While the Celtics are jockeying for playoff position, the Philadelphia 76ers, who began their reclamation project about the same time as the Celtics, received a 13-page resignation letter from general manager Sam Hinkie on Wednesday.
It was the end to one of the NBA’s oddest eras.
Not many in the 76ers organization knew what Hinkie’s blueprint was. He stripped the franchise, loaded the roster with below-NBA-level talent, moved a bunch of contracts, drafted injured players, and then repeated it.
The 76ers are no better off now than they were three years ago in terms of respect and the ability to attract free agents. Hinkie made sure of that with his curious moves, embarrassing the organization with substandard talent.
Poor coach Brett Brown has worked to develop players who have no future in Philadelphia. He knows his team will lose nearly 90 percent of the time. He has to encourage players who may have lost 60 games combined in AAU and college that they are going to lose 70 this season.
Eighteen players logged minutes with the 76ers this season (25 did last season) and of those 18, four might have long-term value to the organization. Hinkie cheated the Philadelphia fans by using the team as an NBADL training ground and his Kevin Bacon “Remain calm, all is well!’’ “Animal House’’ mentality didn’t endear him to his NBA counterparts.
Hinkie insisted the Philadelphia fanbase “trust the process,’’ and it was a minor miracle that so many fans showed up to Wells Fargo Center for home games when the outcome was hopeless. Hinkie might have envisioned a fate where he would be demoted when the organization brought in veteran NBA man and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo to oversee basketball operations.
Hinkie had his class project snatched away from him, and it was up to Colangelo to resurrect the once-proud organization. Perhaps we needed a reminder about the pride of Philadelphia basketball when Villanova made its stirring run to the NCAA championship.
It’s a proud basketball city, with local legend Sonny Hill dressed immaculately for every home game, swapping stories with other stars, such as Cedric Maxwell. The city wants to be proud of their 76ers again, and the presence of the mercurial Hinkie appeared to be a poor fit with a city that demands winners.
It has been reported Colangelo will name his son Bryan as the new general manager. And Bryan was spotted behind benches at NCAA Tournament games, perhaps doing some scouting.
Hinkie did set up the organization to get real good, real fast. The team’s two highest-paid players are JaVale McGee (currently a reserve in Dallas) and Gerald Wallace (currently chillin’ in Alabama). When all of their salaries come off the books, and with an increasing salary cap, the 76ers could have as much as $65 million to spend on free agents and re-signing their own players.
The question is, what top-tier free agent would consider Philadelphia, except to get grossly overpaid? The 76ers may have to take that route to attract capable NBA players again.
The 76ers also potentially have three first-round picks and former prized draft pick Joel Embiid returning after missing two years with foot injuries. Hinkie set up the organization to succeed but he was not deemed worthy of staying around for the plan to come to fruition.
The rumors of tanking, signing undrafted NBA players such as T.J. McConnell and making them starters, holding out Nerlens Noel for a full year when he appeared to be healthy, and seeming to bask in the organization’s putrid state while stressing to “trust the process’’ turned basketball folks against Hinkie.
This proves that not all basketball analytic experts deserve to be general managers, and it does take personality, savvy, and experience to succeed at that job. His resignation as general manager was viewed as long overdue and hardly a surprise, especially since Colangelo was beginning to place his imprint on the organization and his son had been looking for another job as GM.
The organization could have opened up its general manager search, interviewed qualified candidates such as Orlando’s Scott Perry, Oklahoma City’s Troy Weaver, and Washington’s Marc Eversley, but Bryan Colangelo has experience and is certainly an upgrade from Hinkie.
The Philadelphia 76ers should be relevant again. Their fans deserve that. The lesson here is hiring the guy who believes he’s the smartest isn’t always the smartest decision. Basketball people should fill basketball positions.
Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.
