Yeah, him.

What's he been up to? Still in the league?
- jmatchett383

Plays on the Celtics. He's averaging 9 ppg.

In other words, he's terrible.

They made a bad choice because they were (frank)ing anti analytics. Should have taken Cousins and took Turner because he was a big time leader at OSU. (frank)ing Evan Turner. He still thinks he's an all star who just needs an opportunity
- PhillySportsGuy

That's part of my problem, like I said. He's got the picks, now let's see him build a team. Until then, can we stop raising shrines to the guy? If he builds them into a contender, I'll tip my cap to the guy and say he did a good job. But everyone seems to be busting loads when all he's done is trading away every (healthy) player of value.

The Sixers TRIED to do things like the Flyers and ultimately, their management team made a mess of it somehow.

Furthermore, player movement and salary cap rules between the two leagues are so different.

What you should worry about if you're a Sixers fan is that once losing becomes easy, it becomes the way things are with your team. It takes a lot to snap out of that.
- johndewar

People keep acting like the Sixers are trying to lose too. If they were really tanking, they wouldn't be playing Noel or the other decent players on the team.

It's just the luxury of optionality. Hinkie can make moves that help long term without worrying about short term. He doesn't make moves to purposely make the team lose

Plays on the Celtics. He's averaging 9 ppg.

In other words, he's terrible.
- johndewar

But....he was taken with a pick even higher than the Sixers are projected to pick, right?

People keep acting like the Sixers are trying to lose too. If they were really tanking, they wouldn't be playing Noel or the other decent players on the team.

It's just the luxury of optionality. Hinkie can make moves that help long term without worrying about short term. He doesn't make moves to purposely make the team lose
- PhillySportsGuy

Wasn't St. Noel putting up like 4-6 PPG in the preseason? I don't think the basketball-kicking-to-lose-a-game coach thought he'd be as good as he is.

I see it this way. No league is more affected by good or bad drafting like the NBA. You have 12 players. And if you cant develop your own players you are screwed. Free agency comes in big, but again, you are only helped if you don't have too much money tied up in players you didn't draft (because you can go over the cap to retain your own) Then you can go out and sign Lebron, Bosh, and Whats his name all at once and buy a championship or two.

The Sixers went YEARS with mediocre players signed to cap strapping contracts while drafting in the middle of the first round. Rarely do you get a great player drafting there. And you cant sign anyone who is a FA and any good. (because you don't have the money AND because they don't want to play there)

Hinkie, by blowing it up and drafting (hopefully) good players they can control, is doing it right, especially in the NBA cap environment.

If it all works out, they will have their own version of Sampson and Olajuwan for years and years.
- MBFlyerfan

I think he's doing the right thing. There was no hope for that team. The only big nitpick I have isn't even cast at the team or Hinkie. Everybody in the universe already gave Hinkie credit for fixing the Sixers, calling him a genius. That's the easy part of "~*~The Plan~*~". Spend somebody else's money on taking bad contracts in exchange for picks? Give away bad players for the best offer? I can do that!

I'll reserve praise for the building part.

2 seasons of failing to qualify for the playoffs, with a first round exit sandwiched in over the last 3 years..... + 40 year cup draught, and 80+ year old owner...

Yeah.... MT Snider is going to erupt.
- PLindbergh31

and the fans keep paying. this season has really just shut me down.

People keep acting like the Sixers are trying to lose too. If they were really tanking, they wouldn't be playing Noel or the other decent players on the team.

It's just the luxury of optionality. Hinkie can make moves that help long term without worrying about short term. He doesn't make moves to purposely make the team lose
- PhillySportsGuy

yeah. and playing them in situations that players necessarily might not be the greatest at, enabled bot hthe potential for improvement, or at the very least, proper diagnostics of exactly what you have.

the example he gave was allowing MCW to shoot so many jumpers, even though he wasnt great at them. it was essentially the best kind of practice for him, and ultimately allowed the basketball guys to come to a better determination on his ceiling in their minds. same thing their doing with noel now.

That's part of my problem, like I said. He's got the picks, now let's see him build a team. Until then, can we stop raising shrines to the guy? If he builds them into a contender, I'll tip my cap to the guy and say he did a good job. But everyone seems to be busting loads when all he's done is trading away every (healthy) player of value.
- jmatchett383

Because he gets good value. If Hexy got the 6th overall pick for Couts along with the other Timonen/Coburn deals, people would be jumping for joy in here. How would those moves make the team better next year or the year after? They wouldn't, but they're still smart moves that give the team a good chance of winning in 3-5 years.

People keep acting like the Sixers are trying to lose too. If they were really tanking, they wouldn't be playing Noel or the other decent players on the team.

It's just the luxury of optionality. Hinkie can make moves that help long term without worrying about short term. He doesn't make moves to purposely make the team lose
- PhillySportsGuy

The flip side is, Hinkie isn't exactly putting this team in a position to win games in the short term, either. Losing MCW didn't help them be any more exciting, down the stretch, when they are trying to get season ticket renewals. There are only so many "LOOGIT THIS EMBIID DUNK IN WARM UP" videos to sustain your already feeble season ticket base.

It's bad optics if you watch from home and it's a bad investment if you buy season tickets.

I love basketball and you couldn't pay me to go down and see those guys right now.

Now, if those things don't bother you, then everything Hinkie is doing is fine.

Because he gets good value. If Hexy got the 6th overall pick for Couts along with the other Timonen/Coburn deals, people would be jumping for joy in here. How would those moves make the team better next year or the year after? They wouldn't, but they're still smart moves that give the team a good chance of winning in 3-5 years.
- PhillySportsGuy

Making a dollar into $1.10 isn't building anything. That's kinda what Hinkie is doing.

Wasn't St. Noel putting up like 4-6 PPG in the preseason? I don't think the basketball-kicking-to-lose-a-game coach thought he'd be as good as he is.
- jmatchett383

He's very raw and coming off ACL surgery. They didn't know what to expect but I'd say everyone is very happy with his development.

Because he gets good value. If Hexy got the 6th overall pick for Couts along with the other Timonen/Coburn deals, people would be jumping for joy in here. How would those moves make the team better next year or the year after? They wouldn't, but they're still smart moves that give the team a good chance of winning in 3-5 years.
- PhillySportsGuy

If a team wants to stupidly overpay you with picks, then yes, you make the deal. But until you can turn the picks into players and the players into a good team, then you really have accomplished except being a good negotiator.

yeah. and playing them in situations that players necessarily might not be the greatest at, enabled bot hthe potential for improvement, or at the very least, proper diagnostics of exactly what you have.

the example he gave was allowing MCW to shoot so many jumpers, even though he wasnt great at them. it was essentially the best kind of practice for him, and ultimately allowed the basketball guys to come to a better determination on his ceiling in their minds. same thing their doing with noel now.
- stayinthefnnet

Exactly. It would have been nice to see the Flyers play the younger guys in more games to see what they had. Now they go into next season knowing very little about their AHL players

He's very raw and coming off ACL surgery. They didn't know what to expect but I'd say everyone is very happy with his development.
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm afraid to get excited about him lest Hinkie trade him.

The flip side is, Hinkie isn't exactly putting this team in a position to win games in the short term, either. Losing MCW didn't help them be any more exciting, down the stretch, when they are trying to get season ticket renewals. There are only so many "LOOGIT THIS EMBIID DUNK IN WARM UP" videos to sustain your already feeble season ticket base.

It's bad optics if you watch from home and it's a bad investment if you buy season tickets.

I love basketball and you couldn't pay me to go down and see those guys right now.

Now, if those things don't bother you, then everything Hinkie is doing is fine.
- johndewar

I get more enjoyment from watching Noel play than I did watching a bunch of veterans scratch out 30 wins and just miss the playoffs in a horrible conference

And I can never get tired of watching Embiid warmups!!!

If a team wants to stupidly overpay you with picks, then yes, you make the deal. But until you can turn the picks into players and the players into a good team, then you really have accomplished except being a good negotiator.
- jmatchett383

He's done well drafting too. Finding MCW and Noel in one of the worst drafts of the last 15 years was pretty good. Found KJ McDaniels and Jerami Grant in the second round of this past draft.

Hinkie watches 10x more basketba than ob watches hockey

I think he's doing the right thing. There was no hope for that team. The only big nitpick I have isn't even cast at the team or Hinkie. Everybody in the universe already gave Hinkie credit for fixing the Sixers, calling him a genius. That's the easy part of "~*~The Plan~*~". Spend somebody else's money on taking bad contracts in exchange for picks? Give away bad players for the best offer? I can do that!

I'll reserve praise for the building part.
- BulliesPhan87

OK, I haven't really seen all the Hinkie credit in terms of him ALREADY having fixed anything. But what he did fix was to give the team a LOT of room to maneuver. Something they did not have at all in the past.

He still needs to draft well. Looks like Noel is a keeper, and Embiid looks like he could be a player as well. If those two work out, this team is on its way.

I get more enjoyment from watching Noel play than I did watching a bunch of veterans scratch out 30 wins and just miss the playoffs in a horrible conference

And I can never get tired of watching Embiid warmups!!!
- PhillySportsGuy

You are a better man than I. I would love to care about the Sixers again. Maybe once I see Embiid play an actual game or once I see Hinkie actually try to put a team together.

He's proven he can negotiate a salary cap and maximize value that way. Now, let's ...oh, I don't know.....put an actual NBA team on the court.

Yup. They'll all bust. Just like every year
- PhillySportsGuy

No one said they'll all bust. I said I was told there isn't a franchise player in this draft.

quotation of the year

"It’s always fun in their rink, especially when they’re in their rink because they really don’t want to lose in their rink against us so they’re doing everything it takes not to lose against us,” Flyers agitator Zac Rinaldo said. “So we kind of rise to the occasion.”

and the logic is impeccable.

You are a better man than I. I would love to care about the Sixers again. Maybe once I see Embiid play an actual game or once I see Hinkie actually try to put a team together.

He's proven he can negotiate a salary cap and maximize value that way. Now, let's ...oh, I don't know.....put an actual NBA team on the court.
- johndewar

realistically, hinkie is gonna need to get lucky on a pick or two and hit. but hes drastically increased his odds on acquiring that star.

You are a better man than I. I would love to care about the Sixers again. Maybe once I see Embiid play an actual game or once I see Hinkie actually try to put a team together.

He's proven he can negotiate a salary cap and maximize value that way. Now, let's ...oh, I don't know.....put an actual NBA team on the court.
- johndewar

Next season looks like it will have several young guys with potential. They'll suck again but you'll start to see the actual talent like you have with Noel this year

quotation of the year

"It’s always fun in their rink, especially when they’re in their rink because they really don’t want to lose in their rink against us so they’re doing everything it takes not to lose against us,” Flyers agitator Zac Rinaldo said. “So we kind of rise to the occasion.”

and the logic is impeccable.
- wilsonecho91

i would like to challenge him to feats of intellect, and for every small victory i get to hit him in the mouth.

No one said they'll all bust. I said I was told there isn't a franchise player in this draft.
- mayorofangrytown

Every draft has multiple franchise players. Even the poopty ones