Interesting Facts From Extensive Hinkie, Sixers Piece
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- If you're a Sam Hinkie fan, believer in the Sixers' approach, a defender of analytics, or just someone who wants to read an incredibly extensive and interesting article, you must read Pablo S. Torre's piece on Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie.
The story will appear in the March 2nd Analytics issue of ESPN The Magazine, detailing the Sixers' long-term strategy and the philosophy of the man, Hinkie, behind it all.
Here are some interesting facts from the piece:
- Torre sat down with Hinkie for lunch before a game in Brooklyn, in which Hinkie took an Uber too.
- There is only one quote from Hinkie in the entire rigorous piece about Hinkie himself, and it has nothing to do with basketball.
From the story: "Sam views everything said in public as information given away for free," one ex-colleague of his later explains.
- Reminder: Hinkie received a 2015 second-rounder and a 2017 first-rounder, plus Dario Saric, for Elfrid Payton during last year's draft.
- The Sixers have four prospects, besides Saric, "still ripening in Turkey, Germany, China and Australia." They're all second-rounders.
From the story: "[Hinkie] watches more basketball than anyone I know," the Rockets' GM says. "And he was on the road constantly." Hinkie insisted on quizzing team managers and van drivers in an effort to gather data on a college kid. He enthusiastically volunteered to visit one-prospect gyms from Eastern Washington to Istanbul.
- One-time, Andrew Bynum left the gas pump in his car. "Bynum had driven away from a gas station without removing the pump's nozzle and eight- foot rubber hose."
- Hinkie wasn't originally hired. Instead, the Sixers promoted Tony DiLeo and flopped on Bynum. Then, Hinkie re-interviewed explaining how Houston, his former team, acquired James Harden from the Thunder.
- The Sixers' cap is $42.5 million, lowest in the league by $11 million. The current NBA salary cap is $63.1 million and the luxury tax is $76.8 million. The cap floor is $56.8 million.
- Brett Brown describing his interview with Hinkie: "The gauntlet on one of those game shows where you have to run over a bridge and then something flies out and hits you, and the pole is slippery, and then another thing swings out and hits you."
- Hinkie sends Brown Warren Buffet articles and Brown brings the Sixers to lecture halls at the University of Pennsylvania.
- The Sixers grade every player on every single thing, called Effort Charts, which are linked to video and announced to the team. It's a competition for the players.
- No, seriously. Everything.
From the story: Not just in games but also shootarounds and practices. "You can't hide," Richardson says.
"It's crazy," Noel says. "They'll tell me what my free throw percentage is in practice. And I'm like, 'What?!'"
- Hinkie has purposely acquired long-athletic guys. 10 of the 14 Sixers have a wingspan at least six inches longer than their height.
- And Hinkie is well aware of their shooting woes.
- The Sixers play at the sixth-highest pace in the league.
- Robert Caro is Hinkie's favorite writer.
There's so, so, so much more. You should read the full-piece here.
