3 Things the Philadelphia 76ers Can Teach You About Trusting the Process
The Philadelphia 76ers planning process is more complicated than a game of chess
When the Philadelphia 76ers started Trust the Process to become NBA contenders, they went through a lot of trial and error. After losing games to get higher draft picks and making numerous trades, the Philadelphia 76ers journey has not been easy.
When their process began, you could say they purposely lost so they could get better draft picks. These are the final standings of the 76ers since the process began.
After the first three years, the 76ers went 47–199. The process was rough for the team, players, as well as fans. Some days it wasn’t even worth watching the team lose.
To Trust the Process sounds simple, but fitting all of the pieces together takes a lot of planning, work, as well as luck. Creating a championship team does not happen overnight.
After a disappointing 2012–13 season, Sam Hinkie was picked as the general manager.
When head coach Doug Collins resigned in 2013, Bret Brown was hired and Hinkie used the terms process and trust during Brown’s introductory conference.
In 2013, the 76ers traded the former 2009 first-round pick All-Star Jrue Holiday along with a 2013 second-round draft pick for rookie Nerlens Noel of the New Orleans Pelicans and a 2014 first-round draft pick.
Nerlens was eventually traded in 2017 for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a top 18 first-round draft pick. The pick turned into the 39th pick in the 2017 draft and a 2018 second-round draft pick.
Draft picks and trades required more patience for the process
After the 2014 season, the 76ers drafted Joel Embiid in the first round as the number three pick. Two months after he was drafted, Embiid went into surgery for his broken navicular bone in his right foot. Over the years, his playing time was limited as he was recovering from surgery or he was injured.
This past year, Embiid made an effort to improve his diet and conditioning in the off-season. Embiid would practice routines he watched on video, and run full-court sprints in between his shooting sessions for close to two hours.
In the 2016 NBA draft, the 76ers selected Ben Simmons. Simmons had surgery on his foot and was out for the entire season.
In the 2017 NBA draft, the 76ers traded for the first-round pick and gave Boston Celtics their number one pick along with a first-round pick in 2019.
“History suggests that №1 has the greatest odds of producing franchise-level talent and we are confident that this year’s draft class has that very potential.” Bryan Colangelo
Unfortunately, Markel Fultz never lived up to his name and was traded February 7, 2019, to Orlando Magic for Jonathan Simmons and a first-round draft pick.
In 2018, the 76ers lost to their rival Boston Celtics in five games. The 76ers looked to free agency and signed JJ Redick on July 6, 2018.
Bryan Colangelo resigned as the 76ers general manager after his wife, Barbara Bottini, admitted to using three social media accounts that criticized former coach Brett Brown, Joel Embiid, and his predecessor Sam Hinkie in May 2018.
Former 76er, Elton Brand took over the general manager and oversaw numerous moves with the team's roster.
In 2019, the 76ers made it to the conference finals against the Toronto Raptors and lost it in game seven by two points. In 2020, the 76ers were blown out by the Boston Celtics, 4–0 behind strong shooting from Jason Tatum.
The team worked a deal for Tobias Harris on February 6, 2019, in a trade with Los Angeles Clippers. Harris has been a key component to the 76ers winning this season.
During the season, the 76ers traded Markel Fultz on February 7, 2019, to Orlando Magic for Jonathan Simmons and a first-round draft pick.
When the 76ers initially traded the 2017 first-round picks with the Boston Celtics, the Celtics drafted Jason Tatum who is now a key component of the team. Tatum averaged 25 points, 2.7 three-pointers, seven rebounds, and 4.7 assists this season. Fultz is currently injured with a torn ACL after eight games and averaging .5 three-pointers, 5.4 assists, and 12.9 points per game. Fultz could be considered a bust as a draft pick unless he finds his old self again.
The 76ers traded Jimmy Butler on July 6, 2019, for Robert Covington, Darko Saric, and Jerrod Bayless. Butler was a key part of the 76ers getting to the NBA finals to the 2019–20 season. After the season-ending loss to the eventual NBA champions, Toronto Raptors, Butler wasn’t resigned. He reached the NBA finals with the Miami Heat who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
In the off-season, the 76ers signed Al Horford, July 10, 2019, as a free agent. During the year, he never found a way to contribute to the team and the 76ers were trying to find a way to off-load him and his expensive contract.
In 2020, the 76ers lost to the Toronto Raptors and fired their coach Brett Brown. The 76ers worked to improve their operations. The first start was hiring Daryl Morey. Daryl Morey was named 76ers president of basketball operations after stepping down from the Houston Rockets in a similar role.
On November 18, 2020, the 76ers traded Al Horford to Oklahoma City Thunder and the 34th draft pick for Danny Green and a 2015 1st round draft pick. The 76ers freed up an $81 million contract and three years owed to Al Horford.
After the 2020 playoff season, Bret Brown was fired when the team lost four straight in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics.
In October 2020, Doc Rivers was hired as the new 76ers coach. Rivers has a long career coaching strong teams in the NBA. Rivers coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Clippers and had a 143–103 record with a championship title with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
During the off-season, the 76ers acquired Seth Curry from Dallas Mavericks for Josh Richardson and the 36th draft pick. Curry is married to Doc River’s daughter, Callie. Curry is a 44.3 percent 3 point shooter.
Additionally, the 76ers signed free agent and former All-Star Dwight Howard who last played with the 2020 NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers. As a back-up, Howard serves as a good compliment to Joel Embiid.
With the Philadelphia 76ers holding first place in the Eastern division, we’ll see if they have all the pieces they need to win a title this year.
Do you think the 76ers need any additional help to complete the process?
References
Philadelphia 76ers: Why ‘The Process’ never should have happened
