Timeless, Burning Questions for the Sixers
With the Sixers’ introductory press conferences having officially taken place on Friday, July 12th, Philadelphia fans are understandably looking forward to the future of this team. Elton Brand and the organization have brought in an abundance of talent that should enable the Sixers to compete for a championship for years to come.
While it is overwhelmingly exciting to think about the potential and future of the organization, it is just as important to remember the past, and how far the team, and we as a fan base, have come.
It was just four years ago, 2015-16, that the Philadelphia 76ers were in the basement of the NBA, winning just 10 games. Elton Brand was still on the roster, and a win was so rare that seeing even one put you in a distinctive category of fandom.
Fast forward a year to January 11, 2017, to arguably one of the most memorable Sixers’ wins of the decade. T.J McConnell hits a game-winning buzzer-beater over Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. Sixers’ fans today still have an image of Joel Embiid choking McConnell on the court in celebration.
Through all of the good and many, many hardships that fans faced over years of mediocrity and then tanking, Philadelphia finally has a roster that should be in a position to win each and every night. Philadelphia finally has a team that can contend for an NBA Finals berth rather than a top lottery pick.
In order to truly appreciate the position that the Sixers are currently in, you have to take a step back and acknowledge this journey that has gotten us to this point. There were many moments along the way that left Sixers’ fans dumbfounded, confused or even heart-broken. While we all sit back in the present and reflect on the current state of the team, there are still so many unanswered questions that have plagued the organization over the years:
What Really Happened to Markelle Fultz?
The saga surrounding the first overall pick of the 2017 draft class, is truly one of the more puzzling situations that has arisen throughout the NBA. The University of Washington star averaged over 23 points per game in college before showing up to Sixers’ summer league with a mysteriously altered shooting form. There have been rumors that Fultz just has the yips and the NBA pressure got the best of him. There is also that strange rumor regarding Markelle hurting his shoulder in an ATV accident. The highly anticipated guard spent a summer with shooting coach Drew Hanlen, however, before long they were no longer on speaking terms. Hanlen was unable to correct whatever issues were plaguing the newly drafted guard. Markelle is now riding the bench in Orlando with no real time table to return to the court insight. What really happened to Markelle in those few short months between the 2017 draft and his summer league debut?
Who Provided the Anonymous Tip About Colangelo’s Burner Accounts to the Ringer?
It feels like just yesterday that Sixers’ fans first read the article published by The Ringer, initializing what we all now know as “Burnergate”. The Ringer received an anonymous tip accusing Sixers’ GM Bryan Colangelo of operating five secret Twitter accounts that revealed classified information about the team. The entire situation was unlike anything that the NBA, or even professional sports, has ever seen. Eventually, Colangelo’s wife admitted to running several of the twitter accounts, which ultimately led to Bryan Colangelo’s resignation. Over one year later, there are still so many open questions regarding “Burnergate” that unfortunately, we will likely never receive answers too. Who provided the anonymous tip to The Ringer, shedding light on the Colangelo Twitter accounts? Was this anonymous tip part of the Sixers’ organization? Did Barbara Bottini, Colangelo’s wife, really run all of these twitter accounts without him having knowledge? Seems doubtful.
Why Trade up for Anzejs Pasecniks?
The aforementioned Bryan Colangelo made a number of questionable decisions in his tenure as GM of the 76ers, however, trading for Latvian Center, Anzejs Pasecniks is undoubtedly the worst of them all. In the midst of the 2017 NBA draft (Yes, the same draft in which the Philadelphia acquired Markelle Fultz) the Sixers traded a top-20 protected, 2020 first-round pick along with a 2020 second-round pick in order to obtain the 25th pick in the draft to take Pasecniks. Colangelo stated almost immediately that Pasecniks would be a European stash player and would not be a Sixer for the 2018 season.
Two years later, on July 1, 2019, the Sixers have officially renounced their rights to Pasecniks, making him a free agent before ever appearing in a game for the Sixers. Pasecniks never truly seemed skilled enough to play in the NBA, and considering the team passed over selecting a play-maker that could immediately contribute, such as Kyle Kuzma or Josh Hart, to pick the Center truly makes the selection even worse. What did the Sixers see in Anzejs Pasecniks that led them to trade up and clearly mismanage their assets to acquire him?
These are just a few of the curious situations that fans of the Sixers have had to battle through over the course of the last few seasons. The list of questionable decisions, and at times bad luck, that the Sixers have been involved in truly seems like a never-ending list. However, the organization seems to have finally left the chaos in the rearview mirror in an attempt to become a perennial NBA Finals contender. Eventually, maybe we are gifted answers to these looming questions but until then, here’s hoping for a Sixers ESPN 30 for 30 one day.
What burning Sixers questions do you have, that we will May likely never know the answer to?
Featured Image: Mike Chiari / Bleacher Report McConnell Image: Alex Subers / Twitter
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