Those who are arguing against the Sixers 'strategy' aren't saying that it hasn't produced quality players and a team full of potential (you get enough top 5 picks you are bound to hit on some of them); they are simply making a point about how it was a dirty way to go about business. They lost other teams money and made a mockery of the lottery system which was already set in place to prevent blatant tanking.
It is about common decency and playing by the unspoken rules of basketball. Since this series began, a number of people in my life who aren't too familiar with the NBA have asked me about what exactly the 'process' is. When I explain it to them, they are immediately turned off and each of them have used the word, 'cheaters.'
The Sixers weren't innovative, they were just basically scoundrels. The best thing they did was make the trades for the LAL pick and SAC pick - those were actual sound NBA decisions. They don't deserve Lebron or Kawhi or whatever star falls in their lap. May the basketball gods come down hard on the Sixers for years to come...
Tp....great post...my sentiments exactly.....hopefully karma is that female dog for philly!
To underscore other teams getting hurt by it, I want to relay my Garden experiences for Philly games during that time.
First, it was great for me (and my family). As a father of four who were all at home at the time, my wife and I were able to take the kids to the Philly games without breaking the bank. A few times I was able to secure 6 tix from Stubhub for under $100, not great seats in the balcony admittedly, but because the place was never packed, we could always move down.
Crowds were definitely smaller and younger for Cs/Philly games at the time. Consequently vendors got hurt both inside and outside the Garden regarding both sales and tips.
Other, smaller franchises who don’t have the following that our Cs have got hurt as they didn’t sell out when Philly came to town, in addition to their vendors getting hurt.
Yeah, Philly played by the “rules”, but many resent(ed) them for it, And in my opinion rightfully so.
But if the Sixers were a 25 to 30 win team instead of a 10 to 20 win team, the arenas still would have been empty, and they would still be empty when the Sixers come to town now instead of the big draw they are. That is where that argument loses steam. I mean it isn't like Philly chose to be a dreg instead of a title contender, they chose to be a dreg instead of a tier slightly above dreg (think the Kings over the last decade). There was going to be almost no difference in the overall quality of the product from a drawing on the road standpoint. There is however now that they have landed real and quality stars.
I know you have said the same thing repeatedly about 100 times in this thread but you've still failed to address the point, which is very simple:
How does doing the obvious and easy make Hinkie a genius? It's not like Hinkie created tanking. Dump for Duncan, Lose for Lebron, Offend for Olajuwon...this has been around for decades. Sammy just decided to throw in the towel and pull a Donald Sterling for a few years until he got Lucky in the Lottery. This doesn't take brains since this is the most obvious and easy strategy to try to get new talent. Meanwhile, it's cost his owner millions in revenue in lost merchandise sales, their team valuation dropped to 21 from being in the top 10 and they've been jokes of the NBA for half of a decade now.
If Hinkie was a genius, he would have found a great young coach like Stevens who raises everyone's level. He'd have found hidden gems like Isaiah Thomas at bargain prices. He'd have held on to assets and flipped them at the optimal time. He didn't do any of this. He lost, repeatedly, until he got lucky in the lottery and still couldn't keep his job. Meanwhile the team has won one playoff series. Big whoop.
Yes, the franchise was moribund the decade before (and the half decade after) he took over. That happens when you have bad GMing (Billy King, Ed Stefnaski) and coaches who prefer veterans. That doesn't excuse or improve Hinkie's plan.
Hinkie's big plan was to lose and pray. That's not a well thought out plan. That would be the BACKUP to an actual plan.