With Sam Hinkie trading the last leg of the original Sixers team in Thaddeus Young being traded away over the weekend to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it probably left Philadelphia wondering how long this rebuild would actually take.
The Kevin Love/Andrew Wiggins saga has finally come to an end and mastermind or Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie had to get his gritty hands in on the deal. The Sixers finally parted ways with seven-year veteran Thaddeus Young and in return got a fresh face from Russia as well as a player who is still in the process of finding his role on an NBA team. Alexey Shved and Luc Mbah Moute are going to be in the Sixers line up come this NBA season and few people have actually supported the move. The 76ers also received a first-round pick from the Miami Heat in the 2015 draft and everyone knows how Sam Hinkie salivates over draft picks. It’s a good move to receive that much compensation for a bonafide role player in the NBA.
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But, the question remains: Just how long is the rebuild of our once beloved franchise going to take? Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown has said that full rebuild would take a good five years to be a contender. Five years… in the city of Philadelphia… where everyone has zero patience and wants to win now.
Most agree with the coach on that note and assuming all things fall into place, it will be well worth the wait and Philadelphia could be one of the most dynamic forces in league history.
For that to pan out, the Sixers will need luck more than anything. Lets take a minute and look at the current state of the 76ers.
Jan 29, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers point guard
Michael Carter-Williams(1) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics center
Jared Sullinger(7) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Its obvious the Sixers picked a superb young point guard in Michael Carter-Williams as he put on one the best season performances seen by a rookie since maybe Lebron James. There is also the possibility of a franchise cornerstone in Nerlens Noel too. Is anyone else thinking that maybe we should see a month or two, or a full season from Nerlens Noel first? I agree, but if you watched Nerlens in Summer League, the man has freakish athletic ability and will hopefully be apart of this team for a long time. Outside of those players, the team is living on a prayer that the foot injury of number three overall pick Joel Embiid is not career threatening. Plus, hoping Alexey Shved or Tony Wroten can step up and be solid two guard’s for the team.
Aomething like six years is more realistic for this team to be a flat-out 50 win team. Once players are healthy they have to learn one another and build chemistry. No one can stand to endure another one and done season like 2000-2001. Philadephia hasn’t been a threat for a title since 2000-01 and consistency will play a vital role in getting back to a fearful NBA team.
Sam Hinkie knows that it wont be a pretty picture at the start, but then again what construction site is pretty? It’s nothing more than a foundation with a few corner-stone pieces that can be built on and after time has passed it can project into something amazing.
If fans are looking for magic to happen in one or two seasons with this team, than you will be vastly saddened as the team will not be in a winning fashion for quite some time. At this point the team still is donning hard hats and the cement is still mixing but in due time with the Sixers, the team could mold into greatness. This is all because of one mans objective and heart to tear it down and virtually have a team be born again.
Are you still on the waiting train for the Sixers or have you jumped ship due to lack of patience?