Processing the Results From Year 1 to Year 5 of the Rebuild
Let's be clear – The Process is not over. The Process is never over. At best, you can make the case that winning a championship would signal the end (success) of The Process. But even then, winning one wouldn't satiate the thirst for a second, and third, and so on.
As the Sixers wait one more day for their first Process-era playoff game, it's only natural to reminisce about how these Sixers got here.
After going 34-48 under head coach Doug Collins and GM Tony DiLeo, the Sixers ownership finally turned to Sam Hinkie to lead the organization out of perpetual mediocrity.
They nearly started the process a year earlier, interviewing the Houston Rockets Executive Vice President in the summer of 2012. Owner Josh Harris instead promoted DiLeo. But after they 34-win season, Harris decided to finally buy what Hinkie was scamming... err, selling.
How Long is Too Long?
One of the common refrains during the darkest days of The Process was that a fan base shouldn't have to endure so much losing. How long would (or could) a city take of D League-level basketball and sub-20-win seasons?
While we don't know the answer to that rhetorical question, we do know that Philly was able to endure three sub-20 win seasons. After the following season produced 28 positive results, the fifth season inexplicably resulted in 52 motherf**king wins!
Wait, what are all these cheery people I never saw before 2016 doing here? I guess they thought it was worth it too, even if they weren't on board until this season.
The idea that Hinkie was wasting years of potentially-fruitful basketball was always hilarious and farfetched. As if building a contender takes a season or two...
What were the timelines of other teams at or below the 76ers level prior to Hinkie's deconstruction?
The Mediocre, the Sad & the Ugly
Dallas Mavericks. Milwaukee Bucks. Toronto Raptors. Portland Trail Blazers. Minnesota Timberwolves. Detroit Pistons. Washington Wizards. Sacramento Kings. New Orleans Hornets. Phoenix Suns. Cleveland Cavaliers. Charlotte Bobcats. Orlando Magic.
There's every team at or below .500 in the 2012-2013, along with the 9-seed Philadelphia 76ers.
How have each of these teams fared since that offseason? How did they get to where they are today?
Dallas
In Year 0, 14th-year Dirk, 14th-Year Vince Carter, 13-year Shawn Marion and future Puerto Rican pro O.J. Mayo were leading the Mavs nowhere. At least they got their ring, though. Since then, they've actually reached 49 and 50 wins. Yet, they've won just five playoff games, zero series, and finished this season tied with the third-worst record in the NBA. 42.6% shot at a top-three pick though!
Milwaukee
The 2012-2013 Bucks actually employed many solid NBA players, including former and future Sixers Samual Dalembert, Ersan Ilyasova, Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Redick and Ish Smith. That offseason, they added some guy everyone knew would be a perennial MVP candidate: Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Greek Freak, the NBA's worst record the following season (which led to Jabari Parker) and a trade for Eric Bledsoe, the Bucks secured the seventh seed. The injury-depleted Boston Celtics could help them secure their first playoff series win in the Giannis era.
Toronto
This was the last year the Raptors would miss the playoffs. The Bryan Colangelo Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who took big leaps in Year 1. They haven't won fewer than 48 wins since, but playoff success has largely escaped them. They reached the Eastern Conference once, losing to LeBron and the Cavs, but this could be their year...
Portland
With Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers had little chance in the loaded Western Conference. That offseason, they landed C.J. McCollum in the draft and shocked everyone, winning 54 games and beating James Harden's Houston Rockets in the first round. But LA left for SA, they gave out big contracts to some small-time players, and they're hoping they don't get upset by the sixth-seed New Orleans Pelicans (-210 to win the series).
Minnesota
Soon-to-be-traded-for-Andrew-Wiggins Kevin Love led a T-Wolves team that never made the playoffs until this season – as a +1500 underdog to the 65-win Houston Rockets. After turning Love into No. 1-pick Wiggins (and Anthony Bennett and Thad Young), they sucked, grabbed No. 1-pick Karl-Anthony Towns, landed Jimmy Butler this offseason, and are likely heading into the offseason wondering how to make the most of their talented roster.
Detroit
Process Trusters love Stan Van Gundy and the Pistons. They are the anti-Process, and willingly go on record to condemn the Sixers. The 2012-2013 season was Andre Drummond's first. Their best season was Year 2, when they won 44 games, secured the eight seed and got swept by the Cavs. They've "built" by trading for Reggie Jackson and now Blake Griffin, and they have as much financial flexibility as the U.S. Government. Unlike some of the other franchises on this list, none of their mid-to-late lottery picks have become much. The bright side is the Pistons could consistently lose to the Sixers in the first round!
Washington
John Wall was a No. 1 pick completing his second season. Bradley Beal was a No. 3 pick completing his first. The Wizards had their high-end talent after being terrible and looked promising. They won 44 games the next season and beat the Derrick Rose-less Bulls in round one. They won 49 games last season and beat Atlanta before bowing out again in round two. Their mediocrity does have something to do with injuries, but even with a clean bill of health, no one would have seen them as contenders.
Sacramento
God save the Kings.
New Orleans
In their last year as the Hornets, the soon-to-be Pelicans had their generational star in Anthony Davis. In the offseason, they paired him with a young, All-Star point guard named Jrue Holiday and still held out hope that Eric Gordon could regain his Clippers form. They were swept by the Warriors in their only playoff appearance until this season, which was supposed to be better because they traded for DeMarcus Cousins. Instead, The Brow took his came to new heights when Cousins tore his achilles. Yet, the Pels themselves don't know where to go now. If they resign Cousins, will a a Boogie-Brow pairing lead them to contention?
Phoenix
The Suns of Goran Dragic, Marcin Gortat and the Morris twins were expectedly bad. They took Alex Len with the fifth pick in the draft, added Eric Bledsoe to their backcourt and shocked everyone by winning 48 games, but missing the playoffs. They traded Dragic at the deadline next season after falling back to mediocrity and have been bad ever since. Their hope is that Devin Booker and their other young players develop, including whomever they get in the draft. They do have the top odds in the last year the draft lottery smooths out to prevent that godforsaken taking thing...
Cleveland
Three No. 1 overall picks in four years. LeBron came back, they used two of those picks to acquire Kevin Love, and Bron, Kyrie Irving and co. delivered Cleveland the championship. After the Kyrie debacle this past offseason and the looming LeBron free agency sweepstakes, Cleveland's future is: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Charlotte
Two years before readopting the Hornets monicker, Charlotte was one of the worst teams in the NBA. They did roster several players who would become solid contributors. And they had a second-year Kemba Walker. With typical "make-the-playoffs" decision making, they signed Al Jefferson, who helped lead the team to 43 wins and a first-round sweep. In Year 3, the Hornets won 48 games and took the Miami Heatles to seven games in round one. Over the past five years, they've average the ninth seed and haven't sniffed anything resembling contention. Rumors even started surfacing that they were looking to trade Kemba to start a new rebuild. Rough.
ORLANDO
The team most compared to the Process Sixers, the Magic have been terrible since...Stan Van Gundy left! And also Dwight Howard. They've taken the approach that many anti-Process people claim to be the noble way to rebuild. Over the last five years, they've eclipsed 30 wins once, which would be okay if they had something to show for it. They've drafted Victor Oladipo at No. 2, Aaron Gordan at No. 4, infamously drafted and immediately traded Dario Saric and a first-round pick for Elfrid Payton, Mario Hezonja at No. 5, and Jonathan Isaac at No. 6. Oladipo became a star in Indiana, but no one else on this list is a franchise player. They've traded or signed guys like Nik Vucevic, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo. The addition of these vets helped the Magic win just enough games to stay clear of the top of the draft, but never enough to finish higher than the 11th seed in the East. In conclusion: I'll pass.
Where the Sixers Stand Now
One team on this list won a championship, and they did it because they re-added one of the best players of all time in free agency. Some of these teams already had franchise-level or high-caliber talent but still have big question marks. Some of these teams already seem destined for decent success but never the ultimate success.
Having won 52 games in Year 5 and securing the third seed in the East, the Sixers have accomplished more in a single season than the vast majority of these teams. Yet, The Process was never about the regular season.
To witness the growth these Sixers have made was nothing short of astonishing. But there is far more potential to realize and many more results to prove. For now, we'll have to take solace in the reality that no franchise's future seems as bright as the 76ers'.