November 20, 2015
As “The Process” has come under siege from all directions after the Philadelphia 76ers’ embarrassing, 31-turnover loss on Wednesday night, I was wondering if Bill Simmons would chime in. There is no critic who sets Process Trusters off like the Sports Guy, whose Boston Celtics are taking a different approach to rebuilding.
(Yeah, I know this is pretty dumb. Gotta get them pageviews though, son.)
At the end of his latest podcast with noted NBA expert Joe House, Simmons spent a few minutes chiming in on the Sixers. He brought up a few points that most Sam Hinkie detractors like to make:
• “I think it’s a great learning experience for Okafor and Noel to lose every game and play with the worst guards in the league. That will definitely help them get better.”
• Simmons doesn’t think the Michael Carter-Williams trade was a good one, either. “The trade was smart in a vacuum if I was on a computer just not dealing with actual human beings, but it’s just not good for MCW not to be on this team. Especially if I’m Okafor, I look at it and go, ‘Two years for now are they going to trade me because they want to have three more years of good picks?’”
Simmons did allow the Sixers an out, though: LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, who he obviously happens to share a last name with. He believes the talented Australian import is the trump card.
“Now, if they get Ben Simmons next June then Sam Hinkie is a genius and the Sixers fans get to throw a whole party and make fun of all the people who made fun of them the last three years,” Simmons said.
That actually would happen, too. Spike Eskin would throw that party if it was the last thing he did.
“This is it. It has to happen this year, they have to win Ben Simmons.”
I’m pretty sure the Sixers don’t see it that way (not saying they're right or wrong), but yes, Ben Simmons would likely help the cause immensely.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
