The Process of Elimination

With the Knicks knocking out the Sixers for good, are we at the end of The Process era?

"We talk a lot about process—not outcome—and trying to consistently take all the best information you can and consistently make good decisions. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but you reevaluate them all." 

The above quote can be attributed to former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie in 2013 — one year before The Process would begin in full as Philly would select raw, yet-talented prospect Joel Embiid in the 2014 draft.

Hinkie was never one to shy away from tanking for picks, believing that one day it would pay off via a superstar-laden, championship-winning roster. He’d exclaim that this process, The Process, was the beginning of a better outcome.

That was true for a time, even past Hinkie’s departure from the organization in 2016. It’s arguable that it isn’t anymore — The Process era might finally be over, regardless of Joel Embiid’s presence. For an organization that has modeled the illusion of choice bias, that could be the death knell for its championship aspirations.