Yeah couldn't have asked for more from a back to back. Destroy two shitty teams and rest Thee Process for both 4th quarters.
Roco seems to be heating up at the right time again. He is one streaking sumbitch. But if he can shoot at this clip heading into the playoffs, I like their chances of winning a round....
Bodner is spot on here, as per usual. Magic number is 1 game, by the way....
A contrast in rebuilds
The relative success of the rebuilds by the Sixers and Magic will always be inexorably linked because of when they began, with both teams, even if they didn't realize it at the time, kicking off their rebuilds in the summer of 2012.
The Magic, of course, intended to start their rebuild, trading franchise centerpiece Dwight Howard for a package that included Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Maurice Harkless, Nik Vucevic and five draft picks, three of which would have been first-round selections if Orlando hadn't wasted them.
The Sixers, on the other hand, weren't yet willing participants in the grand rebuild of 2012, instead using the trade to acquire Andrew Bynum and hopefully form the nucleus of a contender. Spoiler alert: that never happened, as Bynum never played a game for the Sixers because of a degenerative condition in his knees. The trade, which sapped the Sixers of their best player at the time in Andre Iguodala, set the Sixers up for a 34-win season and led them in a different direction the following spring, replacing Tony DiLeo and Doug Collins with Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown.
Hinkie, famously, took a scorched-earth policy to roster construction, bottoming out as much, and as long, as necessary to get the foundational pieces he felt were necessary not just to get better, but to compete. We're not breaking any news here when we say Hinkie's patience wore thin on many who wanted visible signs of progress.
The Magic, meanwhile, were given credit for their incremental improvements, deemed the right path to pursue on the trek back to competitiveness, romanticized by many who objected to what the Sixers were doing. The Magic went from 20 wins in 2012-13 to 23 the next season, then 25, and eventually 35 wins in 2015-16. The Sixers, on the other hand, won just 47 combined games during Hinkie's three-year tenure.
Coaches preach the importance of the first three steps in transition defense, which if done without a sense of urgency and purpose can be impossible to overcome. Team building is the opposite of that. The first three steps the Magic made were utterly meaningless, irrelevant indicators of the progress the Magic were, or were not, making in their path toward contention, the race to 35 wins a mere distraction to actual progress.
The Sixers, on the other hand, were making that progress, even if it was clouded in the fog of uncertainty to many, even their owners, during that time. Getting Embiid and Ben Simmons, the draft capital to pursue Markelle Fultz, and the clean books to chase LeBron James were all more relevant than anything Orlando has done in the nearly six years since Dwight Howard left the franchise. It's why measuring a marathon based on the first few steps was a fool's errand.
The diverging paths the franchises took has been evident for quite some time, but never more pronounced than last night. As the Magic prepared for yet another vacation, the latest early exit in a rudderless, aimless journey for the franchise, the Sixers were busy planning for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The progress, once blurry, is now clear for all to see.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said the No. 1 pick will be able to return to action once he indicates he's ready and is comfortable with his shot.
"It's just something that when Markelle Fultz feels like he can go - he really feels good about himself and his health, the shoulder, everything and the medical people support that - he knows that he has a coaching staff and a team that will welcome him in when he says go," Brown said Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
The coach acknowledged there are only a handful of regular-season games remaining - 10 to be precise - but the situation is still worth monitoring because the Sixers are playoff-bound for the first time in six years.
"I think he is quite close," Brown added. "I think if we'd all watch the video, we'd all probably agree with that."
Fultz, 19, suited up for the first four games of the season before being shut down due to right shoulder soreness and scapular muscle imbalance. Despite recovering from those ailments in December, the former Washington star hasn't made his way back into an NBA contest due to his questionable shot mechanics and lack of confidence.
guess it couldn't hurt to have him play (even if it's not too much) but do they really need him? I'd rather just have him sit and see what happens in the off season though. Already 12 games over .500 and fighting for a possible 3 seed.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
I will do the donation tonight when I get home. I'm happy for you Juggs but don't forget the process was to get to 55 wins according to Hinkie's own words. they aren't quite there yet. Good to see Embiid is playing most nights. Hopefully that lasts for the franchise's sake.
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
I will do the donation tonight when I get home. I'm happy for you Juggs but don't forget the process was to get to 55 wins according to Hinkie's own words. they aren't quite there yet. Good to see Embiid is playing most nights. Hopefully that lasts for the franchise's sake.
Good for you!
And, no, 55 wins is not the goal of the process. He said the way to win titles in the NBA was to build a team good enough to win 55+ games on a yearly basis. Gettin' there. This team is way ahead of schedule.....and, as I've said plenty of times, in better shape to succeed long term than pretty much at anytime in the last 30 years.
Imagine if they didn't also whiff on two top draft picks...
Nobody ever said it was going to work out perfectly. And they flipped MCW into a lottery pick this year. MCW is barely in the league at this point. Hell of a trade.
Imagine if they didn't also whiff on two top draft picks...
Nobody ever said it was going to work out perfectly. And they flipped MCW into a lottery pick this year. MCW is barely in the league at this point. Hell of a trade.
Love where this team is at right now.
No doubt. Speaks to the importance of the quantity of the top draft picks. Teams don't usually get away with that, but they had a lot of top picks.
oh lord. guess he's coming off the bench? is he starting? I don't know about this
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
I will do the donation tonight when I get home. I'm happy for you Juggs but don't forget the process was to get to 55 wins according to Hinkie's own words. they aren't quite there yet. Good to see Embiid is playing most nights. Hopefully that lasts for the franchise's sake.
Good for you!
And, no, 55 wins is not the goal of the process. He said the way to win titles in the NBA was to build a team good enough to win 55+ games on a yearly basis. Gettin' there. This team is way ahead of schedule.....and, as I've said plenty of times, in better shape to succeed long term than pretty much at anytime in the last 30 years.
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
I will do the donation tonight when I get home. I'm happy for you Juggs but don't forget the process was to get to 55 wins according to Hinkie's own words. they aren't quite there yet. Good to see Embiid is playing most nights. Hopefully that lasts for the franchise's sake.
Good for you!
And, no, 55 wins is not the goal of the process. He said the way to win titles in the NBA was to build a team good enough to win 55+ games on a yearly basis. Gettin' there. This team is way ahead of schedule.....and, as I've said plenty of times, in better shape to succeed long term than pretty much at anytime in the last 30 years.
Haha. Well I think them winning another 20 games next year would be a good start to that turn around. Wouldn't shock me to see them be in the mix for the 8th seed for a while as well. But wins and losses next year take a back seat to actually seeing the fruits of the last few season's labor on the floor together finally--they'll just have so much more talent that it will be hard not to be significantly better. And '17/'18 they should be a playoff team for sure.
God bless Sam Hinkie. They can now let these seeds start to sprout and get better while still have a shot at not one but two top ten picks over the next couple years.
Future's bright, my friends.
Go Sixers
the underlined above is delusional and frankly utterly insane. so in 2 years they are going from 10 wins to a playoff team? sorry but that's utterly fucking absurd unless they sign a top 10 level free agent to add to the mix of young guys.
I guess you didn't quite understand the first time i mentioned that winning 20 more games next year still puts them in the bottom 5 of the NBA and nowhere near close to the playoffs. I think you are setting yourself up for a big letdown next year and the following year. Yes they will have a big talent upgrade but it will be incredibly young and inexperienced. It took OKC with Durant 3 years to make the playoffs. The T'Wolves with the last 2 NBA Rookies of the Year only won 29 games this year (albeit in a much tougher conference). and you expect this team and franchise to get 40 some wins in 2 years?
are you aware that teams can make trades in the nba? doesn't seem like you are
of course but juggler isn't saying they are going to make the playoffs in two years based on a supposed trade. with the players they have now and the draft picks to come they aren't making the playoffs in the next two years. no fucking chance.
Yes I am. I am fully expecting this roster to look vastly different in a year or two after they figure out which pieces fit and which pieces don't. The point is they have an abundance of ways to get better and get better quicker than narrow minded people like you think.
IF/when they make a trade or free agent signing then i will readjust my line of thinking to go with the roster but as of now thinking playoffs in 2 years is just setting yourself up to be severely disappointed.
As usual, no foresight. Not surprising whatsoever
ill tell you what since you are so fucking smart put your money up on your prediction of the playoffs in 2 years. Let's bet a $500 donation to the others persons favorite charity on the Sixers making the playoffs in the next 2 years. If you are so confident feel free to take the bet.
3 out of the last 4 years a team in the east has made the playoffs with 38 wins. The Pacers got in with 37 wins in 2011. The eastern conference blows. Sure I'll take your dumb bet.
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
I will do the donation tonight when I get home. I'm happy for you Juggs but don't forget the process was to get to 55 wins according to Hinkie's own words. they aren't quite there yet. Good to see Embiid is playing most nights. Hopefully that lasts for the franchise's sake.
Good for you!
And, no, 55 wins is not the goal of the process. He said the way to win titles in the NBA was to build a team good enough to win 55+ games on a yearly basis. Gettin' there. This team is way ahead of schedule.....and, as I've said plenty of times, in better shape to succeed long term than pretty much at anytime in the last 30 years.
Donate 97% - I understand Network for Good will deduct 3% to cover transaction costs.
Total charged:$500.00
Transaction ID:
##########
You didn't really have to do that. Thanks man! Good on ya.
By the way--I hereby declare the Sixers contenders in the East right now. The only team significantly better is Toronto at this point.
TAKE
THE
NIGHT
AND
RUN
great/impressive win tonight. Agree with you Juggs about being contenders but you can't really forget Cleveland also especially with Lebron and a healthy Kevin Love.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Great fucking win. Love the Vikings dig with their stupid complaint to the NFL. Always here great things about Jokic but that jump shot looks awful. So excited for this team right now.
Post edited by JK_Livin on
Alright, alright, alright!
Tom O. "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
“All I was thinking towards the end of the game, I was like, ‘Man, we’re going to be so good as long as we stay together and keep moving the ball.’ Hopefully we trade Dario. … Just kidding.” – Joel Embiid
Comments
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
Yeah couldn't have asked for more from a back to back. Destroy two shitty teams and rest Thee Process for both 4th quarters.
Roco seems to be heating up at the right time again. He is one streaking sumbitch. But if he can shoot at this clip heading into the playoffs, I like their chances of winning a round....
Bodner is spot on here, as per usual. Magic number is 1 game, by the way....
A contrast in rebuilds
The relative success of the rebuilds by the Sixers and Magic will always be inexorably linked because of when they began, with both teams, even if they didn't realize it at the time, kicking off their rebuilds in the summer of 2012.
The Magic, of course, intended to start their rebuild, trading franchise centerpiece Dwight Howard for a package that included Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Maurice Harkless, Nik Vucevic and five draft picks, three of which would have been first-round selections if Orlando hadn't wasted them.
The Sixers, on the other hand, weren't yet willing participants in the grand rebuild of 2012, instead using the trade to acquire Andrew Bynum and hopefully form the nucleus of a contender. Spoiler alert: that never happened, as Bynum never played a game for the Sixers because of a degenerative condition in his knees. The trade, which sapped the Sixers of their best player at the time in Andre Iguodala, set the Sixers up for a 34-win season and led them in a different direction the following spring, replacing Tony DiLeo and Doug Collins with Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown.
Hinkie, famously, took a scorched-earth policy to roster construction, bottoming out as much, and as long, as necessary to get the foundational pieces he felt were necessary not just to get better, but to compete. We're not breaking any news here when we say Hinkie's patience wore thin on many who wanted visible signs of progress.
The Magic, meanwhile, were given credit for their incremental improvements, deemed the right path to pursue on the trek back to competitiveness, romanticized by many who objected to what the Sixers were doing. The Magic went from 20 wins in 2012-13 to 23 the next season, then 25, and eventually 35 wins in 2015-16. The Sixers, on the other hand, won just 47 combined games during Hinkie's three-year tenure.
Coaches preach the importance of the first three steps in transition defense, which if done without a sense of urgency and purpose can be impossible to overcome. Team building is the opposite of that. The first three steps the Magic made were utterly meaningless, irrelevant indicators of the progress the Magic were, or were not, making in their path toward contention, the race to 35 wins a mere distraction to actual progress.
The Sixers, on the other hand, were making that progress, even if it was clouded in the fog of uncertainty to many, even their owners, during that time. Getting Embiid and Ben Simmons, the draft capital to pursue Markelle Fultz, and the clean books to chase LeBron James were all more relevant than anything Orlando has done in the nearly six years since Dwight Howard left the franchise. It's why measuring a marathon based on the first few steps was a fool's errand.
The diverging paths the franchises took has been evident for quite some time, but never more pronounced than last night. As the Magic prepared for yet another vacation, the latest early exit in a rudderless, aimless journey for the franchise, the Sixers were busy planning for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The progress, once blurry, is now clear for all to see.
The ball is in Markelle Fultz's court.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said the No. 1 pick will be able to return to action once he indicates he's ready and is comfortable with his shot.
"It's just something that when Markelle Fultz feels like he can go - he really feels good about himself and his health, the shoulder, everything and the medical people support that - he knows that he has a coaching staff and a team that will welcome him in when he says go," Brown said Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
The coach acknowledged there are only a handful of regular-season games remaining - 10 to be precise - but the situation is still worth monitoring because the Sixers are playoff-bound for the first time in six years.
"I think he is quite close," Brown added. "I think if we'd all watch the video, we'd all probably agree with that."
Related - Brown: Decision on Fultz's return needs to be made soon
Fultz, 19, suited up for the first four games of the season before being shut down due to right shoulder soreness and scapular muscle imbalance. Despite recovering from those ailments in December, the former Washington star hasn't made his way back into an NBA contest due to his questionable shot mechanics and lack of confidence.
Fultz from the line
Related: Sixers reportedly using VR as part of efforts to fix Fultz's jumper
The rookie shooting guard put up six points on 33.3 percent shooting over four games, and didn't attempt a single 3-pointer.
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
Hey look it's two years later! Not only playoffs, but fighting for home court advantage. Who would've thought?
@pjhawks -----$500 to the Montgomery County SPCA please.
You should have trusted the process. Thanks for playing (by the way, Embiid is also healthy and dominate).
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
And, no, 55 wins is not the goal of the process. He said the way to win titles in the NBA was to build a team good enough to win 55+ games on a yearly basis. Gettin' there. This team is way ahead of schedule.....and, as I've said plenty of times, in better shape to succeed long term than pretty much at anytime in the last 30 years.
Viva Le' Process.
Love where this team is at right now.
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
They will be favored in just about every other game throughout.
If they end up in the 3 or 4 seed and 47ish wins....you think Brown has a shot at coach of the year?
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Montgomery County S.P.C.A. Receipt
DONATION DETAILS
Life Member
Donate 97% - I understand Network for Good will deduct 3% to cover transaction costs.
Total charged:$500.00Transaction ID: ##########
You didn't really have to do that. Thanks man! Good on ya.
By the way--I hereby declare the Sixers contenders in the East right now. The only team significantly better is Toronto at this point.
TAKE
THE
NIGHT
AND
RUN
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
So excited for this team right now.
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
“All I was thinking towards the end of the game, I was like, ‘Man, we’re going to be so good as long as we stay together and keep moving the ball.’ Hopefully we trade Dario. … Just kidding.” – Joel Embiid
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
I just saw that he needs orbital surgery, and has a concussion. I'm not surprised he has a concussion , but didn't think it was worse then that.