Thanks To Hinkie, NBA Draft Lottery A Mega-Event In Philly
By Joe Giglio
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- If you were looking for an adjective or phrase to describe the tenure of Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, exciting probably wouldn't be at the top of the list.
Except, of course, on a night like tonight.
As the city of Philadelphia (slowly in some circles) accepts the long-term plan concocted by Hinkie, events like the NBA Draft Lottery take on new meaning. Ping-pong balls become more than opportunity; they are the culmination of the work put in by a front office willing to take the road less traveled.
It also represents one of the most exhilarating basketball related events the Sixers have had in a long, long time.
From the minute the Los Angeles Lakers walked off the then First Union Center as NBA Champions in June of 2001, basketball fans in Philadelphia had very little to get worked up about. From 2002 to the minute Hinkie assumed power, the Sixers averaged 38 wins per season and were knocked out of the first round of the postseason five different times. Decent enough to stop outrage, but just mediocre enough to keep real interest from ever forming.
Unless you were all in on bringing aboard past-their-prime veterans (Chris Webber, Elton Brand), oft-injured malcontents (Andrew Bynum) or overpaying very good, but not great players (Andre Iguodala), 2002-2012 was one of the blandest and most forgettable eras of basketball ever.
Like it or not, that's changed.
Through a combination of tanking, "optionality," and taking advantage of the short-term, win-now mentality of teams around the sport, Hinkie has set the Sixers up to make their own luck on lottery night.
While taking a game from the Heat in 2011 and knocking out the No. 1 seed Bulls in 2012 were fleeting moments of fun, the last two lottery reveals are the most rabid and unpredictable days Philadelphia basketball fans have had since Allen Iverson led the 2001 team deep into June.
Over the past two days, I've spent hours on ESPN's NBA Draft Lottery simulator in an attempt to make the #OneSixEleven dream a virtual reality.
If the Sixers do land one of the top two picks, expect the big man vs. point guard debate to push aside Eagles talk and Phillies complaints on the 94WIP airwaves. With a draft class deep enough to bring back an impact player past the top three picks, the Michael Carter-Williams trade will be revisited.
The Sixers have won 37 total basketball games in two seasons under Hinkie. Even after sacrificing 164 games, there's no guarantee this plan works in the near future. Yet, the fan base feels more energized than it has in years.
Impatient fans and non-believers will continue to ask when the plan will yield results and winning will actually commence again. What they'll ignore: Lottery hope, future assets and a clean cap sheet moving forward has been much more interesting than the yearly tradition of fighting for .500 and a date with a first-round knockout.
Buckle up, Sixers fans. The most exciting time to be a fan since Iverson's prime is here. All thanks to that barrel of monkeys, Sam Hinkie.
Joe Giglio is a host on Sports Radio 94WIP. Find him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports.
