Has Sixers Sam Hinkie Hustled The NBA?
By Bret Stuter
![](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/f01f031e18d0c15c3a280c3e78cc47ec212718e9926fb4030539f8164a9d72be.jpg)
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA;
Dario Saric(Croatia) gets a hug after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Hinkie Doesn’t Care What Experts Think…
Sixers fans face the unknown in 2015. Will the team be good enough to threaten a playoff appearance? Will the team Tank? Does the team need to be the NBA worst in order to have a chance at a high NBA draft?
No. No. and surprisingly No.
We are coming into the home stretch Sixers fans. Some of you have gotten off the plane, but keep your boarding pass. The 2015/16 NBA season will test the character, the mettle, the mental fabric of this team, and this fanbase.
However there is more. 2015 is an experiment of sorts. It will be a season where the Sixers explore the gambles on players they’ve signed or acquired through trade with some questions. We will get to see if Nik Stauskas is a true first round talent, or a bust. We will get to see if the gusto of Pierre Jackson, “Pappy Jack” is what the fans hope it can be. Can an NBA professional athlete “will” himself into a star? If Pappy Jack can’t, then it cannot be done.
We won’t tank, but the quality of play may not be consistent enough to suit anyone’s liking. Those who want success now will be frustrated again by a team that loses more than it wins. Those who want to see a big splash in the 2016 NBA draft by obtaining the top pick will be frustrated by a team that begins to learn how to win.
But what happens in 2016?
Next: Genesis