The Sixer Sense
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Sam Hinkie’s Legacy Lives Through Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons

By Kevin Kolodziej

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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If Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons reach their maximum potential, there’s only one way Sam Hinkie’s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers can be remembered.

Few general managers in the history of professional sports were criticized as often as Sam Hinkie was during his three years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite plenty of scrutiny surrounding Hinkie’s unorthodox rebuilding process, he undoubtedly left the Sixers in a better position to succeed than when he first arrived in the City of Brotherly Love.

Over the next few seasons, we’ll find out just how effective Hinkie’s plan was.

Sure, the idea of The Process makes sense, and I truly believe it was the correct direction for the organization to go after more than a decade of mediocrity. Now, Philadelphia has a roster loaded with young talent that was acquired during (or thanks to) the Hinkie era and the results will begin to show.

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Although I’ve personally always believed in what Hinkie was doing, no matter if it works or not (the structure and mathematics behind the strategy absolutely make sense and the reward that it can yield greatly outweighs the risk), many will judge The Process solely on the results.

And if two specific players end up being as talented as they can be, even the Hinkie Haters will have no choice but to respect what he did over his three years in Philadelphia.

Their names are Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

If these two pan out, we’ll look back at Hinkie’s tenure and laugh at what a small price three losing seasons in a row meant to the franchise. And if Simmons and Embiid end up being as good as they can be (both have true superstar potential), Hinkie’s legacy will live on as a positive one in Philadelphia.

Think about it: before Hinkie arrived, the Sixers were merely an average franchise — nothing more, nothing less. Every year, it seemed like they’d end up with a draft pick in the mid-teens after finishing the season as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs before getting knocked out in the first or second round. In fact, Philly has won just two total playoff series’ (2003, 2012) since falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals.

The 76ers went 47-199 over their past three seasons and the most recent of which consisted of a mere 10 victories. No, the 2015-16 season wasn’t exactly pretty to watch, but the team’s offseason reward was a chance to pair the top prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft (Simmons) with the top prospect in the 2014 NBA Draft (Embiid). Philadelphia now has both thanks to Hinkie.

You cannot win a championship in the NBA without a legitimate superstar, and these two have more superstar potential than any player that’s worn a 76ers jersey since Allen Iverson was traded in 2006.

Even though the Sixers were atrocious these past three seasons, it was due to the design of a calculated system in order to better the organization’s future. It’s not the same as other legitimately horrid NBA franchises like the Sacramento Kings (who haven’t had a winning season since 2006 and have gone through six head coaches over the last five years while chasing wins) or the Brooklyn Nets (who are coming off of a 21-win season and don’t have their own first-round pick until 2019).

The Sixers lost on purpose and did so in order to better their chances at landing a superstar in the draft, and they might have landed two in Simmons and Embiid. Plus, if guys like Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric and Jahlil Okafor (all lottery picks that were not as highly-touted prospects as Simmons and Embiid entering their respective drafts) turn out to be good players, that’s just icing on the cake.

Next: Korkmaz Makes it Impossible to Fail in Upcoming Drafts

I’m a Sam Hinkie guy. Not everyone is. But if Simmons and Embiid reach their maximum potential, the Hinkie Haters will have no choice but to praise the man they once despised.