"The Process” is a term that was given to the Philadelphia 76ers, by the Philadelphia 76ers. It unofficially started 12 long years ago, back in 2012. They traded for Andrew Bynum in a blockbuster deal that sent Sixers fans into a positive daze, my 13 year old self included. Bynum eventually never even played a game for Philly, which was the lighting of the fire for “The Process” to begin.
That same year, the Sixers hired Sam Hinkie as president of basketball operations. They drafted Michael Carter Willams (who later became rookie of the year) and Nerlens Noel. After that season, in June 2014, they drafted Joel Embiid. Little did they know that he would be a rare draft pick that actually worked out. Fast forward to the 2015-16 season. Their top draft pick ended up being Jahlil Okafor, yes, another big man. The Sixers recorded one of the worst seasons in NBA history after going 10-72. As a fan, I watched the majority of that season, it was horrific. In the offseason of 2016, Sam Hinkie would step down as president. Bryan Colangelo took over as the Sixers obtained the number one pick in that years’ draft, and they selected (sigh) Ben Simmons.
When Joel Embiid finally debuted in 2016-17 after missing his first two seasons, it was nothing short of electric. The duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons was supposed to lead the way for years. In the 2017 draft, the Sixers had the number one pick once again. This time they selected Markelle Fultz, the consensus top choice. After spooky injuries and a questionable fit with Fultz, things were simply not working out with the guard. After two straight seasons of getting bounced in the postseason, midway through the 2018-19 season, Philly traded for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. Now THIS was the team that should’ve won a championship, right? You guessed it, in true Sixers fashion, they lost in the second round. Yes, it was due to a miracle shot by Kawhi Leonard, but the point still stands that the Sixers could not get over the hump.
That offseason, they unload Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat in a trade for Josh Richardson and signed Al Horford soon after. Both of these players only lasted one season for Philly, a season that ended in a first round sweep in Boston’s favor. The following season, the Sixers hired Glenn “Doc” Rivers. They felt another second round defeat, against a Hawks team that should have easily been taken down. Rivers' inability to be a good head coach hindered them. Lack of timeouts and blown 20 point leads were overshadowed by Ben Simmons’ lackluster play. Simmons played so poorly that the fans ran him out of the city. I personally can’t say he didn’t deserve it, he didn’t have the Philadelphia toughness that was needed. He refused to work on his jump shot, barely showed emotion and didn’t have any motivation when he stepped on the court.
In the 2021-22 season, they acquired James Harden in a blockbuster trade for Simmons. Now he’s an all time talent, surely him and another MVP caliber player in Joel Embiid should win a championship right? Right?! Nope, you guessed it again. After consecutive second round exits and vintage choke jobs by Rivers and Harden, Rivers was fired and Harden asked out of Philly. Harden made sure he scolded Daryl Morey on the way out. Since Morey had been president of basketball operations, nothing much has changed about “The Process”. In the last six seasons, the Sixers have been eliminated in the second round FIVE times, the other time being a first round exit. Every year feels the same, high hopes early on, then Joel Embiid suffers an injury. The injury bug always seems to bite Joel after he’s playing at an MVP level. The second round is the obstacle the Sixers simply struggle to overcome. We will not ignore Embiid’s woes in the playoffs either, as his points per game have plummeted in recent series.
Where do the Sixers go from here? They are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, but have a major chance of sliding down due to another Joel Embiid injury. They hired Nick Nurse this past offseason and when the team is healthy, they’re contenders. But that’s the problem, the Sixers are the “What If” boys. What if Jimmy didn’t leave? What if Ben Simmons worked on his shot? What if Kawhi Leonard missed that shot? What if Embiid stayed healthy? What if they won game 6 versus Boston? What if they kept Mikal Bridges? The list of questions could go on forever. The common denominator is that they haven’t succeeded since 1983. Something has to give, it’s as simple as that. “The Process” has hit a mean plateau and they have been processing for too long. Is there a rebuild looming in the future? Who knows, but the Sixers have to do something soon before it’s too late.
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