Hey 76ers fans. I am a Wizards fan, but I had an interesting debate when discussing how good the Atlanta Hawks are this season. It has been old adage in the NBA that you either want to be really good or tank to get really bad so that you don't end up like the Atlanta Hawks. But now that the Hawks look like the best team in the conference (and maybe the league) should other teams try to follow their model?
Right now the popular model in the NBA is the Oklahoma City Thunder model of being really bad and adding elite talent through the draft. But were the Thunder just really lucky that they found 3 MVP level talents in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden? Is it logical to build a plan based on a lot of luck (the luck in getting the high pick and the luck that players of that caliber will be in the draft) or is there a better plan?
The Atlanta Hawks never tanked and shot for a low playoff seed every year. They had some really good players and added 2 good, but not super star, free agents in Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap. The Hawks used the draft to get solid rotation players in Dennis Schroder and Mike Scott. They also took a chance on a young player in Shelvin Mack to add to the rotation.
My question for 76ers fans: Could the 76ers have followed the Atlanta Hawks model and if so would you take it over the current rebuilding process?
3 years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers looked to be on track to be the "classic treadmill" team like the Atlanta Hawks. They scrapped that team to follow the OKC Thunder model but here is my opinion on what they could have had if they continued to follow the Atlanta Hawks model.
1.) Adding to an established core: The Hawks added Korver and Millsap to their established core off good players. The 76ers could have added 2 solid free agents to their core of good players in Jrue Holiday, Andre Igoudala, and Thad Young. Think of players like Tony Allen and Al Jefferson. Those are the type of really good, but not superstar free agents they could have added.
2.) Using the draft to make a deep young bench: I mentioned how the Hawks drafted players like Dennis Schroder and Mike Scott. The 76ers could have used either Giannis Antetounmpo (drafted by the 8th seed in the East) or Michael Carter Williams (drafted by the 9th seeded 76ers) off the bench depending on where you think they would have been with Andre Igoudala still on the roster. Players like KJ McDaniels could be rotation players on a playoff team. The Hawks took a chance on Shelvin Mack just like the 76ers took a chance on Tony Wroten who would have been great off the bench.
Personally I think the Hawks model is much more realistic for NBA teams to follow than the Thunder model, but I would like to get the opinion of 76ers fans. Does the recent success of the Atlanta Hawks make you question if the 76ers should have continued to shoot for the playoffs? It certainly would have involved a lot less losing.
