WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Nerlens Noel #4 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks to pass during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on October 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The contemporary NBA is full of rebuilding teams, but none have taken that approach to the extremes of the Philadelphia 76ers. Whereas the likes of the Orlando Magic have attempted to build a long-term core and assess the resullts simultaneously, the Sixers and general manager Sam Hinkie have allowed their process to play out on the league's version of the geologic time scale. The franchise has now spent three offseasons collecting young players, highly rated rookies, and future considerations. Yet the Sixers figure to suit up just two or three players in 2015-16 who project as potential fixtures, and the two most exciting ones are big men who might not be able to play with each other. The progress has been minimal.

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That's not to say there will be nothing to like at the Wells Fargo Center this season. Second-year center Nerlens Noel had a very promising rookie season after sitting out all of 2013-14 and could develop into an elite defender. If Noel and No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor prove a decent fit inside, then the Sixers could also have a go-to scorer on the block to provide structure to what has been the league's least efficient offense for the past two seasons. And although celebrating the team's effort is a backhanded compliment given the results, head coach Brett Brown has ensured that Philadelphia's players approach games with a commitment out of step with the fact that Hinkie is likely to trade most of them the minute an offer involving a second-round pick reaches his desk.

But let's be honest — even those most excited about the Sixers' future aren't that excited to watch them for 82 games. This team is better suited to imagination than reality, to the point where Hinkie's greatest supporters point to the expected 2016-17 arrival of Croatian forward Dario Saric (the No. 12 pick in 2015) and the likelihood of holding two very high picks next June (theirs and the Los Angeles Lakers' top-three-protected selection) as essential portions. By this rationale, Okafor and Noel, two players with a single season of professional play between them, are the givens. Put more perimeter talent around them and the whole team will presumably thrive.

The complicating factor for the Sixers is that most rebuilding processes encounter major hiccups, something that most teams figure out easily enough. The difference, of course, is that those teams often commit just one or two seasons to walking down dead-end streets instead of the eventual half-decade required to suss out merely the early potential of this project. As the Sixers have already learned from the second foot surgery (and questionably effective rehab) needed by 2014 first-round pick Joel Embiid, these plans can go awry very quickly. Who knows what else will befall them as Saric and other players join the club?

For the next six months, though, the focus will be on a few key questions:

• How good is Okafor?

• Can he and Noel play together?

• Will any other players prove valuable enough to keep or trade?

• Are the Lakers going to have a top-three pick?

• How will the draft lottery shake out?









Other issues can be important, but they are ultimately secondary to the goals of the franchise. The real season starts as soon as the final buzzer sounds on April 13.

2014-15 season in 140 characters or less:

Did the summer help at all?

We'll tell you in three years. That's only partially a joke.

The offseason started very well on draft night, when Okafor fell to the Sixers at No. 3. Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell would have been a more natural fit with Noel if he hadn't been taken by the Lakers, but Philadelphia desperately needed a go-to scorer. For all his apparent limitations as a defender and shooter, Okafor projects as a potentially elite low-block scorer. The Sixers don't have anyone comparable at any position and should provide him with plenty of touches. He's absolutely one of the top candidates for Rookie of the Year.

The second round was a little less exciting, although not bad. Bowling Green forward Richaun Holmes (No. 37) projects as an active role player to make plays around the basket, while North Carolina wing J.P. Tokoto (No. 58) should spend a fair amount of time in the D-League.