Colangelo: 'This Thing Could Flip Sooner Than Later'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sam Hinkie, now in year three as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, has knocked the team down to build them back up -- into a championship contender.
While many fans have continued to support "The Process," the skeptics continually ask, "When will the winning begin?"
New Sixers Chairman of Basketball Operations Jerry Colangelo says soon.
"The reality is, and I've come to understand this, that Sam has really done a great job of accumulating assets," Colangelo said on Wednesday via CSNPhilly.com. "If you look at the trades, you look at the draft picks that've been accumulated, it's all there in place. Now it's a matter of when do you pull the trigger on using all those assets, or any of those assets. So as I look at the board, if you will, I see some things that could happen sooner rather than later."
So what exactly has Hinkie accumulated since becoming GM in May of 2013? Current promising young talent like Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Robert Convington. Upside prospects like Joel Embiid -- who continues to rehab from his second foot surgery -- and Turkish forward Dario Saric, who is expected to join the team next season. And the possibility of four 2016 first-round draft picks, which could include the No. 1 overall pick.
Not to mention, pick swaps if needed and a boat load of cap space.
"That's because if somebody gets healthy, if the player from Europe comes in and is part of the rotation, and we will have a very high draft pick and then using some of those assets to do other things to consider, be it free agency, be it a trade, whatever, this thing could flip a lot sooner than people understand," Colangelo explained. "So I think this is not a situation where, gee, when are we going to come out of this or when are we going to be able to compete? I think that could be sooner than later."
The endorsement from Colangelo, 76, is encouraging. Hinkie himself? He's never wavered.
And both Colangelo and Hinkie agree 2016 could be the turning point.
"I think if you zoom out a little bit, the summary of what we've done is plant seeds for a harvest, and it's not out of the question to think that the harvest could come in even this summer," Hinkie said via CSNPhilly.com. "Obviously none of our first-round picks from 2014 have hit the floor yet and that could change, and only one of our first-rounders from 2013 is still on the team, but there are other opportunities there for us. I think things could feel very different very quickly with a different level of talent."
"[2016] is the year," Colangelo said. "It's a big year."
