November 02, 2016
The Sixers are in a weird spot as an organization, trying to move on from an era that brought a lot of notoriety around the NBA. That alone isn’t particularly uncommon, as NBA franchises have to dig themselves out of holes all the time.
No, the tricky part for the Sixers is that the centerpiece of the organization’s plans to move forward has fully embraced the team’s 199 losses over the past three years. Joel Embiid is a smart guy, and as Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins spelled out in great detail, the 22-year-old from Cameroon knows how he got here.
Embiid brings up “The Process” in 98 percent of his interviews and is also now taking it on as his nickname.
It’s an awkward spot for Bryan Colangelo and the front office, but the truth is that Sam Hinkie is going to be part of the Sixers’ story as long as Embiid and Ben Simmons are in Philly. Similar to Embiid and his beloved Shirley Temples and the Flyers and BRACELETGATE, things can go a lot smoother if the Sixers simply choose to embrace the past three years.
A nice step in that direction came before Tuesday night’s game, when PA announcer extraordinaire Matt Cord started calling Embiid “The Process” in pre-game introductions. This idea isn't going anywhere, so it doesn't make any sense to run away from it:
They call him... The Process. pic.twitter.com/aGWtRFYS8t
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) November 1, 2016
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
