Sixer Fans, Patience is a Virtue

With the third pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select….Joel Embiid. Another injured player Sixer fans are thinking. Before Joel Embiid broke his foot, he was almost a lock to be the number one overall pick leaving the Sixers with either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins. Sixer fans are no stranger to having to wait for a top ten pick to be healthy. Last year it was Nerlens Noel being the number six pick sitting out the whole year but they had Michael Carter-Williams as well. This year, they have a bunch of second round picks instead.  It is reported that Embiid will be out five to eight months but no one will be surprised if he sits out the entire season.

With the tenth pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select…Elfrid Payton. The Sixers quickly swapped Elfrid Payton to the Orlando Magic for Dario Saric, a 2017 first round pick, and a 2015 second round pick. This was all just for moving down two spots to select Saric who is who the Sixers were targeting all along. What's amazing about this pick is Sam Hinkie selected Elfrid Payton before he even had a deal in place with the Orlando Magic. With 30 seconds left on the clock he was able to make the trade which shows how Hinkie is not afraid to take risks. Saric just signed a deal in Turkey where he has to remain there for two years so it is a good possibility that the two top ten picks may not even play a second for the Sixers this year. Remember the Andrew Bynum deal? The Sixers traded away a 2017 first round pick. Now they got it back. The previous ownership screwed that one up and now the current ownership is trying to fix it plus more.

The owner of the Sixers, Sam Hinkie, is testing the patience of the fans but he knows what he is doing. He is building something that will last for a long time and not just making a quick fix like another owner in Philadelphia...(Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies). The future is bright, but patience is key. The Sixers might be one of the worst teams next season but with Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel being the cornerstone pieces, it will be fun to see them playing together. As far as the five second round picks this year, it will basically be a try out to see who will be considered down the road. I warn you though, don't jump off the bandwagon after this years struggles. The 2015-2016 season is when Sixer fans should be excited about. Getting a healthy Joel Embiid will be key and the development of Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel will be vital for the 2014-2015 season. It will be hard to watch, but everything will be okay.

The way the Sixers are rebuilding reminds me of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bringing in a lot of young talent and hopefully they will develop quickly. It is a rough stretch for the Sixers but it is easy to see why the future is bright. Potential is a very scary word. This Sixer team has a ton of potential but if the production doesn't live up to the potential, this whole rebuilding process will be a big failure. It will be a rough year and fans need to know that. Sam Hinkie said it was a three to five year process. Next year will be the third year. Together we build is the motto, and Sam Hinkie and the Sixers are planning on building something not good, but great and lasting.

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Alan Liang is a senior Drexel Sport Management major with minors in Marketing and Business Administration from West Windsor, NJ. Alan scores baseball games for Baseball Info Solutions and is currently on co-op with the Philadelphia 76ers in the camps department. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanLiang29. 

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