What Can Jerry Colangelo Tell Us About Philadelphia 76ers Trade Strategy?

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Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie speaks to the media during a press conference to introduce Jerry Colangelo (not pictured) as special advisor before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

All The Subtlety Of A Sledge Hammer

The strategy of Sam Hinkie is apparent. When he doesn’t know the outcome, he tosses an army of bodies at the position until someone emerges as the clear cut starter. It has it’s advantages, as it has led the team to the discovery of reserve point guard T.J. McConnell and his growing confidence as he plays behind Smith. But the drawback to Hinkie’s strategy is that it has all the accuracy of a sledge hammer. He busts up a position into pieces, and then tries to marry the right piece to the closest “fit”. Even worse, he steps back and places that responsibility to head coach Brett Brown.

But from the moment of his affiliation with the team, Jerry Colangelo has taken a “how can I help?” perspective. Imagine the relief and thrill when his introduction to Brown immediately turned to “what do you need?” conversation. That’s the moment when Brown discussed the void in the assistant head coaching role. Two days later, Colangelo had reached out to Mike D’Antoni and persuaded him to come on-board.

Problem Solved. Big Deal.

Now the team is beginning to turn the corner. At 48 games into the season, this team is still left with 34 games left to play. If the turn around is just a mirage, the team will settle back into 16 win season. If that is the case, then the team will not make a move now. It’s premature, and wisdom would be best served to allow the team to mature, absorb the return of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric and draft picks, and move forward in the 2016 season.

But this team has some potential now. If the team is really turning the corner, the team could play .500 or better basketball through season’s end. If the team projects to 24-28 wins this year, this is the time to consider swapping for another “Ish Smith” like deal. Can this team win 17 -21 games of the 34 games left? Perhaps, perhaps not. The team is improving rapidly, having taken the best of the NBA to the wire. It’s enough to expect the team to win some games against teams they should not beat.

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