Philadelphia 76ers Brain Trust

The Philadelphia 76ers have begun the long climb out of the basement of the NBA cellar. But who is at the helm? How do the personalities clash, and harmonize? Does the plan survive today, or is it evolving? Sam Hinkie, Jerry Colangelo, Brett Brown and Mike D’Antoni run the show. The names you recognize, but who actually makes up the Philadelphia 76ers Brain Trust?

It began when Sam Hinkie wowed the Philadelphia 76ers ownership.  It grew when Hinkie hired head coach Brett Brown.  As the team divested of veterans in order to accumulate future draft picks, prospects whose value had fallen as they healed or completed overseas obligation.  The team fell, but the future grew brighter.   Hinkie acquired, and Brown motivated and inspired.  But when the team had fallen to the bottom, when talented prospects were showing the signs of wear and tear at losing so frequently for so long, the team had arrived at the turning point.   That point was signified by the hiring of Jerry Colangelo, who then brought in Mike D’Antoni.    The dynamics of the team have changed, but how?  Who is making the decisions?  What forces are now in play with these Sixers in their strategy?

The first step to advancing the team’s best interests is to place all of the minds together in one room. Their body language gives away the formality of the conversations – are they forced or casual? Judging by the groups interactions, the decision makers are collaborating comfortably, sharing an exhange of ideas and giving consideration to the voices of others.

But there is a history to each individual, an essential aspect of each which draws the line going forward of what they will and will not do.  Acceptable actions versus dealbreakers.  What drives each individual?  To learn that, we need to dive into the past and present of each man to see what approach they will bring to the team going forward.  Where did they come from, and moreso, where do they see things going?  Finally, and likely most importantly, are they compatible?

Lets examine the men individually.

Next: Hinkie

Sam Hinkie

From an old Kenny Rodgers song, The Gambler, “you’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”, you could almost see a grizzled senior citizen version of Sam Hinkie in a cowboy hat drinking down your last swallow. Sam Hinkie is neo, the man who sees the odds behind the deal. He is the guy who can rattle off the variables of a deal, give odds to the outcomes, while the other party is still weighing the first clause of the deal.  In short, he is most at home when he is weighing options.

What can you say about an NBA executive who was hired to his current position of president and general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers by virtue of a power point presentation that analyzed in detail the factors which contributed to the James Harden trade. The story is almost an urban legend status, originated by ESPN’s Pablo Torre:

"“That spring, Hinkie met Harris and Blitzer for dinner and another interview in Manhattan. Less than a year after their initial conversations, the contrast between ownership’s personal probabilistic sensibility and the current administration’s older-school tack stung. And Hinkie, as if to underscore that divergence, walked into dinner carrying a laptop, complete with a massively detailed PowerPoint presentation that Sixers executives now recall as an “investment thesis.” Its centerpiece was a diagram that illustrated, arrow by arrow, transaction by transaction, how Houston had amassed the assets — two first-rounders and a second-rounder, along with guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb — to acquire superstar guard James Harden from the Thunder in October … a month after the Sixers had hired DiLeo. Hinkie’s abstract vision for artfully delayed NBA production suddenly felt concrete.” excerpt from Feb 19,2015 ESPN article by Pablo Torre"

And so began the tenure of one of the present day NBA’s most controversial general managers. No deal is too big, no deal is too small. If it fits the plan, it’s a done deal. In fact, Sam Hinkie even causes anxiety among the teams executives, with Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil referring to Hinkie as “the Wolf of Broad Street”.  But the fact is that the Sixers were in a bad way.  The team could slowly drown hopes by working hard to achieve .500 basketball, or play for tomorrow.  Sam Hinkie is the man who sees tomorrow clearly:

And so the team has a decision maker focused on the Sixers “yet to come”.

Next: Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland Sixers

Well if the only voice in the room is Sam Hinkie, what does he say about the needs of this Sixers team? What insight could he, would he share with us?  The Sixers GM put his thoughts out there for the public record on February 2nd.  So lets Summarize:

What is the team looking for before the trade deadline?  Let’s poll the comments Hinkie made to reporters on Groundhog day:

What about European sensation Dario Saric? Has Philadelphia heard from him, or someone close to him, recently?

How is Dario Saric doing this year?

So are the Sixers shying away from a trade due to the uncertainty of what impact that might make? Is this a year where Sam Hinkie takes a hiatus, perhaps not seeking to shake up anything?

And so it goes, the next moves are addressed when the opportunity arises.

Next: Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo

We’ve only had Jerry Colangelo with the team since the surprise announcement on December 8th, 2015. That was when owner Josh Harris admitted publicly that the team was not progressing quickly enough.

"“I wish it would go faster,” Harris said. “Hopefully, Jerry will allow us to make it go faster. But our goal remains the same: We want to be an elite team.”"

And so, Jerry Colangelo not only picked up the phone, but agreed to shoulder part of the burden of bringing the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship level, a goal that eluded Colangelo during his tenure as general manager and owner of the Phoenix Suns. There are some things that Jerry Colangelo can do for this team:

First of all, Colangelo can help add his perspective of alternatives and options which the team had not weighed with much emphasis.   He is the statesman, the guy with an eye towards putting the team’s best foot foward.   To win on the court, he recognizes that you need to win in the stands as well. It was Colangelo who acted as the catalyst to bring Ish Smith back to the Sixers, and he may have been the driving force to give Jahlil Okafor another try at the power forward position.

What is the most immediate need of this team?

Is it enough to focus exclusively on the players? After all, the ultimate bill is born by the fans of the team and of the NBA as a whole. How can Colangelo help them through this process to remain believers?

So Colangelo is part of that culture creating process, but that requires passion, vision, and good communication. Has Colangelo been maintaining contact with the 76ers owners?
How has Colangelo been spending his time? Does he meet with team ownership on a regular basis?

This feels like a long term project, doesn’t it? But details of Colangelo’s role with the Sixers have left out how long he will be involved with the team:

Next: Dealing

Dealing With Direction, Deals, and Draft

But with the NBA trade deadline, it’s a good time to pick apart any Colangelo comments to see if he offers any clues as to what the Sixers might consider intiating. You see, there is a sense that the team could deal with hopes to bring in another impact player similar to the Ish Smith phenomenon. But there is a sense that those players may already be on this roster, and simply need the opportunity to practice and play together next season. Colangelo, if truth be known, seems to be me of that mindset.

What is the team’s top priority with the trade deadline? Is there a must do deal on the action items list?

Has the team reached a consensus about the direction of the center position?

So is it safe to say that this team is “steady as she goes”?

Has Ish Smith made an impact on the Philadelphia 76ers? Is the team closer to the goal now?

What are your thoughts on progress of this team? Your initial thoughts in December were that this team had a long ways to go.

What is Jerry Colangelo’s initial thoughts of the upcoming 2016 NBA draft?

And so, Jerry Colangelo spoke freely, but much like Sam Hinkie, kept his cards close to the vest. Colangelo’s perspective is not racing for the goal line by any means. While he certainly does not seem to have as much tolerance towards second round draft picks and player development as Hinkie has exhibited in the past, he is certainly very loyal to his players and treats them with a certain level of respect.

Despite the GM antics of sports writers and fans, a man who has seen NBA transactions succeed and fail for the past 35 years already has a great reservoir of experience to draw from and upon. It was from that ocean that he counseled the Sixers to deal two 2nd round picks for point guard Ish Smith. Without experience of getting the ball down the court and calling the plays, there is little value in evaulating any other players. Now, with some success, the minds of basketball analytics and the combination of Colangelo/Hinkie/Brown/D’Antoni can trouble shoot the roster effectively.

Next: Brown

Brett Brown

He is many things to this team, but perhaps the most important role head coach Brett Brown plays for the Philadelphia 76ers is lynch pin. You see, he holds it all together. 15 players, support staff, team vision, executives, analytics, discipline, motivator. He’s a one man show.  He too has something to say about this team. But his is the voice of tactician. He tells the dealers what he needs on this team to make it work, and the front office deals to bring that player skillset to him.

For example, so much is being made about the impact point guard Ish Smith. But emerging as a true NBA talent is the play of point guard T.J. McConnell. His performace this year has only become better under the watchful eye of Smith. How does Brown see McConnell?

On the topic of players who make positive contributions but who are not playing the most minutes right now, power forward Elton Brand was brought to the Sixers to assist the younger big players. Is Brown upset that one of his roster positions is, in essence, a counselor for other players?

How is Brown’s relationship with Jerry Colangelo?

What does Brown feel is the most important need with the Sixers right now going forward?

So the team has three voices accounted for, but the fourth is both the most recent and the toughest to pin down. Brett Brown asked Jerry Colangelo to name his assistant head coach, and D’Antoni was happy to reunite with Colangelo in Philly. What about Mikey?

Next: D'Antoni

Mike D’Antoni

Brett Brown is to Sam Hinkie as Mike D’Antoni is to Jerry Colangelo. Mike D’Antoni is an offensively minded NBA coach who was on the rebound after a rather disappointing time as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also credited with the call for Ish Smith to join the Sixers.  In any case, the fact that you are not seeing Mike D’Antoni in the headlines more is a good sign.

He appears to be content.

His impact is the offensive side of the ball, and his strategy there was already on display.    He is the king of the fast break, of ball movement, of attacking the basketball court from many angles.  When he arrived, the Philadelphia 76ers offense had plummeted to a league worst 91.1 points per game. The Philadelpia 76ers now stand at 95.1 points per game, and are rapidly improving – averaging 98.8 in the last ten games.

Next: Philadelphia 76ers: Kings' Ben McLemore An Option?

The challenge with the rapid turnaround is the fact that other NBA teams will jettison their coaches and take a run at D’Antoni, based on his current impact with these Sixers.  But the bond of Colangelo and D’Antoni may be made of stronger stuff.  To secure a long term from D’Antoni, the team may give some audience to D’Antoni’s wish list of players.   What might that list include?

He loves ball control, players who can pass and move quickly.  He loves athletic players.  In fact, his ideal player types are already slotted to arrive in the form of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric. For now, few microphones point at D’Antoni for his thoughts regarding the direction and upside of the Philadelphia 76ers. But it may be that direction and upside that ultimately gives him reason to remain with the team.

From so low to so high is an experience few are blessed with in this lifetime. It may very well be that he wants to be part of history in the making. In the end, it may be that this is the loudest statement any of the four basketball minds can make.

Stay and see.