Los Angeles Lakers vs. The Sam Hinkie Plan

In a recent press conference, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak laid out his thoughts on how the team approaches rebuilding. In the process, he threw a jab at the Philadelphia 76ers and their “transparent” approach to the task under GM Sam Hinkie:

Mitch on 76ers rebuilding process: “I still don’t understand what they’re doing."
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) April 16, 2015

Kupchak may not be in the minority when it comes to criticizing the state of the 76ers, but it’s quite clear what Philadelphia’s intentions are.

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Ultimately, Sam Hinkie and company feel that they need a superstar to be a championship contender. The best way to do that? Assemble a less-than-optimal roster, collect draft picks, and take as many shots as it takes to finally land that superstar player.

The Los Angeles Lakers take a considerably different approach to team building. Trades and free agent splash moves that aim to land superstars reign supreme for the Lakers, and it’s a strategy that can pay massive dividends. Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol were acquisitions that helped lead the team to titles in the no-so-distant past.

Of course, that strategy can blow up in your face as well. The Dwight Howard and Steve Nash trades were absolute failures, and left the cupboard quite bare for a now rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers franchise. In the latter trade, the Lakers gave up two first-round picks to acquire Nash; the last of which will go to the Philadelphia 76ers should it fall out of the top-five selections in the NBA Draft lottery in 2015 or 2016 (top-three protected in 2017).

It is an interesting narrative to have these teams intertwined as the draft lottery approaches. For at least the next few months, the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers will be linked, contrast in team building philosophy and all.

Mitch Kupchak doesn’t need much defense for his stance on how to craft a championship roster; he’s done it.

He also has cited the draft as one of the main avenues for the franchise to add talent, despite the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers have made one first round selection over the last five seasons. So, at the very least, he acknowledges its importance as a tool to add talent.

But, even with the horrendous production of the Philadelphia 76ers over Sam Hinkie’s tenure (back-to-back seasons with 60+ losses), it’s hard to take Kupchak’s snarky comments very seriously considering his own team’s situation. His shot at a fellow struggling franchise comes off as an unnecessary public remark that is probably better off unsaid, given the similarities between the state of both clubs.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in position, in large part due to solid cap management by Kupchak, to improve quite a bit this summer. They will have a boatload of cap space to grab foundational pieces, and with the cap expected to rise at an all-time rate in the coming years, the franchise should be able to double it’s efforts in the coming summers.

And what will truly define this offseason’s success is the Los Angeles Lakers’ ability to get value out of their first-round draft pick — a process that begins with actually retaining that choice in the draft lottery.

If that process fails, then perhaps Mitch Kupchak will gain some insight into the Sixers’ plan under Sam Hinkie.

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