"The Process" as you've stated is to have as many swings as possible. that directly translates into sucking for many years. That's the problem.
- The draft is a crapshoot as you've agreed to so there's no guarantee that the high pick you use will be a 'franchise' level talent nor that even if they're a top talent they can stay healthy.
- by sucking that badly for so long, you alienate your fanbase. you're only able to retain the fans that are absolute diehards and even then you're still alienating them from supporting 'the process' and buying tickets/merchandise --> less franchise income and less income for the rest of the league that has to play your garbage team.
- by sucking so badly, you're not a draw for any free agent worth signing. sure, you can get the bottom of the barrel players hanging on in the league or someone with personality/drug/other issues that no other team would touch but those players won't make the team better in the short or longterm (since they're only short signing anyway)
- by sucking so long, you create an atmosphere of losing that has an impact on the players development on your team. it creates a toxic playing environment that gets the players looking elsewhere to find their success. Any player dedicated to winning will want to play for a franchise that's trying to win, not lose. play out the rookie contract and either get the team to trade you because they don't want to invest the money in re-upping your deal or play out the QO and become a UFA (or tell the team you'll only sign the QO so you can leave and force them to trade you to get some value for you)
"The Process" is not a winning proposition or way to run a team.
1. We've both agreed that the draft is a crapshoot. What we haven't mentioned is that it is also the best way of getting a star player. Free agency is even more of a crapshoot. So if the draft is so mercurial but it's the best way to get a star, it makes sense to me that a team would want to try to maximize its time spent in the draft and, as I see it, there are only two ways to do that: Get higher picks and get more of them. And that seems to be the goal of The Process.
2. I don't think the Sixers are worried about their fanbase. Just look at the excitement for Embiid. If the Sixers start winning games, the fans will come home, no question.
3. Same goes for free agency. Free agents want to go where they can win. As long as Philly starts winning games, eventually, free agents will come, eventually. If they never start winning games, then not adding a veteran during the summer won't be their problem.
4. This is a real concern. They've already lost Noel and Okafor might be a lost cause and there are reasons to believe culture is a big factor. Embiid seems ok but he has only played 31 games in 3 years. Small sample. This could be a problem.