Just a few years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers were, arguably, in the best situation in the NBA. With Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, a ridiculous amount of draft picks, and tons of cap space, there was tons of optimism that the team was on its way to building something special.
By all accounts, “The Process” had worked, and the idea of throwing entire seasons for a chance at a lottery pick suddenly seemed viable.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before countless mistakes caught up to Philly. And now, years after “The Process” began, it is clear that things haven’t panned out as they’d hoped.
On ESPN’s “Get Up!” morning show, Mike Greenberg detailed just how “The Process” failed for the Sixers.
“They took Jahlil Okafor #3 in 2015, 1 spot ahead of Kristaps Porzingis. They traded two #1s to Boston to draft Markelle Fultz, who had more DNPs than made field goals as a Sixer. . . the Celtics used that trade to draft Jayson Tatum.”
Good riddance to The Process. pic.twitter.com/V9BF6cgz3h
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) August 24, 2020
"They took Jahlil Okafor #3 in 2015, 1 spot ahead of Kristaps Porzingis. They traded two #1s to Boston to draft Markelle Fultz, who had more DNPs than made field goals as a Sixer. . . the Celtics used that trade to draft Jayson Tatum."
– Mike Greenberg on Philly’s failed Process pic.twitter.com/NJGVMcvD0d
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 24, 2020
The mistakes don’t just end with the draft, though. Even with all the assets they had compiled, Elton Brand and the Sixers front-office fumbled the bag and created a roster incapable of meeting expectations.
They let guys like Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick walk in free agency, only to sign Tobias Harris and Al Horford to max extensions. Since the trade, neither Tobias nor Horford have been playing at max-contract quality basketball.
Now, after being swept by the Celtics, and after the firing of Brett Brown, the future of the organization couldn’t be any murkier. These next few weeks will be important in how the team fares moving forward.
