July 07, 2017
While watching the Markelle Fultz-less Summer Sixers salvage a win in the Utah Summer League on Thursday night, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of Larry Drew II starting at point guard. This, of course, is the same Larry Drew that played heavy minutes for a couple of 10-day contracts during the 2014-15 Sixers season. He was closing games! There was even some “Why aren’t they keeping Larry Drew around?” buzz after those 10-days ran out!
Take a look at Drew’s ESPN game log. This was a textbook example of one of Brett Brown’s favorite phrases: “Shake a guy’s hand, put him in the game.” I tweeted about how weird those Process years were and Bleeding Green Nation’s Dave Mangels helped me come up with an idea for some good summer Friday #content.
There are so many Process shibboleths. (Mine is seeing Alexey Shved lead the team in scoring.) You're welcome for the podcast/post idea https://t.co/gBYJNbsZqA
— dävé (@Southern_Philly) July 6, 2017
Basically, what do Sixers fans consider the most Process moment of the past four seasons? I received a bunch of answers on Twitter and decided to share some of my favorites here. As we do with our Eagles observations, I’ll separate these into the good, bad, and ugly categories.
Trade deadline 2015
— Marc Whittington (@MWhittington13) July 6, 2017
From a team-building standpoint, the 2015 deadline is the correct answer. The Sixers had the rookie of the year, didn’t think he was that good, and flipped him for a future draft pick that is still yet to convey. They were right.
Embiid drawing up the play in the Tank Bowl vs Miami
— Shane McNichol (@OnTheShaneTrain) July 6, 2017
That whole game really was something, with two teams who weren’t trying to win in the least bit (of course the Sixers lost). Brown pulled out an old Spurs trick with Embiid, Nerlens Noel, and other players.
Sixers blow out the pistons to avoid 27 straight loses
— Dan (@Proxy_Tank) July 6, 2017
Even though the Sixers had lost 26 straight basketball games, you had a feeling early that night they were going to get one.
KJ is peak process. Popular played traded at the exact peak of his value, move panned by media, pick turned into Richaun Holmes.
— The Washlet Owner (@FanSince09) July 6, 2017
Yep, and I’ll admit to not liking that trade at the time. On a positive note for McDaniels, he had an amazing "Dinner's Served" dunk in traffic against a team that would go on to win an NBA title:
Funniest - Hinkie's broadcast interview when KJ does off the backboard dunk and Hinkie deadpans not part of player dev program.
— FEDSareCOMING (@FEDSareCOMING) July 6, 2017
First game of the process era when MCW and Evan Turner went off and beat Lebron, Bosh, and DWade
— Ryan (@rynorthey1) July 6, 2017
Miami’s aggressive defense had a boom-or-bust quality, and the Sixers carved them up that night. MCW had an incredible debut. Magic knew!
I just got done watching the guy I think will be the Rookie of The Year, Michael Carter-Williams of the 76ers.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 31, 2013
Well, not everything.
The Bucks just acquired the next Jason Kidd in Michael Carter-Williams.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 20, 2015
I will one day tell my kids of the TJ McConnell game winner over the knicks
— Thanks Hinkie (@THANKS_MCW) July 6, 2017
To this day, Joel Embiid's avatar on Twitter is still McConnell jumping in the air next to Michael Jordan doing the same. Got to get a hand up, Melo.
Embiid shopping Philly as a destination for Bron after he was just drafted by the team lmao
— Lou (@GrowTheOrchard) July 6, 2017
A sign of things to come from the king of social media.
roco game winner- saric to roco on an embiid screen.
— Charles Smith (@CharlesSmithC) July 6, 2017
Great pass from Dario Saric on this play. RoCo, in the middle of a looonnngg shooting slump, had been booed the entire game up to this point.
James anderson 36 point game against the rockets a couple years back
— Kenny Mason (@ken_mason22) July 7, 2017
Anderson didn't put up 36 in garbage time, either, as he hit an absurd shot to send the game to overtime. Some of the wins at the beginning of that season were beyond ridiculous.
— Adam Bullock (@adamnb87) July 7, 2017
The funny thing about this training camp practice was that from what I got to watch, Noel outplayed Embiid. After this poster, JoJo must have decided to call it a day.
Too many to choose from: Tj hitting game winner over Melo, beating DET/CHA after SVG/Batum comments, a line up of MCW/Wroten/Shved, etc.
— Ben Stouter (@BenStouter) July 7, 2017
Well, the first two things were good.
This was pretty good pic.twitter.com/4MSdGWBFAm
— Alex (@AWIII75) July 7, 2017
In true Process fashion, also a major goaltend.
— Greg Smith (@gsmith_14) July 6, 2017
The crowd went crazy, and so did the Sixers bench.. I wrote about Saric that night. Let’s just say Jared Sullinger didn’t have a ton of lift on that dunk attempt.
Isiah Canaan steal Ish smith dunk vs the warriors when Harrison Barnes hit the game winner https://t.co/hJ3nSjYMwY
— jake steiner (@jake_steiner1) July 6, 2017
Unreal crowd for an early Saturday evening game, when 10-72 came this close to beating 73-9.
The trade for Nerlens Noel on draft night...Great moment in American/Process history
— Matt Ihlein (@DashingMatt215) July 7, 2017
Jerami with 8 blocks against the Knicks
— David Sherman (@philsandthrills) July 6, 2017
Without question, Embiid's shake and bake from the free throw line vs. OKC. It was like watching Luke learn to use the force.
— Anton Arellano (@ArellanoTon) July 6, 2017
McConnell's game winner against the Magic last scene and did a jumpman and ran off the court.
— 누가이 사람인가 (@JaeClassic) July 7, 2017
— Archie Danger (@ArchieSwift) July 7, 2017
When Noel went off against the Knicks. He got subbed out after we wrapped the game up. Amd Embiid looked at him like "hes really good."
— PaRappa the Rapper (@Im_Gods_Child) July 6, 2017
BB post pressers have been enthraling all the way through, his enduring trust of the process, & Jan pressers were maybe as good as the games https://t.co/2HgleKKV8W
— Brass Taxman (@briandesmedt) July 7, 2017
— Swapadelphia (@EmbiidSupreme) July 7, 2017
When ESPN misreported the Jrue/Noel trade at first, and we thought we were sending a 1st to NO. First of many trades in Philly's favor.
— Garrett (@garrettsussman) July 7, 2017
Let’s be honest here. If something was bad during The Process, it was probably pretty ugly. Let’s change this category up to…
By the way, I say “weird” with love. Well, in most cases anyway.
When the lottery party at Buffalo wild wings all chanted "Vlade" and cheered when they showed Divac on screen
— Fantasource (@fantasource) July 6, 2017
This was super weird because I believe the Nik Stauskas trade had yet to happen. Process Trusters knew deep down that Vlade would have an impact on the Sixers.
Having a beer with Jakarr Sampson at the division 3 lacrosse national championship tailgate in 2015 - I was the only person to recognize him
— Max Kelly (@MAXon_MAXoff_) July 7, 2017
I had no idea that JaKarr was such a big lax guy.
Sixers first win of 2015-16 season over the Lakers after losing 18 to start the season
— Austin Wettesaw (@ImWetts) July 6, 2017
I’m putting this one in the weird category, simply for the hordes of fans being absolutely enthralled by Kobe Bryant tossing up brick after brick after brick. Kobe singlehandedly got the Sixers a win that night.
Hinkie's Joel Anthony paragraph in his resignation letter
— Niko (@NikoReg_) July 6, 2017
I completely forgot about this. And then a few years later, Hinkie acquired Anthony before that deal was eventually voided.
watching Dario dance to this amazing song for 2014 FIBA to get a glimpse of him to see if he was real: https://t.co/RSkusSPVnh
— Wu Tang Trampoline (@Zugzwang1776) July 6, 2017
A sign of things to come, as Dario can cut one hell of a promo for the Sixers.
That Hawes buzzer beating 3 to tie Milwaukee? Or Cleveland? Either way you know what I'm talking about
— Jeffrey Wuhl (@jeffreywuhl) July 7, 2017
Milwaukee, and yes, very weird.
Embiid tape delayed reaction to Sixers drafting him.
— See Oh Dee (@BTown_Warrior) July 7, 2017
Hilarious at the time, even funnier in retrospect considering this Embiid’s personality has completely captivated the city.
In hindsight, probably investing way to much emotionally in a Sixers/Cavs nail biter years ago when MCW & Kyrie were 'Dueling', smh
— Brother Love (@MrRon_P) July 6, 2017
HOU game in 2015-16 where they were down 25 in the third quarter, went small with J Grant at center, came all the way back and still lost.
— orchard grower (@volumetweeter) July 6, 2017
Isaiah Canaan and Jason Richardson going off against OKC was pretty hilarious too
— LaRob Ball (@RGrabel52) July 7, 2017
riding my bike 4 miles on vacation to watch Jahlil Okafor's first Summer League game
— Luke Lyons (@ljlyons) July 6, 2017
2-0 start to the season, on camping trip, google Sixers score from previous night, see we're 3-0. *Shouts obscenities into mother nature*
— Atlanta, Droidgia (@steven_shields) July 7, 2017
The feeling I got on Christmas Eve when we traded two 2nd rounders for Ish
— AJ Krow (@Krowbar44) July 6, 2017
attending the last game of the Hinkie era when they beat New Orleans and chanting "MVP" for Carl Landry
— Sam Cooper (@SamDCooper) July 6, 2017
The game where Mudiay hit the buzzer beater So many mixed emotions: needed the loss, couldn't help rooting for the win, & then that happened
— A (@AMacMull) July 6, 2017
The context is important here: The Sixers were sitting on nine wins and had generally been getting their doors blown off. They were able to pick up a W a couple of weeks later against New Orleans to avoid setting the record, but that seemed far from guaranteed at this point.
What a garbage shot. Maybe not quite as bad as Devin Harris in 2009, but it’s close. I feel like this answer is way up there.
MCW's 1st game after missing the beginning of his 2nd season they lost by 53 to the Mavericks
— Somers Price (@somersprice) July 6, 2017
As it turned out, MCW couldn't right the ship. 123-70, what a beatdown. The funny thing is they lost to Houston (a team that would make the conference finals that year) by one the next night in a game they definitely could’ve won.
Sixers management starts slogan with "This Starts Now" with MCW in pic and the next day he gets traded 😂
— Lyle Walker (@WalkWithLyle) July 6, 2017
This starts now, this ends now… same diff.
When we were so desperate for talent that people would get hype for Tony Wroten like he was the next Iverson.
— Russ (@rturc22) July 7, 2017
Games when MCW was injuried and Wroten would start at 1. Bet the mortgage vs the sixers every damn time that happened
— Goggles Pisano (@ckerns53) July 6, 2017
Some games I would watch Tony Wroten and think, “He’s not playing half-bad.” And then I would almost always glance at the box score and quickly think, “Nevermind.”
Embiid thru the legs dunk
— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) July 6, 2017
There was a huge controversy after this about Embiid going back to wearing a walking boot. JoJo would of course need another surgery on his foot that summer.
Jerami bricking numerous dunks
— Jim Adair (@jimadair3) July 6, 2017
When Grant connected on a dunk, it was awesome. But almost every shot inside the three-point line was an attempted dunk, even if he had to go through three people.
Elliott Williams and Lorenzo Brown doing Elliott Williams and Lorenzo Brown things.
— JIMBO SLICE (@PickAndPapi) July 6, 2017
The most Lorenzo Brown thing was hopping on I-95 to get back and forth from the D-League. Hinkie better have given him EZ-Pass.
2013-2014 season when they started 3-0 beating the Heat, Wizards, and Bulls. Then winning only 16 games the remainder of the season😂😂 #TTP
— Chris Zischang (@CZischang12) July 6, 2017
ARE THE SIXERS TOO GOOD? No, it turns out they were not.
I knew I was sucked in when I was praying Daniel Orton would be our starting center
— SEAN PARM (@swaggyparm) July 6, 2017
Great name.
Most process moment for me you ask? I attended 3 games last season.. every game they decided to sit Joel..
— Josiah Overly (@josiahoverly) July 6, 2017
That’s pretty rough.
Byron Mullens being the starting center https://t.co/iW8AROsILt
— Daytime with Dom (@DWDRadio1851) July 6, 2017
Without thinking hard, it HAS to be when the sixers official account tweeted "Its Byron Mullens world and we are just living in it"
— Heath Fienman (@HeathFienman) July 6, 2017
Once this misstep is brought back into the public eye, it will surely hurt the Sixers' standing in Complex’s next NBA team social media account rankings. According to Wikipedia, Byron/B.J. Mullens in playing in the United Arab Emirates.
The first Furkan era https://t.co/nnTXo5TBlo
— Rob Johnson (@rjohnson021) July 6, 2017
Furkan A! That was, well, it was something.
Point Jakaar https://t.co/l5ZxSwqcTY
— Jblevins (@JBlevins46) July 6, 2017
I remember that, in Boston. I believe Brett Brown called that “the most naked he ever felt as a coach,” or something in that ballpark.
12/01/2014. Henry Sims goes 2-for-3 from 3-point range as the Sixers lose to the Spurs 109-103 to go to 0-17 on the season. https://t.co/uJdFniQb3h
— JeezyPeezy (@boogiewitstu) July 6, 2017
Isaiah Canaan: opening night point guard https://t.co/dOoJzD9ISU
— Dan Roche (@RochesRWinners) July 6, 2017
Brandon Davies. Missed alley-oop. https://t.co/Mxpl0dZjoE
— 1001100ers (@SixerFanInExile) July 6, 2017
we had logjam at center with Embiid, Noel, Okafor and Holmes and than at somepoint we needed to sign 2 more centers and even Saric played C
— Sami (@samisahin_) July 6, 2017
When they got a technical for having 6 guys on the court after a timeout. I think it was against the pacers
— Sam Khalifa (@samiracle92) July 6, 2017
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