After snagging another big man in the NBA Draft, at what point is it time to question Sam Hinkie’s rebuilding philosophy?
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I’m tired. I have thrown in my towel, I surrender. I can no longer support Sam Hinkie’s decisions when it comes to my hometown team — the Philadelphia 76ers. I have kept quiet last season knowing we were rebuilding with the players on the floor and with 100 draft picks in the 2015 NBA Draft, I knew he couldn’t mess this up but… how could he destroy what should have been such a promising night for the team?
The Philadelphia 76ers went into the draft with the No. 3 pick and came out possibly with the best player in the draft in Jahlil Okafor, but at what cost? They already have Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on the low blocks, so why draft the Duke University standout?
Sure, he has the skills to play in this league, and with the health concern of Embiid, I understand the pick but still, why? Was it so the rival New York Knicks wouldn’t grab him? Is Noel or Embiid going to be traded? If Okafor could play small forward, then this would be the best move they have made but he cannot play that position, so it could all be a waste.
I got it. Hinkie went into the war room and forgot to print out his roster from last season. He forgot that the 76ers were in need of a PG, SG and SF. That has to be the reason he’s drafted three power forwards and two centers — the one area they were loaded at with potential. Yeah, I understand that Embiid’s latest injury setback threw them for a loop but come on, he will (probably) be ready by the start of the season. But then again this is “tank-a-delphia” we are talking about, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they reported he tore or broke something during rehab just so he could sit next year out.
Someone is on their way out the door.
If I’m Okafor or Noel, I must be careful of the success I have next season. Anything close to all-star numbers and you could be shipped out during the NBA trade deadline. It’s OK to rebuild for a year or two, but at some point enough is enough. This was the draft to correct past mistakes, the draft to leapfrog the struggling Knicks, the overachieving Boston Celtics, the confused Brooklyn Nets and the declining Toronto Raptors. The opportunity was there for the taking and Hinkie just set the franchise back another three years.
Hinkie wants the team to be great defenders, but yet you draft the one player that can’t play defense. Noel will make up for that but what about our other positions? They desperately need a starting point guard to take pressure off the bigs. And the wing players, oh my, it was a mess last year. There could be trades on the horizon, maybe with Embiid being the key piece and the Philadelphia 76ers still have plenty of cap room to go after some free agents, but with Hinkie who really knows.
Hinkie is that father who received a tool set for Christmas and can’t wait to take something apart only to realize he doesn’t have the skills to put it back together. Get him out of my city.