Philadelphia 76ers: A full timeline of the failed “Process” and where it went wrong

The Prodigal (Dad) Leaves [2016] 

The first domino to fall in The Process was the hiring of Jerry Colangelo in December 2015 as chairman of basketball operations, which led to the departure of Hinkie at the end of the season. Though Philadephia wasn’t planning on firing him, the stress from losing as well as the team asking him to take a lesser role led to his resignation. His time as the 76ers’ general manager was polarized by both fans and NBA front offices alike, though ultimately the City of Brotherly Love showed its namesake, appreciating what he had done for the team and the future he had set up. Colangelo was named as the new general manager for the next phase of The Process.

The team finished its worst season yet in the era and second-worst in franchise history with a record of 10-72. Okafor’s successful rookie season earned him All-Rookie First Team honors but turned out to be his best season during his NBA tenure. However, the organization finally earned the coveted number-one draft pick for the 2016 NBA Draft and led to the next domino.

Power In The Palm of Colangelo’s Hands – #1 Overall Pick Era [2016-2018]

In a stacked draft filled with many prospects that have turned out to be stars such as Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, and Jamal Murray along with many other names, the 76ers chose big LSU guard Ben Simmons with their first-overall pick.

Though many scouts were high on Simmons’ athleticism, size, and ball-handling skills, one scouting report got it on the dot and predicted his eventual downfall: he had a lack of competitiveness and his character raised some alarming questions about whether he’d care about winning.

The team also drafted Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz with their other first-round picks. Just as things were looking up, Simmons had the same fate as Embiid: he suffered a foot fracture during the team’s final training camp and though he was expected to miss only a couple of months, he would sit out the entire season when reports and tests in February showed that it was not fully healed.

However, The Process himself, Embiid, made his NBA debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder where 76ers fans chanted “Trust The Process” and it looked like Hinkie was right: Embiid finished the night with a promising 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

The Philly Faithful were treated to their best season yet during The Process, with the team going a respectable 21-34 heading into the All-Star break and another domino fell. The first draft pick in The Process, Noel, was traded away ahead of the trade deadline for Andrew Bogut (waived), Justin Anderson, and a first-round pick.

Throughout the season, the injury bug caught many of Philly’s young talent. Embiid and sharpshooter forward Robert Covington both suffered a torn meniscus and Okafor was ruled out in March due to right knee soreness. The injuries put a halt on the team’s progress and would have a disappointing finish to its bright season, finishing 28-54, 18 wins higher than the previous year. Embiid and Saric were both named to the All-Rookie First Team.

In a star-studded 2017 NBA draft, the 76ers decided to repeat its effort from last year, swapping picks with the Boston Celtics, receiving the first-overall pick and giving away their third pick and a 2019 first-round pick. Colangelo got his guard in Washington guard Markelle Fultz and said that having consecutive first-overall picks would set them up for success.

"“History suggests that No. 1 has the greatest odds of producing franchise-level talent and we are confident that this year’s draft class has that very potential,” Colangelo said."

With Simmons and Embiid coming back, many fans and writers predicted that this was the year that the team would break out and make it to the playoffs. However, the team got off to a slow start, losing their first three games.

On top of that, Fultz had a bizarre shoulder injury that greatly hindered his scoring game and his playstyle in general. The once-scoring machine that had prompted the team to draft him first overall was nowhere to be seen, with many shooting woes that extended to his free-throw routine. Many debates were started on the issues, on whether it was a physical or mental issue as well as how Fultz’s team was handling it versus the organization.

Overall, it led to Fultz only playing 14 games for the whole season and the team played on without him.

One of the original pieces of The Process, Okafor, was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in December for Trevor Booker, marking a new era and placing the spotlight solely on Simmons, Embiid, and Fultz. Though the team finished through All-Star Break with a respectable 30-25, they rallied for the second half of the season to finish off the year on a 16-game win streak.

The pre-season predictions about the team were right as the 76ers finished 52-30 and 3rd in the East, marking the first time since the 2000-01 season that they finished with 50+ wins. Simmons also dominated his way into Rookie of the Year Honors, beating out fellow guard Donovon Mitchell and Embiid was named both as an All-Star and Second Team All-NBA and Defense as the duo marked a new era for the franchise.

The City of Brotherly Love was treated to postseason success as the team beat the Miami Heat in five games, with sharpshooter J.J. Redick leading the way with 20 points per game and Embiid following up with 19. Simmons continued his high-level play, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the series.

However, they would meet the Celtics in the second round, and although Embiid averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds a game, the team would lose in five games to the team that they traded picks for the previous summer.