The Sam Hinkie effect

Sam Hinkie was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers just over two years ago - on May, 14, 2013 to be exact. His moves in that time have been plentiful, and while the benefits of his move-making have not yet materialized on the court (heavy emphasis on 'yet'), he has certainly increased the incoming assets and set the team up for success.

To get an idea of the impact that Hinkie has had on the Sixers since his arrival in Philadelphia, take a look at the below graphic, via the Sixers.

(Click to enlarge.)

By increasing the incoming assets (read: draft picks), Hinkie has increased the team's chances of landing a star, and/or other solid players. He has also carved out a lot of cap space, with no one owed big money down the line. So while the team has still struggled on the court during Hinkie's first two seasons in Philadelphia, the full effect of the moves he has made have not yet been felt.

76ers Report: NBA Draft Lottery reaction

For those unaware, Michael Kaskey-Blomain and Philadunkia.com-colleague Jeff McMenamin launched a Sixers-specific podcast in early 2015. The podcast touches on topical issues surrounding the Sixers, and the league at large, in an informative and informal manner.

After a week to reflect, Jeff and Michael released the latest edition of their podcast discussing the results of last week's NBA Draft Lottery, as well as the upcoming NBA Draft, and more. Check out the new episode, in full, below, courtesy of blogtalkradio.

Also, all past episodes of the 76ers report are available for your listening pleasure here.


 

Check Out Basketball Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with State of Independence on BlogTalkRadio

Sixers assets

Quite an intriguing asset list Sam has assembled in Philadelphia.

(Chart via Hoop76).

(Click to enlarge)

For Sixers, three a good place to be

As opposed to last year's draft, where I desperately wanted the Sixers to land the top pick, and in turn Andrew Wiggins, having the third selection spot in the 2015 Draft is pretty solid for the Sixers. The team will have their choice of remaining top-5 talent, and will be in position to select the best available player. 

Image via Bleacherreport.com

D'Angelo Russell seems to be the player everyone is abuzz about for the Sixers, and for good reason. The kid is a stud, and could develop into a primer point guard in the league; a position that the Sixers need to fill with Michael Carter-Williams no longer in tow. Russell is quick and athletic, with the ability to pass and shoot. Thus, he projects to fit well on the court next to Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, who attended the same high school as Russell. Hinkie and co. still have over a month to mull over potential options, but if available, Russell seems like he would be a great fit, and an excellent addition to the Sixers' young, developing core. The prospect of landing a young talent like Russell is intriguing, as long as you ignore the team's recent history with lottery picks from Ohio State (What's up, E.T.?).  

If Russell is unavailable at the time of the their selection, there will still be other high-caliber options for the Sixers to select. Mystery man Emanuel Mudiay has potential, and Justice Winslow could develop to be an excellent perimeter player; another area that the Sixers need to address. It is likely that both Jahlil Okafor and KAT will be fine before the Sixers select. If not, the team will have further options to consider. 

Obviously it would have been nice for the team to land 1-6-11, but that was always unlikely. This way, despite not getting multiple lottery picks this year, the team will have a steady stream of talent coming in for the next couple years. Embiid and the third overall pick will be added this summer. The Lakers pick is only top-3 protested next season, and likely to transfer. So the Sixers will have that to couple with their own pick and the possible arrival of Dario Saric next summer. The Heat and Thunder picks will eventually convey as well. In this way the Sixers can continue to infuse new talent into the team, while developing the guys they already have. 

You also can't count out the possibility of Hinkie making a move to acquire another lottery pick, as there are reportedly several available. The team also has ample cap space to spend. This summer should be a busy one for the Sixers. 

Essential NBA Draft Lottery Infographic

From the people at Rukkus.com comes an awesome info-graphic in preparation for Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery:

A review of Al Jefferson's season in Charlotte

It is sometimes difficult to grade or judge a player after a single season, as a multitude of factors go into a player's performance over the course of a season. It is even more difficult to grade a player after less than half of a season with a given team, but that is exactly what I tried to do for QueenCityHoops.com in regards to Al Jefferson.

Check out the entire report cards over at QCH, as they are running one for each player on the Hornets over the course of the off-season.

Name: Al Jefferson
Position: Center
Team: Charlotte Hornets
2014-15 Grade: C

Al Jefferson has had better seasons. Injury issues forced the big bruiser to miss 17 games in the 2014-15 campaign, and, to the largest extent since he has been in Charlotte, Al showed his mortality. Coming off of a season in which he was named Third-Team All NBA, his 16.6 points per game this year were his lowest per game since the 2006-2007 season, when he was in Boston. His rebounds per game tumbled too, as he averaged only 8.4; his lowest per game average since his second season as a professional in 2005-2006. He did this while playing only 30.6 minutes per game, the least per game he has played since that second season. Big Al just never seemed quite right all season, due largely to the nagging injury issues. Even his field goal percentage – usually a statistic he could hang his hat on – slipped down to 48% overall (48.2 eFG%). Considering the Hornets’ eventual regular season flameout, combined with his statistical skid, it is safe to say that 2014-15 wasn’t the best season for Al Jefferson.

Sixers lottery representative; should have been Allen Iverson

Check out the full article on Philadunkia, here. 

The Sixers will continue to add to their young core in this summer's NBA Draft. Depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce in the upcoming draft lottery, the Sixers could have from one to three first round picks in the draft. The organization obviously needs a lot of luck in said lottery.

After the news broke that Julius Erving, who represented the team at last year’s lottery, was unavailable to attend this year, the team announced that Nerlens Noel would be taking his place.

I love Nerlens Noel, and was beyond impressed with his development throughout his rookie season. I think he has great things ahead of him in his NBA career, and I legitimately believe that he will compete for, if not win, multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. With that said however, I would have preferred the team to send Allen Iverson. 

Dario Saric appreciative of Sixers support

Last summer, the Sixers used a lottery pick on Dario Saric, who was not going to join the team for a couple seasons. It was a risky move, and one that tested the patience of the Philadelphia fan base.

Saric has been playing well in Turkey, but his timetable as far as joining the Sixers remains unknown. Still though, Saric appreciates the support that the team has shown him.

Check out the below graphic and quote courtesy of HoopsHype.

Via HoopsHype.com

The visit he is referring to took place late last summer when Michael Carter-Williams, Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel. and Coach Brett Brown went to Spain to watch Saric play in the World Cup.

"We cam here to support Dario. He's a great player. It's my first time seeing him and I'm very impressed and excited about the future and having him be a part of what we're building in Philadelphia," Noel said at the time.

It is a solid sign that Saric already feels support from his NBA franchise and its cornerstone players.

Although Michael Carter-Williams is no longer with the Sixers, the team's future remains bright, and it will become even brighter when Saric finally arrives in Philadelphia.

D'Angelo Russell is the question mark man

Maybe Nerlens Noel knows something that we don't, or maybe he is just trolling the Sixers fan base.

Either way, his recently posted picture of himself and potential lottery pick D'Angelo Russell from Ohio State with simply a question mark as the caption, is intriguing. 

Russell is a stud, and figures to be a top-4 pick June's Draft. The Sixers figure to have a top-5 pick in said Draft, and depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce in the upcoming lottery, they could have up to 3 first round picks. Russell is an athletic point guard- an obvious need for the Sixers - who has drawn comparisons to James Harden. It seems as though a large percentage of the Philadelphia faithful would be pretty psyched if the team landed Russell. 

The fact that Noel and Russell are apparently at least cordial doesn't mean much in terms of the Sixers actually landing him in the draft, but the fact that he already has a connection on the team can't hurt. 

Russell posted the same picture on his own account without a caption. He and Noel are apparently men of few words. 

Sixers unveil new logos, new uniforms coming

The Sixers unveiled several new logos Tuesday morning, a week before the franchise's fortune is tested at the NBA Draft lottery. Both primary and secondary logos were introduced.

The new logos feature no major changes, except for the introduction of Ballin' Ben, a fan favorite since its original introduction last year, being included as an official secondary logo.

The primary logo keeps the familiar '76ers' font within a basketball, and a blue strip with the word 'Philadelphia' and 6 stars has been added.

Take a look at the new logos below, courtesy of the Sixers:

Click to enlarge

New uniforms featuring these new logos are set to arrive on June 18.

Allen Iverson should represent the Sixers at NBA Draft lottery

The Sixers will continue to add to their young core in this summer's NBA Draft. Depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce in the upcoming draft lottery, the Sixers could have from one to three picks in the draft. The organization obviously needs a lot of luck in said lottery, and with the news of Julius Erving's unavailability, the team needs a new representative to attend the lottery. 

Image from rollingout.com

Who should the Sixers use? 

The Answer? The Answer. 

Who is more beloved by Sixers fans, and the Philadelphia faithful at large, than Allen Iverson, the man that sells seats just by attending a game? Fans flock to the Wells Fargo Center during A.I.-themed nights, and for his part, Iverson's seems genuinely interested in the fortunes of his former franchise. The fanbase would be behind Iverson's attendance, as he was the catalyst behind the team's most recent successes. The greatness of Game 1 of the 2001 Finals is still common conversation around Philadelphia, and his number three jersey is still the most commonly spotted in the crowd at home games. No player since Iverson has resonated with the fans and the city  to the same degree; his attendance just seems fitting. 

Plus, Iverson was the franchise's last first overall pick. Maybe his attendance at the lottery will help net the next top overall pick. 

Not to mention, it would be entertaining to see what type of outfit the man famous for baggy white t-shirts and doo-rags would wear to an event that has seen its fair share of bow-ties in recent years. 

Next season pivotal for Michael Carter-Williams

Michael Carter-Williams has had an interesting start to his NBA career. He was the main attraction on an under-talented, up-tempo Sixers team his rookie year, and the unbridled opportunity provided for him to put up stats on that squad led to him being selected as the league's Rookie of the Year. Despite the accolade, the Sixers were never completely sold on him; his trade to Milwaukee was simply confirmation of such a fact after months of speculation that dated back to the 2014 Draft. 

Whether or not Carter-Williams could have eventually thrived on a contending Sixers team is a moot point at this point, as he is now the property of Jason Kidd and the Milwaukee Bucks. Heading into his third season in the league, and his first full season with the Bucks, several questions still surround Carter-Williams and his ultimate potential as an NBA player. The upcoming season will be huge for him in terms of establishing himself, and demonstrating exactly what kind of player he can be in his career moving forward.

NBA and Stance partnership great news for sock enthusiasts

With the playoffs in full-swing and award season wrapping up, there has been no shortage of NBA headlines over the past few weeks. Thus, it is understandable that a story about socks would fly slightly under the radar. 

A couple weeks back, the NBA announced that starting next season, they will be partnering with Stance Socks, who will begin producing the NBA's official on-court socks. 

This is exciting for a couple reasons.