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It’s funny, or ironic, considering the amount of hype surrounding
the 2014 NBA Draft, that if, and when, this Sixers squad returns to relevancy
under Brett Brown, the 2013 Draft will be credited as the catalyst for the
future success of the Sixers.
The 2014 Draft may further the future, but June 27, 2013 is
the evening that put the wheels in motion for the franchise’s first full recent
rebuild.
At that time the Sixers didn’t have a coach. They were
slotted to pay Jrue Holiday around $11 million a year until 2016, and Kwame
Brown was on the active roster. A lot has changed in eight months.
Sure, the Sixers are struggling; okay, they stink, but their
spot(s) in the looming lottery and the prospect of ample cap space for the
first time in several seasons serve as a silver lining. The Sixers will be well
under the salary cap this summer, and while there is no guarantee that free
agents will want to sign with the Sixers, at least they have the financial
flexibility. The prospect of two lottery picks in the seemingly stacked 2014
Draft is enticing also. So while the Sixers are downright difficult to watch
sometimes this season (they were down 52-15 to the Clippers early in the second
quarter on Sunday night), the upcoming summer sees them with two potential
picks and money to supplement two very promising prospects in Nerlens Noel and
likely Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.
Image from dabuzzza.com |
This financial flexibility and likely lottery options are
the direct result of daring decisions on Draft day last summer. Trading an
All-Star was bold, but it was the right move, and it set the tone for the
franchise going forward. The Sixers, spearheaded by Sam Hinkie, wanted to build
an entirely new house, rather than work to improve the one that was already
established, and the franchise started with the foundation. Noel and
Carter-Williams represent the first few bricks with which to build upon.
The 2013 Draft signified the start of a new era for the
Sixers, one way or another. No longer was the organization going to overpay for
players who look good on paper, but whose true value and production may not
match their paycheck. Aging veterans with established salaries are eschewed for
young players with potential. There is no room on the roster for the likes of a
Kwame Brown. These are big differences from the days of Doug, or Eddie, or Tony,
or Mo, or Jim, or Chris, or Randy. No, for once the Sixers aren’t trying to
patch themselves into the playoffs. It stings a bit as they struggle through
this season, but once it mercifully ends, there won’t be any head-scratching
contracts haunting the team this summer. Their draft picks will belong to them,
rather than being traded to another team, and overall, the team will be young.
The Sixers haven’t had a summer situation like that in quite some time, and it
all stems from the 2013 Draft.
The Sixers haven’t had a season quite this ugly in some
time, but they haven’t had a future so bright in a very long time either. A
couple years down the road, the team won’t like much like it does today, as the
Sixers will have the assests (money and picks) to add tons of talent in the
near future. The possibilities are exciting, especially considering that the
East is two-team top-heavy. In a couple years who knows that the league’s
landscape will look like, the East could be wide open for the Sixers climb back
to contention.
For anyone invested in the Sixers, the regular season has
been rough, but the prospects of the summer are extremely exciting. The
organization will have ample opportunity to add talent and continue to build
upon the base laid on Draft day last summer while cultivating a contender.
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