Sixers Rebuild: Sam Hinkie Is Recreating The 1982-83 Team
The Philadelphia 76ers rebuild has often been considered the most polarizing process in the NBA, and the sports worlds. Our friends Spike Eskin and Michael Levin at SB Nation’s Liberty Ballers first popularized the term “Trust The Process” and since then Sixers fans have gone crazy with it. Some people love it:
im about to get trust the process tattooed on me
— drew (@sixersruinedme) July 18, 2015
Others, well not so much:
"Trust the process," Sixers fan telling his close friend who wants a divorce
— alex (@steven_lebron) July 17, 2015
@Sixers until Hinkie proves me wrong he is the worst GM in the league. I don't "trust the process". He doesn't sign any vets to surround
— 🅿️ooh 2 (@Kdotreid) July 11, 2015
Whether you are for or against the process, there is a plan in place for the Sixers to once again become a contending team.
This unique plan is very different from what many fans have witnessed before, but it does have the reminiscences of previous Sixers’ schemes. Let’s look back in time and compare the current rebuild to the most iconic season in Philadelphia history, 1982-83.
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The 1982-83 Sixers brought home the franchise’s 2nd NBA Championship in dominant fashion, losing just one game the entire postseason. Often referred to as one of the greatest teams in NBA history, it may be difficult to see similarities with the current Sixers roster. If you look at both rosters close enough, however, you will see Sam Hinkie’s vision of recreating the dominant team.
1982-83 Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Exp | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | J.J. Anderson | SF | 6-8 | 195 | R | Bradley University |
| 10 | Maurice Cheeks | PG | 6-1 | 180 | 4 | West Texas A&M University |
| 25 | Earl Cureton | C | 6-9 | 210 | 2 | University of Detroit Mercy |
| 14 | Franklin Edwards | PG | 6-1 | 170 | 1 | Cleveland State University |
| 6 | Julius Erving | SF | 6-6 | 200 | 11 | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| 8 | Marc Iavaroni | PF | 6-8 | 210 | R | University of Virginia |
| 45 | Clemon Johnson | C | 6-10 | 240 | 4 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University |
| 33 | Reggie Johnson | SF | 6-9 | 205 | 2 | University of Tennessee |
| 24 | Bobby Jones | PF | 6-9 | 210 | 8 | University of North Carolina |
| 2 | Moses Malone | C | 6-10 | 215 | 8 | |
| 31 | Mark McNamara | C | 6-11 | 235 | R | University of California |
| 4 | Clint Richardson | SG | 6-3 | 195 | 3 | Seattle University |
| 3 | Russ Schoene | PF | 6-10 | 210 | R | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| 22 | Andrew Toney | SG | 6-3 | 178 | 2 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/24/2015.
Current Sixers’ Roster (as of July 18th)
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