Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers special advisor Jerry Colangelo (L) goes over first quarter stats with owner Joshua Harris (R) during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. The Spurs won 119-68. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Every Architect Needs A Foreman
The Philadelphia 76ers are a young organization, period. President and general manager Sam Hinkie is running his first NBA program after being executive vice president of basketball operations for the Houston Rockets. From executive washroom to gymnasium shower room. The first significant act by newly ordained president and general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers was to hire currently head coach Brett Brown. Previous to his hire, Brown had been an NBA assistant head coach for the San Antonio Spurs and served as the head coach of the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League. But his resume for head coach of an NBA head coach was as thick as Sam Hinkie’s resume was in running an NBA program as a general manager.
Both are counting on On-the-Job-Training (OJT).
When news broke of the hire of Jerry Colangelo as the new Philadelphia 76ers consultant and chairman of basketball operations, many viewed the team as moving current general manager to the unemployment line. But the reality is that it may have solidified Sam Hinkie’s role as architect to the “grand rebuild”. In a nutshell, the Sixers new structure allows Sam Hinkie to wield the power of the “deal” while Jerry Colangelo works behind the scenes to mortar the cracks. His role, as mentor and facilitator, to Sam Hinkie and the process means that the dream of a championship has more traction now. Colangelo is the foreman of the build, the guy who takes the plans, makes suggestions for improvements, and then identifies the best talent to get the job done.
Some have equated the hire to a stock market exchange, with a room filled with insane shouting and Colangelo’s voice now bellowing like thunder in that room, silencing the voices of anyone else in an almost biblical analogy of God speaking to Moses. Not happening.
The first example of that is the coaching staff. Brett Brown is the hire of Sam Hinkie. IF the Philadelphia 76ers are going in a “new direction”, they most certainly would NOT want to retain the services of the man most loyal to Sam Hinkie – the head coach personally hand picked by him. But in a clear sign of what’s to come, the first order of business was to extend Brett Brown for two more years.
Next: Mentoring The Mentor