Sam Hinkie Talks with Zach Lowe About the Future of the Process

On the heels of the Sixers announcing a two-year contract extension for Brett Brown earlier today during a press conference with both the coach and Sam Hinkie comes an exclusive interview with Hinkie from the GOAT basketball scribe, Zach Lowe. Jerry Colangelo's appointment as Chair of Basketball Operations earlier this week caused both excitement and trepidation in Process Land, but Hinkie's chat with Lowe should smooth over some of the concerns Sixers fanx may have about the future of the team.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Lowe's piece:

- Hinkie seems to be all in on Kendall Marshall, who is making his return to the court as we speak against the Pistons.

Marshall, 24, is young by NBA standards, but not by Philly standards. "He's been around the block. Our guys look up to him. They remember him at North Carolina. I told him, 'On this team, people are going to look up to you, and model their behavior after you.'"

That includes off-court behavior. "You know how to manage your sleep," Hinkie recalls telling Marshall. "You know when to say, 'Guys, it's time to go home.'"

- Hinkie is self-aware. This may seem like a throwaway, but in a business where one slight move can completely alter the future of a franchise, I appreciate Hinkie knowing and admitting that while he's still sailing on the path he mapped out for himself in the summer of 2013, he knows that there have been mistakes along the way. He mentions this in relation to Marshall's timetable to return, but could work just as well when discussing Joel Embiid's injury or other draft selections.

"We predicted it wrong," Hinkie says. "That's my fault. I've made plenty of mistakes, and I'm sure I'll make more."

- OLD SCHOOL CHEVY BACK? The talking heads will finally get their wish, according to Lowe, as a #VeteranPresent in the form of Elton Brand may be on his way back to Philly. While I'm sort of neutral on the whole "this team needs vets" idea, bringing Brand back to guide this team towards true contention would be poetic. Brand was a big money free agent signing who was often hurt in Philly and then amnestied after the team traded for an oft-injured center (Andrew Bynum) and then would be back to mentor some oft-injured centers. Circle of life!

That's one change you can expect under Jerry Colangelo, and possibly before Christmas. The Sixers are going to sign another veteran to guide the flock. Keep an eye on Elton Brand. It's too early to say whether Colangelo's hiring will bring upheaval to Philly's decision-making, or itslong-term commitment to The Process. As Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported, lots of executives from other teams are already assuming Colangelo, a famously opinionated basketball legend, has supplanted Hinkie in the decision-making chain -- to the point that Hinkie might be perceived as a lame-duck.

- Hinkie is still running the show, per him.

Hinkie has no plans to step down, and remains confident in his power. "Our owners made it very clear they want me leading us long-term," Hinkie says. "Adding one more voice will make the conversation richer. Might it be challenging at times? I'm sure it will be. But making big decisions shouldn't be easy -- it shouldn't be that you have an idea, and you get to execute it without anyone questioning it."

- BUILD. THE. ORCHARD. #BTO

Hinkie hopes he gets to see his vision through. "We've been on a path to build something special. We're planting seeds to have an orchard. Some would have us go out and buy apples. But we want to build the whole orchard."

The whole Lowe article is worth a read, but as for right now, I hope that one day Sam Hinkie can say, "Well, I got a championship. How do you like 'dem apples?" while riding down a float on Broad Street.