5 Most Influential Days for “The Process”
ESPN has just released the first two episodes of their groundbreaking new docuseries, “The Last Dance”.
The series details the story behind the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls en route to winning a sixth NBA championship, while trying to maintain the dynasty they had created.
In honor of the series beginning, we can take a look back at some of the most influential days of “The Process,” the era of 76ers’ basketball that began following the 2012-2013 season and extends to today.
*These events are listed in chronological order, not in order of importance.*
Photo: YouTube
August 14th, 2013: The 76ers hire Brett Brown as Head Coach
Coming out of the Doug Collins era, then-newly appointed General Manager Sam Hinkie needed to hire a new coach to lead the team through a rebuild. Enter Brett Brown.
Coming from the Gregg Popovich system in San Antonio, Brett Brown was seen as a leader with immense basketball knowledge to help guide the younger players of the Sixers’ roster through the tough times ahead. Add in Popovich’s seal of approval, and Sixers fans were sold on the new coach. Say what you will now, but at the time, this was a monumental move.
June 26th, 2014: The 76ers draft Joel Embiid
Arguably the most dominant big man in the NBA today, Joel Embiid was drafted number three overall by the Sixers in 2014. Although it would take Embiid a few years to get away from the injuries that beset his college career, he has transformed into a yearly All-Star and generational talent.
Joel embodied this time of rebuilding so much for the team, that he adopted the nickname “The Process” as his own. He belongs to the city of Philadelphia, just as much as we belong to him.
Photo: Philadelphia 76ers
June 23rd: The 76ers draft Ben Simmons
From one incredible prospect to another, Ben Simmons was taken number one overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Coming out of college with comparisons to Magic Johnson, as well as the constant narrative that he cannot or won’t shoot the ball, the transition to the NBA could not have been easy for Simmons. However, we fans wouldn’t know it at all.
Much like Embiid, Simmons would have to wait to begin playing in the NBA, with injuries delaying his rookie season, as well. But, again like Embiid, Simmons is now a perennial All-Star and is improving his game every season. Without a doubt, these two are the most influential players to come from “The Process” and belong in the top-5 for all-time draft picks made by the Philadelphia 76ers franchise.
September 20th, 2018: The 76ers hire Elton Brand as General Manager
To say that the dismissal of Sam Hinkie was controversial to Sixers’ fans would be akin to saying the Philly Phanatic is a pretty popular mascot. Following Hinkie’s dismissal was the hiring of Jerry and Bryan Colangelo, which I am going to quickly skip over to avoid any reader from exiting out of this article. Following their departures, as well as a brief stint of Brett Brown maintaining order in the General Manager’s room, was the hiring of newly retired beloved Sixers player Elton Brand. Elton Brand brought a new layer to “The Process.”
Before Brand, the Sixers built through the draft, signed some free agents, and made the occasional trade for mid-tier bench players. Elton Brand ushered in a new idea of trading for high level NBA talent while simultaneously not mortgaging the Sixers’ future.
Brand made very important trades that shaped the Sixers as we know them today (spoiler alert, one is on the list). This concept of trading for stars instead of waiting for free agents to hopefully sign with the Sixers was something that the old regimes didn’t try or didn’t execute on. Speaking as a Sixers fan, this style of managing is very much welcomed by the Sixers’ Nation.
February 6th, 2019: The 76ers trade with the Los Angeles Clippers
When picking the last entry, it was admittedly hard to decide which move from the Elton Brand era should be on here. The drafting (not during Brand’s tenure) and subsequent trading of Markelle Fultz didn’t net any real return for the Sixers other than wasted draft picks and anger from the fan base. And both Jimmy Butler trades were massively influential to shaping the Sixers franchise, but this trade at the time gave fans the sense that the team was going all-in to win right now.
Hindsight being 20/20, we all know that it didn’t work out for the Sixers last year. However, trading for, and eventually securing, a third star in Tobias Harris to join Simmons and Embiid long-term, put the Sixers in a fantastic position moving forward.
What were some moves you think were massively influential to “The Process?”
Featured Image: @isportsweb Citation via: “Philadelphia 76ers: Timeline of ‘The Process’.” Thesixerssense.com. Fansided. November 30th, 2016.
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