76ers owner remains on good terms with ex-GM Sam Hinkie, originator of 'The Process'

Jeff Zillgitt | USA TODAY

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NEW YORK – Philadelphia 76ers co-managing owner Josh Harris had compliments for former general manager Sam Hinkie.

“Sam is a smart guy,” Harris told USA TODAY Sports in an interview the day before the Sixers opened the playoffs against Miami. “He’s a great strategist, and he certainly positioned the team, as best he could, to achieve success through the rebuild process. He also brought in some good people who are still with us.

“We continue to have a good relationship with him. We’re glad he was a part of it.”

Hinkie was – and remains – a lightning rod among Philadelphia sports fans and NBA fans for his approach to rebuilding the Sixers through the draft while losing 60 games a season for three consecutive seasons. There are Sixers fans who appreciate what Hinkie did and how he did it, and there are fans who were not thrilled with Hinkie’s plan.

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Hinkie gave fresh definition to the term tanking and initiated debates about the merits of his process – accumulating as many high draft picks as possible and converting those picks into All-Stars or a generational player.

“Building through trades and free agency comes down to being opportunistic,” Harris said. “Generally, those are more difficult ways to build. Really, it’s a big advantage to have a good core. So, when we found ourselves after the 12-13 season, we made a decision to build over the long run and build through the draft. That just takes longer and is more arduous. Having said that, we felt very strongly if we made smart decisions that eventually we would build something we and the city of Philadelphia could be proud of.”

Look at the Sixers now. They finished the season with a franchise-record 16-game winning streak, start the postseason as the hottest team in the Eastern Conference and are well-positioned for the future.

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