Philadelphia 76ers, Sam Hinkie and the “Justice League” Snyder Cut

A fitting comparison for the former Philadelphia 76ers GM.

The movie industry got a rare influx of news and notoriety last week when it was announced the “Snyder Cut” — Zack Snyder’s long-awaited and borderline infamous vision for DC’s JUSTICE LEAGUE film — will release to HBO MAX in 2021.

Many of you are presumably familiar with the JUSTICE LEAGUE film in some capacity, even if you haven’t seen it. It was a botched attempt at a blockbuster superhero team-up. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and more, all on screen together, all on the same team.

It was essentially an Avengers film gone wrong. Zack Snyder was credited as the director, but he left the project early due to a family tragedy. A different director — Joss Whedon — finished out the project and produced the final cut, which inevitably flopped.

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For over a year now, comic book fans have pounded on Warner Brothers’ door in an effort to pull the “Snyder Cut” from the ether. It never actually existed, and Snyder will now go back and piece his version of the film together. But, it worked. The fans got what they wanted, and Snyder’s vision, once spoiled, will come to fruition next year.

This news got me thinking about the Philadelphia 76ers, and more specifically, it got me thinking about Sam Hinkie. Many in the Sixers fandom hail him as a genius, and many are bitter his vision for the Sixers roster was never realized.

Zack Snyder cast Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jason Mamoa as Aquaman. He was also responsible for MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, which introduced Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman to the world. He built the foundation for the modern DC superhero franchises.

And yet, when it was time for the mountain-top production — the big home-run swing — he was unfortunately removed from the project early, and someone else was asked to finish it. The end result, again, was a flop.

Hinkie built the foundation for today’s Sixers. He was the one who selected Joel Embiid, who created a wealth of cheap assets and cap space, and who set the table for his successor to pick Ben Simmons. Philadelphia would look radically different, and probably be much further from contention, if it weren’t for Hinkie.

When you look at the current Sixers roster, however, it’s difficult not to see wasted potential. The Markelle Fultz debacle. The failure to retain Jimmy Butler. The overpay for Tobias Harris. The unsavory Al Horford contract. Philadelphia has come to a very precarious point in its pursuit of a championship.

There’s nothing left in the Hinkie toolshed. The young assets he was responsible for — Jerami Grant, Robert Covington, Dario Saric — have been traded. The financial flexibility he so meticulously crafted has been pummeled by long-term contracts, none of which feel like particularly sturdy investments (outside Embiid and Simmons, of course).

Bryan Colangelo and Elton Brand inherited a gold mine and tried to dig for silver. A very clear blueprint for success — place shooters and ball-handlers around the Embiid-Simmons duo, then swing for a big star when the time came — was never adequately followed. Now the Sixers are mid-tier contenders, and the path forward is murky. No team built around Embiid and Simmons should have such an uncertain future.

It’s still too early to rule out a Sixers championship. Embiid and Simmons are top-20 players who will only get better, and Brand may still redeem himself next offseason. Philadelphia will need to get creative, but not all hope is lost.

When push comes to shove, it’s simply too far-fetched to envision the Sixers winning a championship as presently constructed. Major changes are needed, but majors changes are difficult and expensive. No team will waltz in to take Horford’s contract off the books — Brand will need to siphon away future assets to restructure the current roster. It’s not a great position.

Sadly, we will never see the “Hinkie Cut.”