Isaiah Canaan spent a year and a half with the Sixers, joining midway through the 2014-15 season. He was among the lead playmakers during that stretch, averaging 11.4 points and 2.1 assists in 99 games with the franchise.
“The Process” was, for lack of a better term, about losing games. There was undeniable vision behind Sam Hinkie’s brilliant plan, but the short-term effects were obvious. The team was trying to lose games, and that meant giving below-average players an opportunity.
After struggling to gain traction with the Houston Rockets early in his career, Canaan was given a sizable boost with the Sixers. Known for his shot-making prowess, fans coined the term “Canaanball” whenever he rocketed a shot from deep.
Undersized for his position, Canaan also epitomized the heart and effort that defined those process-era Sixers teams. While the scores weren’t close all that often, Brett Brown installed a defense-first system that had his teams playing hard every night.
Canaan was among several players to embrace that hard-working culture during his time with the Sixers, making him an easy fan favorite when elite talent was lacking.
After wrapping up his Sixers tenure in 2016 — the last year of full-blown rebuilding — Canaan spent one season in Houston before ending up with the Phoenix Suns last season. He broke his leg in gruesome fashion, but has gone through rehab and re-signed with Phoenix this offseason.