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Philadelphia 76ers: The Process Thriving, And The Trade Deadline

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; From left to right Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and center Joel Embiid (21) and center Nerlens Noel (4) warm up before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia 76ers are finally fun again, but where does The Process go from here? Here’s a look at their present and future for a crowded frontcourt.

For the past three years, the Philadelphia 76ers were the laughingstock of the NBA.

General manager Sam Hinkie was vilified for his unabashed tank job that was seen as an all-out assault on the competitive spirit of the game. The Sixers won 47 games over three seasons, and despite having such favorable draft odds, they couldn’t even win the No. 1 overall draft pick either. “The Process” just never seemed to have any forward momentum.

Like all revolutionary thinkers, Hinkie wasn’t appreciated until after his time, when the Sixers finally earned the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, selected Ben Simmons and gleefully watched as both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric suited up for the first time.

It was the fruit of Hinkie’s labor, but it’s all finally starting to pay off.

The last three seasons were miserable, but for the first time, “The Process” feels like it’s actually going somewhere. Embiid is the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year honors, Simmons is bound to prove his talents as the team’s point forward once he returns, and the Sixers had won more games by mid-January than they did all of last season.

Philly has now won seven of its last nine games, putting them only 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. The question is, with an undeniable frontcourt logjam, an injured franchise cornerstone and another franchise cornerstone on a minutes restriction, where are the Sixers really at right now, and where do they go from here?