The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers From Slow Cooker To Microwave

By Bret Stuter

Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown goes over a play with his team during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown goes over a play with his team during the third quarter of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee Bucks won 109-108 in OT. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 26, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves draft pick Tyus Jones (left) and first round draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns (right) get ready to meet the media at Mayo Clinic Square. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves draft pick Tyus Jones (left) and first round draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns (right) get ready to meet the media at Mayo Clinic Square. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

II. NBA Draft Strategy

In the NBA Draft, there are three factors which play a role in which player is selected:  Empirical Value, Immediate Impact, Team Needs.   Empirical Value is the ceiling of that player if they are healthy, trained well, and follow a normal trajectory.  Immediate Impact is how “NBA ready” that player is and how quickly will they be expected to master their position in the NBA.   Team Needs are simply the needs of the team for that players position and skill sets.

When Sam Hinkie drafted, he simplified the focus to one attribute – Empirical Value.   In the past three years, the NBA draft strategy had taken on a quality of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  The Sixers did not shop for players for their own roster, but rather bought low and sold high.  That pattern was not expressed once, but rather multiple times in a draft, even in the same draft.
Investigating the potential Sixers strategy of the upcoming 2016 NBA draft, we looked back at the pattern of draft selections.   What we uncovered was a tapestry of transactions, exchanges, buying and selling draft currency to a point where it was nearly a real life emulation of online GM simulators.  The Sixers inserted carpet drafting – a strategy of drafting players whom would be immediately traded to successive teams to multiply the number of available draft selections in the future.

But that pattern of playing the draft like a commodities market did little to impact the immediate needs of the Philadelphia 76ers.   Employing a “tomorrow” value system ensured the Sixers continued to find a steady stream of multiplying their draft position and selections.  But the premium of today’s needs had no champion.  The 2015-2016 roster, even to the staunchest supporter of Sam Hinkie, had little resemblance to a complete NBA team.  Even if you disregard carrying the injured Joel Embiid on the roster for the second year, the team began the season completely understaffed due to injury.

"“Going into tonight’s game with nine and a half players. It’s just part of the situation we’ve been dealt with.” – head coach Brett Brown after an opening night loss to the Boston Celtics."

The team was an explosion of youth, and the most experienced player on the court in a Sixers jersey on opening night was Hollis Thompson, a young man who was just beginning his third NBA season.  Why?

Previous NBA drafts focused on players for their eventual value.  Nerlens Noel was delayed a year.   Joel Embiid and Dario Saric were drafted but have not appeared in a Sixers jersey for two years.  Drafted players, like Michael Carter Williams and K.J. McDaniels, rose in their value to the point that they were traded at their peaks.   More savings.  More placed away for a rainy day.  But less on the plate today.

That will change.  The most significant difference will be the draft philosophy.  In this year’s NBA draft, the team will undoubtedly avoid prospects with questions as their health or to their availability to join the Sixers this season.   While that could limit the team’s options if the lottery is unfavorable, the team is no longer willing to bank on the future.

Next: NBA Trades