When Sam Hinkie talked to Zach Lowe last week, he said we’d see Jerry Colangelo’s presence begin to be felt in a few days. This past weekend, it was reported that Mike D’Antoni is in line to be an Associate Head Coach under Brett Brown (Brown confirmed those reports). Lowe also name-dropped Elton Brand as a potential “veteran presence” to help deal with the team’s young players.

Today, David Aldridge took some time to talk about the “Process” and what Colangelo means to it. Former commissioner David Stern, Adlridge says, was also part of bringing Josh Harris and Colangelo together, and he sticks to Adam Silver having a “significant hand” in it. And it’s now not just Brand that could find himself with a mentor-role of sorts with the team: Aldridge reports former player (and current analyst) Shane Battier could also join up with the Sixers in a staff position of some kind.

There was some concern within the “process trusters” that Colangelo’s arrival would mean wasting roster spots on vets just for the sake of using roster spots on vets. But by bringing in recently retired players to play some sort of part with the organization is the best of both worlds. Well, that, and I really don’t think suiting up 36-year-old Elton Brand and 37-year-old Shane Battier* improves the on-court product by any measure.

*Brand could be signed as a player (ugh), but Battier’s DONE.