Sam Hinkie’s Manifesto
Throughout an NBA game, defenders oftentimes discover that they are defending the “wrong guy”. Pick and rolls, screen plays, zone defenses invariably place a big on a small, or a small on a big. Those mismatches are designed to tilt the odds towards the offense. But if the defenders have the skillset to matchup against anyone, then the tilt swings back to the defense.
PistonPowered
In Sam Hinkie’s resignation letter, he spelled out the objective on the team rebuild. The goal was not to build a team capable of winning today, but one capable of winning tomorrow. That forced team executives to pioneer the team blueprint unlike anything the NBA had seen before. The ingredients included the Brett Brown mantra: “Pace Space Pass”. The team focused on huge wingspan and that pushed the team towards taller players. The team targeted three-point shooters. And finally, the team sought defense.
The secret ingredient is multiplicity
The Process so many cite wasn’t, isn’t, and will not be defined by one draft pick. Building a championship team is never about one player. The New Orleans Pelicans have enjoyed Anthony Davis for years, and he is one of the most dominating players in the NBA. The true method behind the madness for the Philadelphia 76ers was to find three championship caliber players simultaneously. Once found, the team must then surround those players with complimentary skillsets. In short, it is converting from a win games now to a win championships later mentality.