The Beginning

The Sixers, like the Phillies on steroids, were in disarray in the waning days of 2015. Jerry Colangelo had been pushed upon us all as the Sixers’ acting overlord, rumors about how that was done ran rampant, and trust of the ownership was at an all-time low. In the win-loss column, the team was historically bad. Tony Wroten was released on Christmas Eve after Jerry traded for the second coming of Ish Smith.

A week into the year, Jahlil Okafor’s dad was yelling at Brett Brown from the stands. Kendall Marshall’s dad was ranting about Nik Stauskas being shitty. Scott O’Neil was yelling at Jake Pavorsky on Twitter. The Simpsons mocked them. The X-Files mocked them. The organization was an unmitigated disaster.

The End

The organization is an unmitigated disaster. Okay, that’s too harsh. The long-awaited return of Joel Embiid has gone much better than anyone could have hoped, the Sixers have six more wins than they did at this point last year, and the team isn’t quite the laughing-stock nationally. But the long-awaited train wreck of Noel, Okafor, and Embiid trying to share minutes is finally happening. And it’s ugly. Noel is unhappy, Okafor is bad, Embiid is just trying to make it all work. The team’s other savior-in-waiting, Ben Simmons, is still nursing a foot injury. The Sixers are in a much better place but still trying to shake off the rust and musk from last year.

Notable Additions

  • Bryan Colangelo
  • Jim O’Brien
  • Ben Simmons
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
  • Dario Saric
  • On-court Joel Embiid
  • Sergio Rodriguez
  • Jerryd Bayless
  • Gerald Henderson
  • Ersan Ilyasova
  • Tibor Pleiss
  • Elton Brand the coach

Departures

  • Elton Brand the player
  • Tibor Pleiss
  • Christian Wood
  • JaKarr Sampson
  • rights to Chu Chu Maduabum
  • Isaiah Canaan
  • Ish Smith, again
  • Kendall Marshall
  • Carl Landry
  • Jerami Grant
  • Sam Hinkie

The Mr. Entertainment Award

I mean, there’s no real competition here, right? There’s one man. The man this whole thing was dependent upon. The only one who really matters. He hits threes. He blocks shots. He dives into the stands. He inspires chants of “Trust the Process” and “M-V-P.” He livestreams on Instagram. He’s Joel “The Process” Embiid.

The Farewell, Sweet Prince Award

Where to begin? I won’t opine on the merits of Samuel Blake Hinkie and his process here. It’s been done both by me and others a thousand times. But there is perhaps no man in the city who impacted his franchise so strongly – and so divisively – in the past 10 years. Whether you think his path was the right one or not, you have to acknowledge that the Sixers wouldn’t have the talent they have without him. And while he’s out in Silicon Valley checking his FitBit every hour, let’s hope he knows about the obsession of some fans here and it makes him smile, in a very uncomfortable way.


The Josh Harris Award for Photo of the Year

The trophy goes to its namesake for this truly wonderful perspective shot:

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Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

What’s Next

Everything. Right now, the Sixers are still “the Sixers (sad trombone sound)” for the most part. But with Joel Embiid playing out of his mind, Dario Saric showing promise in a shaky rookie campaign, and Ben Simmons still unseen, the future is incredibly bright. They need to figure out the whole Embiid/Okafor/Noel/Holmes mess, but once they fight through that traffic, it should be relatively smooth sailing. This year’s draft is stacked, and the Sixers have their pick, the Lakers’ pick (outside the top 3), and the option to swap with the Kings if they choose to. From where they are right now to their potential ceiling, the Sixers may have the most potential in the city. Now they just have to reach it.

Growth Rating: 9

As I write this, the Sixers are 7-21. Not great by any stretch. This time last year, they were 1-28. They didn’t get their seventh win until January 26th. Their ninth win didn’t come until March 11th. Their 7-21 record through 28 games is the best since being 8-20 in the 2013-2014 season. That’s improvement. They’ve got Joel Embiid, who is not only running away with the Rookie of the Year award but has revitalized fan interest in the franchise (nationally and locally) in a way no single player has since Allen Iverson. They’ve still got a way to go, but with Embiid, Saric, Simmons waiting in the wings, and future draft picks out the ass, they’re in great shape.