Philadelphia 76ers Three Years To Greatness Per Jerry Colangelo

1 of 4

Dec 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Jerry Colangelo speaks to the media after being named special advisor for the Philadelphia 76ers before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Philadelphia 76er Jerry Colangelo does not mince words, nor does he waste them. So when he places the team on a three year timeline, there is more to it than meets the eye.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

But it might still be a work in process if it were left to Philadelphia 76ers president and head coach Sam Hinkie. At least, that is the perspective on the streets, in the minds of other basketball executives. Rebuilding is a two-year process, at most, in the eyes of many.

But how many teams made a deep run after a quick rebuild?

"“I’d like to see us very competitive in three years. . . . That means not just making the playoffs,” said Jerry Colangelo, who was hired as chairman of basketball operations in December."

We had looked at the structure of a championship team in an article some months ago using the basketball analytics approach. To create a championship team, one that will win in the post season, the team needs to have a minimum of three players – one needs to be in the top 96th percentile, the second needs to be in the 90th percentile, and the third needs to be in the top 79th percentile.

With thirty teams in the NBA, lets break that down into real numbers. One of the players needs to be the best in the league, one of the players needs to be in the top three in the league, and finally, one of the players needs to be in the top six of the league. Of the team’s current roster, who on the team fills those slots with their current scheme? Well the front court is likely to contribute the lion’s share of talent who might be projected to fill those types of statistical overachievers, but in three years? Hmmm….

More from Sixers News

But when you sit down to build a team and break it down, that’s where the planners MUST place the team. One top player, one in the top three, and a third in the top six. The remainder of the team cannot be bad, but merely adequate enough to perform with quality minutes. Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers players who perform like a Robert Covington, Ish Smith, even a defender like Jerami Grant, a hot hand off the bench like Isaiah Canaan or a young talent with upside like Richaun Holmes might fill out the roster. But with all the talk of “getting better”, that means the Sixers must truly find that superstar, and one who can perform better than any other player in the NBA at his position, in the next three years.

That’s a far cry from where the team is now. But to do that, here’s the plan as it is currently evolving, the team needs to recognize who has those attributes quickly and accurately. Let’s see how the Colangelo bolt-on has impacted the overall approach of Trusting The Process. I’ve laid out the groundwork of the Philadelphia 76ers Brain Trust. Now we need to see how those forces shape the future of this team.

Next: Stage One: Upgrade Scouting