This just isn't true.
Hinkie's tactics may not be to everyone's liking but he had a clear plan which he executed very well, and which has directly led to Philly being in the position they're in now. That is not up for debate.
It is exactly true. Go ahead and try to prove me wrong.
Where‘s Hinkie’s track record of building a team like Jerry West or Pat Riley has? Hint: he doesn’t have one.
Furthermore, I think a lot of folks forget how angry Philly fans were when Hinkie started fielding non-competitive D-League teams. And not just for one season.
You wanna pay regular prices to see that crap? You wanna spend the next 3 years watching that crap?? I sure don’t.
And tanking guarantees NOTHING!
First, you have to be fortunate enough to actually win the lottery. Or likely place top 2 or 3.
Then you have to be fortunate enough to land that pick in a worthwhile draft, which doesn’t always happen.
Hinkie got lucky with a couple high picks. But it easily might have turned out as it did for our KINGS in 2009, when they finished with the very worst record yet only landed #4.
What then? Extend the tank yet another year? Keep extending the tank until you get that pick and player??
It’s a ridiculous gamble to take. And doesn’t at all show the genius of a Jerry West.
Even in Philly’s case where they did get fortunate in a couple drafts, they have yet to really see it bear fruit.
Good team in the East, sure. But they’ve not been close to seriously competing for a title. It doesn’t appear that’s gonna change anytime soon.
Vlade gets trashed on this site for all his gambles, because they didn’t work. And thus he’s labeled incompetent (I’m not suggesting he isn’t). But because a few of Hinkie’s gambles worked out, he’s considered competent.
However, had Vlade not overthought things and actually drafted #77 — he’d still have his job. And he’d suddenly be getting a ton of praise. Despite all the other things that didn’t work out. His team would likely be in the postseason and one of the NBA darlings being lauded all around the league. His team would probably be just as good as the team Hinkie built in Philly DESPITE not purposely fielding D-league line ups and tanking for years.
It all came down to ONE decision. And had he made that one decision correctly, things would look drastically different despite Vlade being no better or worse of a GM than he already was (which was a bad GM).
If Hinkie comes to SAC and pulls the same BS here and the draft position and talent in those drafts don’t line up well for them, then what? And that tactic is even less likely than before to workout since they’ve changed lottery odds.
Again, what has Hinkie ever done besides tank and bank on getting lucky a couple times? Where are the genius moves??
Trying to tell me that “it isn’t true” is an effing joke. I have two eyes bro.
WTF were you looking at? SMH.