This man just stole your first round draft pick.
Have you ever heard the name Sam Hinkie before? I’d bet Michael Jordan’s life savings you haven’t.
Hinkie graduated summa cum laude from Oklahoma with a 4.0 GPA and has his MBA from Stanford. You could cheat your tail off and still not assume a mirage of being as smart as he is.
Not only is he academically brilliant, but the man has done the unthinkable. He’s nearly rebuilt the Philadelphia 76ers roster in a year.
The idea of the “rebuilding process” is usually a lengthy one, driving away the idea of luring big-time free agents, or maintaining current stars. In fact, the only time a team has successfully “tanked” one season and turned it around in the next were the San Antonio Spurs, who took advantage of a season-ending injury to David Robinson and obtained the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft — Tim Duncan.
But what Hinkie has done is unfathomable unless you’re playing a video game.
With two lottery picks in last year’s draft, the Sixers ended up with Nerlens Noel, who could have easily been the first player taken, and Michael Carter-Williams, who has already cemented his case as the rookie of the year — in January. Let’s not forget the Sixers can extend a qualifying offer to Evan Turner after this season. If the two sides can find a way to negotiate a contract extension, well, those are three very important pieces to the puzzle.
Turner is dropping in about 19 points a game on 44 percent shooting. He’s also averaging about four assists and six rebounds in a career year for the fourth-year swingman from Ohio State. There’s been chatter about Turner being dealt for Pau Gasol, or this player, or that player. I’m not buying it. Turner has shown flashes of being a go-to scorer in the NBA, and with a young squad, he’s the kind of player you want to anchor your team on the offensive end of the floor.
Now let’s refocus on the main cog in this phenomenal scheme — Hinkie. Acknowledging his work in putting together a young roster with oodles of potential, let’s take a step back and throw in the fact that Philly has (potentially) two lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft. Hinkie is like the conniving little kid who asks his mom for $10 and then asks his dad for $10, and he does that each week until he’s rolling in the dough.
New Orleans (foolishly) traded a first-round pick for Jrue Holiday on draft night last year. I call the move foolish because it surrendered a high pick to be a little less mediocre. If the Pelicans thought they’d even come close to contending for anything more than the eighth spot in the Western Conference this year, they’d probably believe their shoe was untied right after you flicked them in the nose for believing there was food on their shirt — hash tag gullible.
Now, there is a chance the Pelicans make the playoffs, but the odds of that happening in a stacked Western Conference are smaller than Muggsy Bogues. That pick is top-five protected though, so the Pelicans have to lose, but not too much, in order to hook up Philly.
Assume the Sixers get a top-five pick, which is very likely, and the Pelicans get a top-10 pick, which is also likely, then Hinkie will be licking his chops.
Imagine adding Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins to Carter-Williams, Turner and Noel. Let’s not forget Thaddeus Young, who is also performing well this season with 19 points a game. It’s hard to argue against either of those guys, but as of late, Parker has been emerging as the preferred choice due to the expectation he will transition to the NBA easier than Wiggins can.
Here’s the fun part for Philly. Let’s say the Sixers get Parker, well, they’d still be in the running for Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, James Young, etc. Of course that all depends on how the draft order plays out.
Again, if you have never heard of Hinkie, get to know him. He’s the man who has the Sixers poised to be a possible dynasty.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
