The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of one of the most embarrassing seasons in NBA history as they are 1-21 and lost their last game to the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs by 51. The 76ers have been tanking for the last few years under general manager Sam Hinkie so they decided they have had enough of that method and brought in Jerry Colangelo to help in the front office. Hinkie wasn't fired and is still technically the general manager but there are some who believe his days with the organization are numbered, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Colangelo was brought in as the chairman of basketball operations while Hinkie still retains his role as the general manager and the president. Despite the fact that Hinkie's title hasn't changed he has basically lost all of his power and will now have to answer to Colangelo and because of that there are people that see him being let go as a foregone conclusion.
"I can't see him surviving this. All I know is Colangelo is going to do it his way. If he doesn't agree with what they are doing, he's going to do it his way. That's the only reason he came in. He's not there just to be there," said a league executive.
There were reports after the Colangelo hiring that it was lobbied for by the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver due to the fact that the Sixers have been noncompetitive for so long and they have inflicted "economic shortcomings on the league." Hinkie reportedly has a bad relationship with agents too so not only is he purposely losing but he basically stands no chance of being able to sign any free agents in the future.
Hinkie took the gig with the 76ers back in 2013 and since then he has actually been quite unlucky as the Sixers have never gotten the first overall pick, they instead have gotten the sixth pick back in 2013 and the third pick each of the last two years. Hinkie has been scrutinized for who he has drafted with those picks but his tanking hasn't given him the opportunity to get the top guys he had hoped for.
While many people think Hinkie is basically done there are some who feel he may not be because letting go of him would be the organization saying that the past couple of years have been a big waste. For his part, Hinkie doesn't see this as a threat to his job or a demotion; he instead sees Colangelo as someone that will help with "the process" and be in the mix to help widen their options. We will certainly find out soon enough if Hinkie's time with the 76ers is in fact coming to an end.
