“But there’s something else that grates my nerves moreso than most other things today, and that is ‘Trust the Process.’ That noise reverberating everywhere in the City of Brotherly Love – that would be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because they’re talking about the 76ers and how the 76ers have upgraded. That they’re better this year than they were in years past so that JUSTIFIES them throwing seasons at a time over a three-year period.

I remember when Michael Cater-Williams was Rookie of the Year and they traded him. I remember former executive Sam Hinkie’s refusal, probably at the behest of ownership, to even bring somebody of championship quality on a roster. I REMEMBER year after year after year spanning three seasons when they won 19, 18, and 10 games over that period, when the Philadelphia 76ers were losing seasons, ON PURPOSE, while still charging to fans to come and watch them. And now all of a sudden because they’re respectable, we see an upside with Joel Embiid assuming he can be healthy, we see Ben Simmons, assuming he can be healthy, and we fantasize about what they’re going to be. Well keep in mind Joel Embiid missed two seasons. Ben Simmons missed this season. Nerlens Noel missed a full season. And Michael Carter-Williams was the Rookie of the Year and you moved him.

Losing seasons ON PURPOSE. Being inept ON PURPOSE. WHILE CHARGING FANS TO WATCH YOU is DESPICABLE. So it’s nice to see that the 76ers are now trying to win games, and they’ve got basketball people, making basketball decisions. But do me a favor, take that ‘Trust the Process’ lingo, and go to hell with it. Because I don’t wanna hear it anymore. It makes me sick.”

The MCW argument is bullshit because the Sixers are gonna get a top-5 pick for a guy who is well on his way to full journeyman status. Also, Stephen A. threatened to fight him.

It’s hard to even refute much of Smith’s argument because it’s so full of nonsense. What have the “basketball people” done for this team so far? And with Simmons and Embiid, the team’s potential is sky high. The Process – the idea of being bad to accumulate enough talent to be good – has worked. How successful it will be in the future remains to be seen, but the outcome right now is a net positive by a mile. Only in the minds of babes – and professional idiots – is this still an issue. And if charging people to watch basketball is your issue, may I introduce you to the Brooklyn Nets.

Post Script: Transcribing Stephen A. is awful for a couple reasons. The first is that he’s long-winded but never actually says anything. The second is that he’s dumb as hell. But the worst is his insistence to call everything by its full, proper name. It’s never Embiid or Simmons, it’s Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. It’s never the Sixers, it’s the 76ers. He even said “the City of Brotherly Love – that would be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” for fucks sake. Smith’s speech is false pomposity posing as intellect, and it just makes him look even dumber in…THE PROCESS.

[h/t r/Sixers]