Friday afternoon, word came out that the Sixers had hired former Houston assistant GM Sam Hinkie as the team’s new general manager and president of basketball operations. As someone not perfectly in tune with the executive depth chart of every NBA franchise, my first reaction was simply happiness knowing he was associated with the Rockets organization. Houston has generally established itself as one of the most forward-thinking organizations in the league, with GM Daryl Morey a looming figurehead at the annual Sloan Analytics conference and the rise of advanced statistics within NBA executive circles. As the weekend progressed, more and more respected writers and well-regarded league insiders praised the hire, calling Hinkie one of the most highly sought-after young minds in the game and someone who had worked hand in hand with Morey over the years. I won’t waste space here rehashing Hinkie’s qualifications that have been more extensively covered elsewhere over the weekend, but let’s just summarize by saying this is a resounding win for the Sixers and their fans. We even get some laughs from the mis-guided thoughts of the minority still sticking their heads in the sand regarding the impact of the statistical revolution in the game.
Although it doesn’t seem like it given the miserable results of this past season, it’s not a terrible time to be a Sixers fan. Current ownership has continued to make small, positive improvements in building a top-flight organization. Philadelphia is among the half of the league utilizing the SportVU player tracking technology, is one of only a handful of teams with full ownership of a D-League franchise, and has now hired a highly coveted, bright mind to guide organizational decision-making going forward. Even the one major decision this ownership group oversaw that failed miserably (the Andrew Bynum trade), was one universally lauded at the time as a huge coup for the organization. Only hindsight and the slick oils in lane 2 derailed that momentum.
The next crucial step will be Hinkie’s hire as head coach for the team. Given the Rockets’ offensive emphasis on all points in the paint or three-pointers, it’s safe to say whoever Hinkie brings in will impart a similar philosophy. Long gone is the Eddie Jordan Princeton offense, centered around taking a bunch of long twos which defenses are all too happy to give you because they’re the worst shots in basketball. And in the rear-view mirror is whatever hot mess the Sixers were running on offense the past few seasons under Doug Collins (just don’t turn the ball over!). So while the Sixers continue to tread in the waters of mediocrity, at least now ownership has thrown out a life raft.
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