Acquisitions Gone Awry – Doug Collins and Others

Brendan Hazlett

LosingWithStyle NBA Contributor

Since 2000, the 76ers franchise has done everything it can to restore the glory of that year. As a loyal fan, who can forget? Bursting out of the gate that year 10-0, the championship-hungry Sixers, propelled by the magnificent play of a young Allen Iverson, resurrected life back into professional basketball in Philly. The end of the year yielded a Coach of the Year in Larry Brown, the best defensive player in Dikembe Mutombo, the MVP for AI (the only AI as far as I’m concerned), and best 6th man of the year in Aaron McKie (what a stroke he had).  Though they lost to the indomitable Lakers in the Finals later that year, any Sixers fan remembers that exciting year. The years since then have witnessed a slow and steady decline with brief flashes of life, but ultimately minor acquisitions at best that leave the franchise nowhere.

Of course, high expectations remained for the team after making the NBA Finals. But they returned the next season greatly diminished and consequently underperformed, losing in the first round of the playoffs to a Paul Pierce – led Celtics. They have not been the same since. Larry Brown abruptly resigned his position, and the search for a stable, defensive-minded, motivational coach persisted. The front office went through people who’s resumes aren’t exactly stellar; Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, and Jim O’Brien. The slides continued, especially with the seemingly inevitable departure of Iverson. The hiring of Maurice Cheeks briefly brought life back into Philly, but it soon became obvious that the roster was not capable of contending amongst the Eastern elites. Draft picks and trades, as always, remained unimpressive.

Then a nightmare stormed into Philly by the name of Eddie Jordan. Ed Stefanski, then-Sixers GM, had a long interview with Jordan and spontaneously hired him on the spot. Touting his Princeton offense philosophy, Jordan decided to completely neglect defense. His system was an absolute disaster for the roster, since the young and upcoming team was designed to run the floor and create havoc for slow-moving, meticulous teams. His tenure was short-lived and the franchise found itself in the basement of the Eastern Conference once again.

The hiring of Doug Collins sustains the tradition of Philadelphia basketball. His knowledge of the game is deep and impressive, and if you’ve ever heard his broadcasts, you can easily understand his affection and love for basketball. However, he’s no Phil Jackson, no Pat Riley, no Red Auerbach. The Sixers are seemingly the same as they always are; a team that’s athletically gifted and projected to improve in the future. But it never happens. Mediocre acquisitions from players to coaches to front office positions continually produce the same outcome: either early first-round playoff exits or seasons where you just give up and pray for those bastard lottery balls. Instead of the ultimate goal of winning a championship, the goal has remained the same: hover around .500 and hope some miracle happens. What “great” players have come to Philly in the wake of Iverson? Chris Webber? Elton Brand? Andre Iguodala? A slow, broken, depreciated Iverson? It’s almost pathetic.

While the hiring of Doug Collins is a small victory for the franchise since he can impart his deep comprehension of the game to the young roster, the 76ers are still losing the war. There hasn’t been an emphasis on a winning culture since 2000-2001. It’s no secret that Chairman Ed Snider prizes his Flyers and clearly focuses less attention on basketball. The Eagles and Phillies loom in front of it all, clouding any minor success the Sixers can muster. The 76ers are about as important in Philadelphia as Adam Morrison was to the Lakers’ title run last year.

So what’s going to solve the problem? Years of losing that will lead us to the lottery and the hope of a #1 pick? Evan Turner surely doesn’t appear to assume a role of franchise leader anytime soon. Jrue Holiday is ballin’, but does it even matter? Elton Brand’s monstrous contract stymies the hope of luring any big-name players. Doug Collins, an average coach by any means, may be able to float the team into the 8th spot of the playoffs at best. And we all know the end result of that: a quick and almost painless demolition by the Celtics. The GMs have consistently failed to deliver big time, league-changing acquisitions that can reverse the fortunes of the team. It seems that the Sixers will be mired in this sub-.500 culture for years to come. It’s a sad sight to see for any fan that experienced the glory and wonder of the 2000-2001 team.