The Philadelphia 76ers have come a long way since their last playoff run. Let’s look back on that season, the events that have transpired since, and the differences between the two teams
With the Philadelphia 76ers clinching a spot in the NBA Playoffs for the first time in six seasons, it’s worth taking some time to look back on the team’s 2012 run to the conference semifinals.
Six years doesn’t sound like all that long ago, but things were a whole lot different. The year started with a lockout, but the players and owners were finally able to reach an agreement on a new CBA, and the league commenced a shortened, 66 game season.
The Sixers started the year on fire, jumping out to an 18-7 record and placing themselves in the conversation of top contenders in the East. It didn’t last, though. The team limped into the All-Star break with five straight losses.
Fall to 8-seed
By season’s end, the Sixers had fallen all the way to the eight seed, barely hanging onto a playoff spot at 35-31. No one expected much in the playoffs, and winning just one game against the Bulls would’ve been considered a good series.
But then reigning MVP Derrick Rose tore his ACL (for the first time), and suddenly the Sixers had a chance. They got past the Bulls in six games, and Andre Iguodala leapt atop the scorer’s table in celebration. Next up were the Celtics, led by the big four of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.
The Sixers fell behind 3-2, but they won a crucial game six at the recently renamed Wells Fargo Center to force a game seven in Boston. The game was close, but the Celtics pulled it out after Rondo, a 23.8% three point shooter on the season, hit two threes in the fourth quarter (including one that banked in).
The loss wasn’t all that heartbreaking to fans. Many assumed the Heat would have swept the Sixers in the next round anyway. The series did give us the above picture of Lavoy Allen looking away as Garnett talks trash in his ear, which I’d consider some kind of moral victory. Miami would go on to win the title that year, the first ever for Lebron James.
Between then and now
Here are the most significant events that have led to the complete roster turnover since the Sixers last made the playoffs:
- Sixers use the Amnesty Clause on Elton Brand (July 2012)
- Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, and a future first round pick are traded for Andrew Bynum (August 2012)
- Bynum plays more bowling games (at least 1) than basketball games (0) for the Sixers
- Jrue Holiday is an All-Star (February 2013)
- Sixers finish 2012-13 at 34-48
- Doug Collins steps down as head coach and becomes a horrible analyst on ABC (April 2013)
- Rod Thorn and Tony DiLeo are removed as President and GM, respectively (April 2013)
- Sam Hinkie is hired as GM and President (May 2013)
- The Sixers trade Holiday for the right to draft Nerlens Noel (6) and a future first round pick, also select Michael Carter Williams (11) (June 2013)
- Noel will miss the entire season with a torn ACL
Brett Brown Era
- Brett Brown is finally hired as head coach (August 2013)
- Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes are traded for second round picks (February 2014)
- Sixers finish 2013-14 at 19-63
- Sixers select Joel Embiid (3) and Elfrid Payton (10) (June 2014)
- Elfrid Payton is traded for the right to draft Dario Saric (12) and a future first round pick (June 2014)
- Embiid will miss his first season with fractured foot; Saric is signed oversees for the next two seasons
- Thaddeus Young is traded for a late first round pick (August 2014)
- Robert Covington is signed (November 2014)
- Michael Carter-Williams traded for the Lakers’ protected first round pick (February 2015)
- Sixers finish 2014-15 at 18-64
- Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor (June 2015)
- Sixers trade two oversees players for Nik Stauskas, the 2019 Kings unprotected first round pick, and the right to swap first round picks with the Kings in 2017 (July 2015)
- Embiid re-injures foot and will miss 2015-16 season (July 2015)
- Sixers sign T.J. McConnell (September 2015)
- Sam Hinkie resigns after being forced out by the Colangelos (April 2016)
Bryan Colangelo Era
- After a fake GM search, Jerry Colangelo hires his son, Bryan (April 2016)
- Sixers finish 2015-16 at 10-72
- Philadelphia 76ers win the draft lottery (May 2016)
- Sixers draft Ben Simmons (1) (June 2016)
- Ben Simmons fractures foot and will miss the 2016-17 season (September 2016)
- Sixers go 10-5 in January 2017, led by Embiid
- Nerlens Noel is traded for Justin Anderson and a fake first round pick (February 2017)
- Sixers finish 2016-17 at 28-64
- The Sixers move from 5 to 3 after swapping picks with the Kings (May 2017)
- Sixers trade the third pick and either the Lakers’ 2018 pick or Kings’ 2019 pick for the first pick (June 2017)
Markelle Fultz Era
- Sixers select Markelle Fultz (1) (June 2017)
- Sixers sign J.J. Redick to a lucrative one-year deal (July 2017)
- Fultz has a mysterious shoulder injury and can’t play (October 2017)
- Jahlil Okafor traded to Brooklyn Nets for basically nothing (December 2017)
- Joel Embiid starts in the All-Star game (February 2018)
- Rumors swirl that Lebron James is considering joining the Sixers in the offseason (February 2018)
- Sixers clinch the playoffs (March 2018)
- Markelle Fultz returns to the court (March 2018)
- Joel Embiid gets a concussion and fractures a bone in his face; he is out until at least the beginning of the playoffs (March 2018)
I’ll now hand out the “Oh Yea, That Guy” Award for each season from 2012 to 2017. This award commemorates the random guy that played each year that sounds familiar when you hear their name.
- 2011-12: Craig Brackins
- 2012-13: Damien Wilkins
- 2013-14: Jarvis Varnado
- 2014-15: Alexey Shved
- 2015-16: Christian Wood
- 2016-17: Chasson Randle
This season is so different
Sure, that 2012 team had entirely different players and coaches. But “fresh faces” doesn’t even begin to describe the changes the organization has undergone.
Most notable is the sheer difference in talent between the rosters. Both teams had an All-Star, but in 2012 the All-Star was Andre Iguodala, who averaged just 12.4 points per game. In this year’s playoffs, the Sixers will have a true star in Joel Embiid (if he can recover in time).
Another major change is the culture and strategy from Doug Collins to Brett Brown. Brown embraces a new-school style of thinking, such as encouraging players to shoot more threes. Doug Collins was… not like that.
During the 2011-2012 season, Collins insisted Andre Iguodala take less threes, despite Iguodala taking just 3.1 per game and hitting at 39.4%. Teaching the team’s young talent to take inefficient long twos was not ideal for their development. Brown is a much better coach and player developer than Collins, but to be fair to Collins, at least he wasn’t Eddie Jordan.
Fan perspective
As a fan, rooting for each team is also different. No one really thought the 2012 Sixers had any chance to reach the finals. This year, though, anything is possible if the team is healthy. These Sixers are on the rise and play a fun style of basketball. Not only can we expect these playoffs to be exciting, the Sixers should be fun to watch and championship contenders for years to come.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers facing Joel Embiid’s facial injury
Some other random differences:
- The Sixers didn’t have a mascot after getting rid of Hip Hop the creepy bunny; now they have Franklin the blue dog
- Marc, Malik, and Meredith became Marc, Alaa, and Molly
- Only one player from 2012 is still with the organization: Elton Brand is now the GM of the team’s G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats
- The team’s 2012 motto was “Show Ya Luv”; this year, it’s officially “Here They Come” and unofficially “Trust the Process”
- The Sixers used to have one of the worst uniforms in the league; they now have arguably the best
- The Sixers now have a brand new practice facility on the Camden Waterfront
- The CEO in 2012 was Adam Aron; now it’s Scott O’Neil (not that anyone really cares)
- From the 2011-12 season to now, 97 different players have played for the Sixers