Rebuilding rules changed
And three of the four still play for the 76ers. In fact, they continue to play on a team which is still improving. But if the rebuild “worked” and if the players who were signed panned out, why is there no risk of some other team merely following suit?
Well to start off, some teams do not believe that the rebuild has worked at all. Some point to the injury prone Philadelphia 76ers roster, the sub-.500 record, and rationalize that this team is not good at all. Others look at the roster as unfinished, and simply play the “jury is still out” rationalization.
You can build for tomorrow, but you won’t get to enjoy it
The biggest roadblock to any team electing a longer term view to rebuild springs from the outcome of Sam Hinkie with the Philadelphia 76ers. Doing the right thing for a team’s long term future is a sure-fire way of not being in charge when that long term future arrives. Owners want profits. Profits means revenue. Revenue means fan support. The cost of looking ahead means nobody focuses on today. Ticket sales and merchandising tumbles means somebody gets fired.
Still, even if a team wanted to walk the trail blazed by the Philadelphia 76ers organization, there are significant hurdles in their way. Let’s look at three significant detriments for some modern NBA team to entrust their future to “The Process”: