Philadelphia 76ers: The Last Dance – The Process Sixers

Episode VI

DELAYED GRATIFICATION

What is the first thing fans do when a team drafts a stud rookie? Besides buying tickets to upcoming games, jerseys for that player usually fly off the racks. For the Sixers during a span of four years, the fans would end up wearing the rookies’ jerseys before the young players. Why? Call it bad luck or the curse of the Process, injuries and a foreign team commitment impeded the early NBA careers of several key 76ers who were expected to help pull the team out of the gutter.

First, there was Nerlens Noel. A lanky, shot-blocking alley oop specialist from Kentucky, Noel was lauded by Sam Hinkie to have superb defensive potential. He was selected by the Pelicans, but was quickly swapped for All-Star point guard, Jrue Holiday. Yes, Hinkie valued Noel’s potential more than the proven player in Holiday, but an injury prevented Noel from even playing his rookie season.

Then, there was the Process himself, Joel Embiid. Drafted out of Kansas, the Cameroonian sensation with amazing footwork like Hakeem Olajuwon and a fluid jump shot like Patrick Ewing, came to the Sixers in a familiar rookie fashion — injured. During his first two seasons, Embiid would struggle to return to action because of foot and back problems. Again, Philly fans would have to wait for another young star to blossom.

Drafted nine spots later, Dario Saric would end up on the Sixers by way of a trade with the Orlando Magic, but a commitment to the Turkish team prevented him from suiting up. Saric could have made a difference with his versatile game, but like the other young players, he was not ready to play for the NBA’s worst team.

Lastly, with the number one draft pick in 2016, the Sixers would choose a player comparable to the best point guard in NBA history, Magic Johnson. Ben Simmons was the stallion out of LSU who could have added more wins to the 76ers, but as fate would have it, he broke his foot before the season began. What Simmons’ injury brought to the Sixers fanbase was unsurprising, given the recent years circumstances. What would happen in 2017 would inject even more bizarre details into a franchise that straddled the line between weird and unfortunate.