Board 8 > NBA Playoffs Topic - Where 2 > 1

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ShatteredElysium posted...

Our GM already said something which basically amounts to we're not trying to win next season.

He said that we will be looking to make deals to improve the team but we're not going to jeopardize potentially valuable future assets just to make the playoffs. Which brings into question of why bother firing Vogel if you already have it in your mind next year will be a losing season.

Because most GMs are morons. Yes, even Sam "The Process" Hinkie, who needed to get fired in order for the Sixers to be where they are.

Had Hinkie stayed in place, I guarantee you he would have objected for giving Embiid an extension due to his injury problems and would have dealt him away for future first rounders. And probably wouldn't have moved up for Fultz and instead taken then consensus #3 pick Josh Jackson.
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Teams that will for sure be tanking:

Nets, Suns, Magic, Hawks, Kings, Mavericks, and Knicks (since Porzingis is gonna miss most of the season).

Teams that could still be tanking, but maybe not:

Grizzlies (will get Conley back) and Bulls (got some pieces in the Jimmy Butler trade, depends on where they draft).

Teams that could join the tank brigade that missed the playoffs:

Hornets, Pistons, and Clippers

Teams that made the playoffs but might blow it up:

Wizards and Blazers
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TheRock1525 posted...

Because most GMs are morons. Yes, even Sam "The Process" Hinkie, who needed to get fired in order for the Sixers to be where they are.

Had Hinkie stayed in place, I guarantee you he would have objected for giving Embiid an extension due to his injury problems and would have dealt him away for future first rounders. And probably wouldn't have moved up for Fultz and instead taken then consensus #3 pick Josh Jackson.

looks like somebody has no idea what The Process actually is
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I mean, Josh Jackson is a good talent IMO

Also the next step in the process is definitely to get LeBron to sign
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th3l3fty posted...

looks like somebody has no idea what The Process actually is

Actually I do. But Philly fans can't admit that it took a GM coming into abandon key tenants of "the Process" in order to push the team into where it is today. Sam Hinkie sure as hell isn't signing players like JJ Redick or Ersan Ilyasova. Nor is gonna give up an asset (the Lakers pick) to move up for Fultz. And he sure as hell wouldn't hand out a post-max contract to Joel Embiid after playing 31 games over 3 seasons.

So yeah, the Process was effectively abandoned when they fired Hinkie and brought in Colangelo, but it was a catchy name so they kept using it while the team suffered through another down year.
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LiquidOshawott posted...

I mean, Josh Jackson is a good talent IMO

Also the next step in the process is definitely to get LeBron to sign

Josh Jackson is fine, but his rookie season was awful and he sure as hell wouldn't help the Sixers into the playoffs this year.
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"There is signal everywhere that Joel is unique, from the practice gyms in Lawrence, Kansas to Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania to Doha, Qatar where he does something awe inspiring far too regularly."

-Sam Hinkie
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Hinkie would've taken Fultz, the consensus #1, at 3.
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th3l3fty posted...

"There is signal everywhere that Joel is unique, from the practice gyms in Lawrence, Kansas to Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania to Doha, Qatar where he does something awe inspiring far too regularly."

-Sam Hinkie

So evidence is based on his resignation letter. Even though Embiid would go on to miss another 51 games. At the very least, Hinkie doesn't extend him in 2017 like Colangelo did.
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SeabassDebeste posted...

Hinkie would've taken Fultz, the consensus #1, at 3.

Sam Hinkie, obvious genius, takes back-to-the-basket relic big man at 3 instead of Porzingis.
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I'm not going to argue with someone whose mind is already made up

just keep being wrong while Sixers fans enjoy the fruits of Hinkie's labors
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th3l3fty posted...

I'm not going to argue with someone whose mind is already made up

just keep being wrong while Sixers fans enjoy the fruits of Colangelo's labors

Fun fact: there's only 3 players from that 2015-2016 squad (which went 10-72 and was when Hinkie was fired) still on the team. And one of them didn't even play.

But you keep telling yourself Hinkie was so brilliant, what with only two good picks in his entire time there.
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Hinkie has a great trading record. he did great for that team and we're seeing it now
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transience posted...

Hinkie has a great trading record. he did great for that team and we're seeing it now

Once again, 3 players remain from that 2015-2016 squad. This is Colangelo's product: guys like JJ Redick, Ersan Ilyasova, and Amir Johnson are guys Colangelo brought in and have been super productive. Along with getting to draft Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz.
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The Sixers won't win the East. They are gonna catch a team with enough talent and far more experience and that will do them in.

I still stand by my Cavs Eastern Conference pick.
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transience posted...

Hinkie has a great trading record. he did great for that team and we're seeing it now

I mean, I'd rather have Jrue over Noel right now for sure...

but then again if Jrue wasn't traded then the Sixers wouldn't have been tanking to begin with so hm
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ExThaNemesis posted...

The Sixers won't win the East. They are gonna catch a team with enough talent and far more experience and that will do them in.

I still stand by my Cavs Eastern Conference pick.

The only teams with real experience are the Heat, whom they are currently dispatching, and the Cavs, who will lose to Indiana.
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every team left except boston and indy is more experienced than the sixers
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feels like miami has such a thin margin of error versus philly. philly can lean on its stars to explode for scoring while miami needs everyone to produce and defend and control the pace.
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this is some classic eastern conference basketball
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I really do not like this Heat team
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holy turnovers
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ExThaNemesis posted...

The Sixers won't win the East. They are gonna catch a team with enough talent and far more experience and that will do them in.

I still stand by my Cavs Eastern Conference pick.

I would take the raptors, Sixers and Pacers over the Cavs at this point.
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Dudes, warriors-pelicans is going to be HOT sex in r2.
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27 turnovers and 22.6% from 3

no big deal
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BTW power rankings for most likely to win east and west imo....

EAST
1. Raptors
2. Sixers
.
.
.
.
3. Pacers
4. Cavs

No one else is worth mentioning. Raptors/Sixers is genuinely intriguing. I lean raptors due to their experience.

WEST
1. Warriors
2. Rockets
.
.
3. Pelicans
.
.
.
4. Thunder

Even if the Jazz win this series somehow, I just don't see the potential for an upset in r2. They need so much from Mitchell every night. Pelicans are legit dangerous to a warriors team without curry or with a diminished curry.
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The Raptors being the pick here has me more worried than ever that they'll somehow choke it away.
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"Trust the Process" is the worst slogan ever coined in sports history

fitting that it's attached to a Philly team

and also that it was popularized by Pablo Torre
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and if there's one thing to give Hinkie credit for it's that he's set the team up to go crazy in free agency this summer due to all the assets and cap space they have

although I don't know if that would be what he would actually do if he were still running the team but yeah
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"Specifically, we set out to maximize the odds of acquiring star players using all three available methods of acquiring players (draft, free agency, and trade)."

so yes
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I was just curious considering he never, you know, actually used free agency to make the team better, only worse

so maybe that's what he meant
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I mean

what high-level free agent in their right mind would have signed with that team?
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I mean

high level free agents aren't the only ones that make your team better
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They're the only ones worth making your team better unless you're already on the cusp.
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this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent
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I'm just hoping that the Sixers get a title so we get a third parade in a year xD
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LeonhartFour posted...

this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent

1 year deal, no longer in tanking phase
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HotDogButts posted...

LeonhartFour posted...

this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent

1 year deal, no longer in tanking phase

also signed to make the team better

so either he's high level or the Sixers shouldn't have signed him because it was a waste
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LeonhartFour posted...

this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent

I mean, hes made the playoffs every year of his career

But man who would you classify as a high level free agent? LeBron/KD?
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LeonhartFour posted...

HotDogButts posted...

LeonhartFour posted...

this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent

1 year deal, no longer in tanking phase

also signed to make the team better

so either he's high level or the Sixers shouldn't have signed him because it was a waste

"unless you're on the cusp"

They're in a position to make the finals right now. That's on the cusp. They've got their core of guys through the draft and they have the cap position to go get a FA star. This is exactly when those type of signings are valuable. Also, read again, one year deal, out of tanking phase.
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what put them on the cusp
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LiquidOshawott posted...

LeonhartFour posted...

this just in

J.J. Reddick high level free agent

I mean, hes made the playoffs every year of his career

But man who would you classify as a high level free agent? LeBron/KD?

I'm not the one who put qualifiers on what's a worthwhile free agent to go after to make your team better and what's not

I'm just seeking clarification
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the process is tricky because there's a lot to unpack. there's trades, draft spot and most importantly, luck. I think it's hard to argue against any of Hinkie's moves - he set the team up to be amazing at the right time and it worked. they also lucked out on two generational talents though and had the added luxury of having them sit at least a year so they could bottom out even more. they have the Kings 2019 pick too which is sure to be a good one.

it's just too bad they went anti-process and took Fultz. can you imagine this team with Tatum? Fultz and Simmons just don't work together and they need to figure out what to do about that before it's too late.
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anyway, I didn't see a Blazers sweep coming. I don't think anyone did. I wonder how Curry's feeling.
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Well, it's extremely rare in the NBA for a higher seed to get swept in round 1. I wonder how often that's happened, actually.
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Oh yes, go Pelicans!
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I think this Sixers team is basically in the spot the Thunder were shortly after drafting Harden. I'm super interested to see who they get this offseason. it's the only team I can think of where Lebron is actually a really bad idea.
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LeonhartFour posted...

Well, it's extremely rare in the NBA for a higher seed to get swept in round 1. I wonder how often that's happened, actually.

Let me introduce you to the 2015 Toronto Raptors.
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In a best of 7 series, the pelicans became the lowest seed ever to sweep the higher seed in the first round.

And yes, the Raptors vs wizards in 2015 is another example
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Shout out to one series being over before two of them had played Game 3s
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