The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers Must Wait For Greatness – We’re Great At It

By Bret Stuter

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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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
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 /

Somebody Turn The Mike Off!

Two seasoned and respected NBA executives.  Two statements.  Paired together, they told 29 NBA teams what they wanted to know.  “What will the Philadelphia 76ers do this off-season?”

The statements were these:

"We are generally dealing with underdeveloped players, both physically and emotionally, and the more opportunity for them to grow and develop as young men and as basketball players will benefit both the evaluator and the athlete alike.” – Bryan Colangelo"

but the more damning of the messages was that delivered by his father Jerry:

"“The reality is, and I’ve come to understand this, that Sam has really done a great job of accumulating assets,” Colangelo said. “If you look at the trades, you look at the draft picks that’ve been accumulated, it’s all there in place. Now it’s a matter of when do you pull the trigger on using all those assets, or any of those assets. So as I look at the board, if you will, I see some things that could happen sooner rather than later. That’s because if somebody gets healthy, if the player from Europe comes in and is part of the rotation, and we will have a very high draft pick and then using some of those assets to do other things to consider, be it free agency, be it a trade, whatever, this thing could flip a lot sooner than people understand.”"

Apart they are harmless. Together, they told me a great deal. They conveyed the perception that the Philadelphia 76ers were a very young team with a series of value draft picks to add valuable young talent to this roster.  And it also shared that the new front office did not value youth on an NBA roster.

It told the rest of the NBA “fire sale”.  For three years, Sam Hinkie’s patient approach to rebuilding the Philadelphia 76ers had held the rest ot the NBA’s feet to the fire.  Hinkie could deal, and dealt he did.  Few got the better of Sam Hinkie when negotiating a trade.

And now, the tables were turned, and the rest of the NBA were ready for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Next: The Myth