Philadelphia 76ers Enter A New Era With Ben Simmons

Despite recent changes and previous downfalls, the Philadelphia 76ers are optimistic about their upcoming season.

On April 16, Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie penned a 13-page letter of resignation from his position. It was from that point that good news started forming around the team during the offseason.

After somewhat avoiding the media after his decision, Hinkie took to Twitter to discuss his future plans.

1 | Writing this from a Starbucks in Palo Alto, CA. It’s 5 blocks from our house. My wife and I brought our boys here for this next chapter.
— Sam Hinkie (@samhinkie) September 14, 2016

The Sixers only had 47 wins during the three seasons that Hinkie was there, which is the second worst three-year stretch in the history of the league. There were always critics ready to deem Hinkie as a failure.

But his parting gift to the Sixers simply overrided all of his downfalls during his tenure. When Philadelphia subsequently acquired the first overall pick in the draft for the first time since 1996, an overall sense of gratitude was directed toward Hinkie.

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Ben Simmons being in a Sixers cap on Draft Night represented a new era for the franchise. Philly fans everywhere believed that a new beginning was on the horizon. Simmons’ versatility is what makes him a true franchise player. He has great vision and the passing ability of a point guard while exuding the defensive skills and height as a power forward. Some are even claiming that he is the next LeBron James.

The anticipated arrival of Joel Embiid is another factor that could bring the Sixers much success. Embiid has not played in a single NBA game due to major surgeries on his right foot. He was the the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. But over the summer, the seven-foot center from Kansas gave everyone a glimpse of what they could possibly see from him this season with his impressive workout videos. “I feel 100 percent and ready to get started”, said Embiid in an interview with Philly.com.

According the the Associated Press, Embiid is set to play in the team’s training camp that starts next week. New head coach Brett Brown said, “He needs to be the crown jewel, the centerpiece of our defense.”

Brown further mentioned that Embiid, according to AP, will ease his way into the NBA with yet to be determined restrictions. While it is uncertain as to whether Embiid will play in the season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 26, playing in the team’s training camp next week is a step in the right direction. Embiid’s return is good news for the Sixers and will help them with their rebuild.

"The Sixers front office remains positive in regards to that rebuild. “I’m sure that everyone should have optimism,” said Bryan Colangelo, the new GM and president of basketball operations. “But there’s a word I’ve always used over the years about optimism. It should be guarded optimism because things take time.“When you’re building teams — and I’ve had the privilege of doing that quite a few times in my career — you’re adding pieces here and there, and then once in a while you strike out and get that last piece. I think where the Sixers are today is, this is the beginning of that particular process, and that is building what everyone would hope to be a championship team.”"

Even coach Brett Brown is excited for the the team’s new season, claiming that it is basically a fresh start for the team, in an interview with Philly.com.

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The Sixers experienced minimal success last season as they were the worst team in the NBA. They only won 10 games. But with new pieces and players dedicated to being successful, the Philadelphia 76ers have a better shot to improve their game this season.