zach Lowe and Van Gundy who have made comments about how well philly is now positioned. If all I had at my disposal were the opinions of uninformed homers and ignorant shock media, I'd lose my mind.

[knuckleballer]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

If you just look at the facts, you can make an argument, I think a valid argument, that he did a lot of good things that put them in great position going forward, but was pushed out.

I think Sam is really, really bright. If I was an organization right now, I would try to get him on the phone and have him be the contrarian to whatever my plan was, whether it's a paid position or just free advice.One thing I knew from my time in Houston and I continue to know now, is he's an exceptionally bright guy who works hard.

You cannot judge Sam Hinkie's three-year tenure today. You have to wait and see if [Joel Embiid] develops. If Embiid doesn't ever play, there's something. If Embiid goes on to be a perennial All-Star, then you have to give Sam Hinkie a lot of credit. Same with [Jahlil] Okafor, [Dario Saric] who may or may not be coming over this year.

This isn't just a Sam Hinkie plan, you don't get to do whatever you want as a general manager. This is a collaborative plan, that was cosigned by whoever in ownership has that ability to do that. I hate when people it's Sam Hinkie coming up with this; yeah he had some of these ideas, but they had to be approved.

The record is awful, historically bad. But there are things that were done very well, and a lot remains to be seen on his plan. I think we have to wait for judgment. I think if he had played the media game better and more, I think that will serve him going forward in his next job.

Most of this whooshes over the heads of casual fans.  Thank heavens for guys like Barkley, Zach Lowe and Van Gundy who have made comments about how well philly is now positioned. If all I had at my disposal were the opinions of uninformed homers and ignorant shock media, I'd lose my mind.

Everyone gets it.  The concept is easy for any child to understand.  The problem is that after three years of horrendous basketball which comes with a variety of repercussions, there are still a lot ifs and they are still years away from being competitive. 

[PhoSita]

http://www.sporcle.com/games/naqwerty3/trust-the-process

This is a fun game to play.

How many of the players who spent time on the Sixers during Hinkie's tenure can you name?

I got 30.

That was fun.  You killed me.  I only got fifteen.

I got 27/53. Only half.

Fun game. I love those sporcle quizzes.

My friend shared another fun one with me --- you have to name all of the nightly points leaders for the entire 15-16 season. They show you which team and how many points as a hint.

[LarBrd33]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

If you just look at the facts, you can make an argument, I think a valid argument, that he did a lot of good things that put them in great position going forward, but was pushed out.

I think Sam is really, really bright. If I was an organization right now, I would try to get him on the phone and have him be the contrarian to whatever my plan was, whether it's a paid position or just free advice.One thing I knew from my time in Houston and I continue to know now, is he's an exceptionally bright guy who works hard.

You cannot judge Sam Hinkie's three-year tenure today. You have to wait and see if [Joel Embiid] develops. If Embiid doesn't ever play, there's something. If Embiid goes on to be a perennial All-Star, then you have to give Sam Hinkie a lot of credit. Same with [Jahlil] Okafor, [Dario Saric] who may or may not be coming over this year.

This isn't just a Sam Hinkie plan, you don't get to do whatever you want as a general manager. This is a collaborative plan, that was cosigned by whoever in ownership has that ability to do that. I hate when people it's Sam Hinkie coming up with this; yeah he had some of these ideas, but they had to be approved.

The record is awful, historically bad. But there are things that were done very well, and a lot remains to be seen on his plan. I think we have to wait for judgment. I think if he had played the media game better and more, I think that will serve him going forward in his next job.

Most of this whooshes over the heads of casual fans.  Thank heavens for guys like Barkley, Zach Lowe and Van Gundy who have made comments about how well philly is now positioned. If all I had at my disposal were the opinions of uninformed homers and ignorant shock media, I'd lose my mind.

Everyone gets it.  The concept is easy for any child to understand.  The problem is that after three years of horrendous basketball which comes with a variety of repercussions, there are still a lot ifs and they are still years away from being competitive.

It really depends what they do with the assets.  There's a scenario where they are in the playoffs as soon as next year.  Who knows at this point.  Still might take a few years.  Still might never happen. They have the assets though.  A good GM could turn them around quickly. 

[BDeCosta26]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

If you just look at the facts, you can make an argument, I think a valid argument, that he did a lot of good things that put them in great position going forward, but was pushed out.

I think Sam is really, really bright. If I was an organization right now, I would try to get him on the phone and have him be the contrarian to whatever my plan was, whether it's a paid position or just free advice.One thing I knew from my time in Houston and I continue to know now, is he's an exceptionally bright guy who works hard.

You cannot judge Sam Hinkie's three-year tenure today. You have to wait and see if [Joel Embiid] develops. If Embiid doesn't ever play, there's something. If Embiid goes on to be a perennial All-Star, then you have to give Sam Hinkie a lot of credit. Same with [Jahlil] Okafor, [Dario Saric] who may or may not be coming over this year.

This isn't just a Sam Hinkie plan, you don't get to do whatever you want as a general manager. This is a collaborative plan, that was cosigned by whoever in ownership has that ability to do that. I hate when people it's Sam Hinkie coming up with this; yeah he had some of these ideas, but they had to be approved.

The record is awful, historically bad. But there are things that were done very well, and a lot remains to be seen on his plan. I think we have to wait for judgment. I think if he had played the media game better and more, I think that will serve him going forward in his next job.

Most of this whooshes over the heads of casual fans.  Thank heavens for guys like Barkley, Zach Lowe and Van Gundy who have made comments about how well philly is now positioned. If all I had at my disposal were the opinions of uninformed homers and ignorant shock media, I'd lose my mind.

I think most people get what he was doing and why LB. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that top picks are ultra valuable, and being really bad for a long time gets you a bunch of them.

Hinkie made some really great trades, his "plan" wasn't really a bad one. His execution of that plan was.

If you got three straight top 5 picks, would you use them all on centers who couldn't play together? Would you actively ship off or avoid any player that could make you slightly better? Would you shop away KJ McD for nothing, just cause you didn't wanna pay him a few bucks? Would you waive Ish Smith even though he's the closest thing to a competent PG you have? Would you put together a team of D-Leaguers and shamelessly make it clear you intend to lose as much as humanely possible?

Probably not. Hinkie's plan isn't "wrong". It's guaranteed to work if you have enough time. But as JVG said, Hinkie ignored all of the human factors that play into building a successful franchise. You can't actively avoid the media if your doing what they did. You can't burn bridges with agents the way he did. You can't build a team as bad as the one they have and not think it's not going to negatively effect those blue chip prospects you picked. You can't just assume that your owners are going to stomach absolute suckery without tangible progress for however long you need them too. Basically, you can't be one of the worst teams in the league for three years in a row, trade off any talent you have for extra picks, and still have no semblance of an actual roster or a team identity being built. These are people, not just "assets".

Those people you mention from the national media have made this same point. Hinkie may have done some good things there. Made good trades, collected some very good assets. But he made a whole lot of mistakes when it came time to turn theory into reality. As a Celtic fan, I don't get how you can defend him so profusely. Tanking isn't a new idea. Hinkie made the ultra-tank, and throughout that "process" made a number of major mistakes that slowed down the progression of that franchise and called his entire approach into question. Drafting 3 guys in a row at the top of the lottery who can never play together is part of those mistakes. Hinkie blew it man, just accept it and move on. Just be glad we have Danny Ainge instead

[LarBrd33]

Bd, he took centers because they were the best players available and historically big men are more valuable than guards.  It will take time to see how that worked out. Jury hasn't even been selected yet. I strongly believe they will have plenty of trade options when they decide which ones they want to give up.

I also don't believe the turmoil of the last couple years will have significant long-term impact.  We've seen bottom feeders make dramatic turnarounds.  Especially since I expect at least 4 of their top 6 players next season aren't even playing for them right now.

As for whether or not the plan worked for Philly - we will just have to wait and see. 

[MBunge]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

1.  JVG has a pre-existing relationship with Hinkie.  Phil Jackson also apparently wants to give Kurt Rambis a long-term deal as head coach of the Knicks.  At least JVG offering some empty praise of Hinkie won't cost someone's franchise millions of dollars.

2.  When is the last time, not involving the ex-Clippers owner, people in the national media ever did anything but say nice things when someone lost his job?

3.  I will bet you $100 that JVG would never coach for a franchise doing what Hinkie has done.

4.  The idea you can't evaluate what Hinkie has done is stupid.  There isn't a single fired GM or coach in the history of sports who couldn't and wouldn't say they would have turned things around if they'd just been given more time.  No one should ever get fired under the Hinkie standard.

Mike

[BDeCosta26]

Bd, he took centers because they were the best players available and historically big men are more valuable than guards.  It will take time to see how that worked out. Jury hasn't even been selected yet. I strongly believe they will have plenty of trade options when they decide which ones they want to give up.

I also don't believe the turmoil of the last couple years will have significant long-term impact.  We've seen bottom feeders make dramatic turnarounds.  Especially since I expect at least 4 of their top 6 players next season aren't even playing for them right now.

As for whether or not the plan worked for Philly - we will just have to wait and see.

Yeah, sure, Embiid/Noel/Okafor may have been the BPA available when they picked. Sure, big men historically have more value than guards. Even now, they could probably fetch a package that seems pretty good for Noel or Okafor. But do you think they could trade one of those guys for something that makes them contenders? I don't think so. And isn't that the point of all the losing? In a vacuum, it all makes sense. They won a lot of trades. They got a lot of high picks with blue-chip backgrounds.

But putting it like that still ignores the reality of why Hinkie failed as GM of the Sixers. People are people, not just assets on a spreadsheet. It's not just taking 3 bigs In a row, it's taking three people who clearly can't ALL be part of your core going forward. It's about putting blue-chip talent onto sub-NBA level teams, and expecting those prospects to be okay with being the headliner of a team designed to lose as much as possible, while not expect repercussions on the FA, draft and trade fronts. Its about not building any kind of identity, or an idea of what kind of team you wanna build going forward, and finding guys that fit that mold no matter how you get them. It's about turning yourself into a laughing stock, never defending yourself publicly, and losing the support of the owner with such a lack of tangible progress. A major part of a GMs job Is to corral their owner, especially when your doing somethin as drastic as Philly has done. It's pretty clear Hinkie didn't do that.

Hinkie certainly left that franchise in better position now for the future than when he arrived. But Hinkie's plan has failed because of his failure to account for things beyond the spreadsheet. Whatever happens from here on is going to be credited to Colangelo, right or wrong. And like JVG, Lowe, etc were alluding too, Hinkie's plan wasn't the problem. It wasn't anything revolutionary of groundbreaking. But it had never been tried before. And though Sam Hinkie did so some good things for that franchises future, he more importantly did more to hurt that franchises recent past, present and immediate future than he helped. And that's why he's put of a job.

I'm much happier with where we are than where they are, and I hope you'd agree.

[Emmette Bryant]

sports illustrated chimes in

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/04/07/sam-hinkie-76ers-rockets-jahlil-okafor-joel-embiid-nerlens-noel-jerry-colangelo?xid=si_social

"The blindspot here is clear, and has been for a while. This was a team that sacrificed winning for the sake of draft picks, and then didn't invest in any of the infrastructure it takes to develop draft picks once they get to the NBA. The Hinkie Sixers took stars who were too injured to play, surrounded other young players with second–round picks instead of veterans, and nobody was ever put in a position to succeed. They hoarded draft picks, but then used those picks on the most conventional picks available rather than taking risks on prospects like Kristaps Porzingis, Giannis Anetokounmpo, or Dennis Schroeder. They stockpiled assets for a blockbuster trade that would bring another superstar, but neglected to consider that no superstar would ever agree to play for the team that had been punting the regular season for years on end. They hoarded cap space, but then, a TV deal gave cap space to the entire league. Again, it all failed."

[MBunge]

sports illustrated chimes in

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/04/07/sam-hinkie-76ers-rockets-jahlil-okafor-joel-embiid-nerlens-noel-jerry-colangelo?xid=si_social

"The blindspot here is clear, and has been for a while. This was a team that sacrificed winning for the sake of draft picks, and then didn't invest in any of the infrastructure it takes to develop draft picks once they get to the NBA. The Hinkie Sixers took stars who were too injured to play, surrounded other young players with second–round picks instead of veterans, and nobody was ever put in a position to succeed. They hoarded draft picks, but then used those picks on the most conventional picks available rather than taking risks on prospects like Kristaps Porzingis, Giannis Anetokounmpo, or Dennis Schroeder. They stockpiled assets for a blockbuster trade that would bring another superstar, but neglected to consider that no superstar would ever agree to play for the team that had been punting the regular season for years on end. They hoarded cap space, but then, a TV deal gave cap space to the entire league. Again, it all failed."

That's a good analysis but there are two points that many people keep missing.

1.  Hinkie's approach was an abomination in the eyes of sportsmanship. 

2.  It was a strategy that would seriously damage the NBA if more teams pursued it.  Previously, there were actually few examples of team's tanking an entire season.  Usually it was limited to the very end of the year or at least the trade deadline.  Imagine what would happen to the league if there were 4 or 5 teams engaged in a multi-year tank? 

Mike

[LarBrd33]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

1.  JVG has a pre-existing relationship with Hinkie.  Phil Jackson also apparently wants to give Kurt Rambis a long-term deal as head coach of the Knicks.  At least JVG offering some empty praise of Hinkie won't cost someone's franchise millions of dollars.

2.  When is the last time, not involving the ex-Clippers owner, people in the national media ever did anything but say nice things when someone lost his job?

3.  I will bet you $100 that JVG would never coach for a franchise doing what Hinkie has done.

4.  The idea you can't evaluate what Hinkie has done is stupid.  There isn't a single fired GM or coach in the history of sports who couldn't and wouldn't say they would have turned things around if they'd just been given more time.  No one should ever get fired under the Hinkie standard.

Mike

Mike I agree with you on #3.  Why would van gundy have had any interest whatsoever in coaching a team that was actively trying to lose games?  That makes no sense.  It's why I never judged doc rivers when he bailed.  Boston was entering tank mode. Doc didn't want to deal with it.  He already played the part of company man back in 2007's tank job. It was time for someone new (hence the 6 year deal for Stevens - contractual guarantee that he'd be safe after sitting through the tank year).

Now, if you're asking if van Gundy would have interest in coaching Philly after a whirlwind summer, it really depends.  They are loaded with assets they have been sitting on. They are in prime position for an immediate improvement.  It will be interesting to see what kind of team they put together now that they are ready to put together a team.

[LarBrd33]

Count Jeff Van Gundy amongst those basketball minds who actually get it with Hinkie: 

If you just look at the facts, you can make an argument, I think a valid argument, that he did a lot of good things that put them in great position going forward, but was pushed out.

I think Sam is really, really bright. If I was an organization right now, I would try to get him on the phone and have him be the contrarian to whatever my plan was, whether it's a paid position or just free advice.One thing I knew from my time in Houston and I continue to know now, is he's an exceptionally bright guy who works hard.

You cannot judge Sam Hinkie's three-year tenure today. You have to wait and see if [Joel Embiid] develops. If Embiid doesn't ever play, there's something. If Embiid goes on to be a perennial All-Star, then you have to give Sam Hinkie a lot of credit. Same with [Jahlil] Okafor, [Dario Saric] who may or may not be coming over this year.

This isn't just a Sam Hinkie plan, you don't get to do whatever you want as a general manager. This is a collaborative plan, that was cosigned by whoever in ownership has that ability to do that. I hate when people it's Sam Hinkie coming up with this; yeah he had some of these ideas, but they had to be approved.

The record is awful, historically bad. But there are things that were done very well, and a lot remains to be seen on his plan. I think we have to wait for judgment. I think if he had played the media game better and more, I think that will serve him going forward in his next job.

Most of this whooshes over the heads of casual fans.  Thank heavens for guys like Barkley, Zach Lowe and Van Gundy who have made comments about how well philly is now positioned. If all I had at my disposal were the opinions of uninformed homers and ignorant shock media, I'd lose my mind.

I think most people get what he was doing and why LB. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that top picks are ultra valuable, and being really bad for a long time gets you a bunch of them.

Hinkie made some really great trades, his "plan" wasn't really a bad one. His execution of that plan was.

If you got three straight top 5 picks, would you use them all on centers who couldn't play together? Would you actively ship off or avoid any player that could make you slightly better? Would you shop away KJ McD for nothing, just cause you didn't wanna pay him a few bucks? Would you waive Ish Smith even though he's the closest thing to a competent PG you have? Would you put together a team of D-Leaguers and shamelessly make it clear you intend to lose as much as humanely possible?

Probably not. Hinkie's plan isn't "wrong". It's guaranteed to work if you have enough time. But as JVG said, Hinkie ignored all of the human factors that play into building a successful franchise. You can't actively avoid the media if your doing what they did. You can't burn bridges with agents the way he did. You can't build a team as bad as the one they have and not think it's not going to negatively effect those blue chip prospects you picked. You can't just assume that your owners are going to stomach absolute suckery without tangible progress for however long you need them too. Basically, you can't be one of the worst teams in the league for three years in a row, trade off any talent you have for extra picks, and still have no semblance of an actual roster or a team identity being built. These are people, not just "assets".

Those people you mention from the national media have made this same point. Hinkie may have done some good things there. Made good trades, collected some very good assets. But he made a whole lot of mistakes when it came time to turn theory into reality. As a Celtic fan, I don't get how you can defend him so profusely. Tanking isn't a new idea. Hinkie made the ultra-tank, and throughout that "process" made a number of major mistakes that slowed down the progression of that franchise and called his entire approach into question. Drafting 3 guys in a row at the top of the lottery who can never play together is part of those mistakes. Hinkie blew it man, just accept it and move on. Just be glad we have Danny Ainge instead

I'll concede that by your personal measure (as a fan) of what makes a good GM, Hinkie may have failed in your eyes.  Perhaps you feel positioning them as a treadmill 35-45 win team with a mid 1st on the way would have been the mark of a successful GM.   That very clearly wasn't the goal.  The goal was to lose more games, land more top picks, and start building a team in the summer.

The reality is that Hinkie succeeded so far in what he set out to do.  Whether or not his plan was successful remains to be seen.  Id say "the jury is still out", but really the jury hasn't even been selected yet.   You can't judge something you haven't yet seen.   

Hinkie wanted to tank this year - so philly tanked this year.  They are adding another guaranteed top 4 pick to their stockpile of assets.  For a team that set out to tank this year, you literally can't get any more successful than finishing with the league's worst record.

[LooseCannon]

Hinkie is to GMing as Mike D'Antoni is to coaching.  There's some sound theory behind their decisions, but Hinkie's ignoring the rest of the roster in pursuit of drafting a star is like D'Antoni's focus on offense to the detriment of the defense.