A Process from Hell

I started following basketball because of LeBron James after his historic 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals. Since Cleveland was the closest team to Pittsburgh, I considered supporting them, but I didn’t want to bandwagon after their historic championship comeback. Instead, I settled on the only team in Pennsylvania—the Philadelphia 76ers—who were in the middle of a rebuild. The general manager at the time dubbed this rebuild "The Process," referring to the multiple years of tanking that began in 2013. The first pick of "The Process" and the focal point of this blog is Joel Embiid, a raw but talented center from Kansas. Embiid's career was derailed early due to injuries—a recurring theme, especially in recent years. Because of his injury, the 76ers selected Jahlil Okafor the following year, a back-to-the-basket center from Duke. Okafor was born a few decades too late, as NBA big men were evolving from traditional post players to floor-spacing threats. Embiid fit this mold perfectly, but his injury left his career in question, and Okafor struggled to adjust to the modern game. As a result, the 76ers hit rock bottom in the 2015-16 season, winning only 10 games. However, this landed them the first overall pick, and they selected Ben Simmons, who was expected to become the next superstar. This is when I started following the team. Since I was out of market and they rarely played on national TV, illegal streaming became my best friend. Unfortunately, Simmons missed the entire 2016-17 season with a foot injury, but the lottery balls bounced our way again, and we secured the third and final piece of "The Process"—Markelle Fultz.

Fultz had a rough start to his career due to a nerve issue in his shoulder, which added a hitch to his jump shot. However, at the time, the 76ers fans weren’t too concerned because of how good the team was. Embiid finally arrived, averaging a 22-point double-double while finishing 12th in MVP voting, second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and earning All-NBA Second Team honors. Simmons won Rookie of the Year, nearly averaging a triple-double, and JJ Redick signed that summer and became the team's second-leading scorer. With 52 wins, they finished third in the East and even won their first-round series against the Miami Heat. However, they ran out of gas in the second round, losing to the Celtics—another recurring theme. Despite the disappointment, the future looked bright with two young stars and Fultz, who we assumed would return to full health the following year.

The Fultz saga was bizarre, with his camp blaming team doctors and the 76ers pointing the finger at Fultz. That summer, the team drafted Philly native and Villanova forward Mikal Bridges, only to trade him a few picks later for the draft rights to Zhaire Smith. Of all the mistakes made during "The Process," this one ranks near the top, as Bridges has turned into a great player while Smith is now in the G League. The 2018-19 season saw Embiid take a massive leap, slowly blossoming into the best center in the league, while Simmons continued to improve alongside him. Fultz played only 19 games, his jumper looking horrific and his confidence shattered. Midseason, GM Elton Brand decided to go all-in, trading for star wing Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves. Three months later, he added Tobias Harris, which at the time was a fantastic move. The Sixers cruised to a three-seed and defeated the Nets in a thrilling series filled with fights and exciting finishes. That led to a series I have tried to block out of my memory for almost six years. The Raptors and Sixers were arguably two of the top three teams in the league, alongside the Warriors. Kawhi Leonard was brought in to get Toronto over the hump and lead them to the Finals. After splitting the first two games in Toronto, the series returned to Philly for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is my favorite moment of "The Process" era, with Philly blowing out the Raptors and Embiid hitting an unbelievable windmill dunk that nearly brought down the Wells Fargo Center. I thought the series was over. I thought we had a real shot at the Finals. I was wrong. In Game 4, Kawhi took over late, hitting multiple threes to even the series. After each team won on their home court in Games 5 and 6, it all came down to Game 7 in Toronto—a defensive battle that came down to Butler and Kawhi trading clutch shots. Butler tied the game with under 10 seconds left, and then Kawhi hit the shot—a fadeaway jumper that bounced on the rim four times before falling in. The luckiest bounce I have ever witnessed stole a championship from the 76ers, and the infamous image of Embiid crying was born.

That offseason was the worst of "The Process" era. The Sixers re-signed Tobias Harris instead of Butler and sent Butler to Miami in a sign-and-trade for Josh Richardson. Simmons reportedly preferred Harris over Butler, and the organization obliged. Al Horford was also brought in on a massive contract, which turned out to be disastrous. The season itself was forgettable, ending with a sweep at the hands of the Celtics in the bubble. Fultz was traded early in the year, blaming the Sixers' medical staff on his way out. The only silver lining was Tyrese Maxey, who was drafted thanks to a Mike Muscala buzzer-beater that gifted the 76ers the 21st pick.

The 2020-21 season was the best regular season since the Allen Iverson era, with the team finishing first in the East and Embiid finishing runner-up for MVP. They steamrolled the Wizards in the first round but faced the Hawks in the second round. This series marked the downfall of Ben Simmons. In Game 5, with the series tied, the 76ers blew a 26-point lead. Then came Game 7 and the infamous Simmons choke—down one in the fourth, he passed up an open dunk to dish it to Matisse Thybulle, who was fouled and missed a free throw. The Sixers lost, and another season ended in heartbreak. The 2021-22 season followed the same path—a first-round win and another second-round exit, this time at the hands of Jimmy Butler and the Heat.

The frustration with Doc Rivers and Simmons reached a boiling point, and the following year, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn for James Harden. With Maxey emerging as a star and Embiid winning MVP, this looked like the year. But once again, injuries struck. Embiid’s knee injury slowed him down, and Harden had to carry the load. In Game 1 of the second round against Boston, Harden dropped 45 points, including a dagger three to steal the win. After Embiid returned we took a 3-2 series lead, the Sixers had a golden opportunity to close it out at home. But Jayson Tatum, who had struggled all series, caught fire in the fourth quarter of Game 6 and saved the Celtics. Then in Game 7, Philly got blown out, ruining my Mother’s Day and killing "The Process."

The last two seasons have been filled with injuries. After trading Harden, this has become Maxey’s team. Embiid played through a knee injury in a loss to the Knicks last year and hasn’t fully recovered this season. Paul George was brought in but has been underwhelming, and the supporting cast is weak, making this team feel like the early "Process" Sixers. After last night's 40-point loss to a terrible Bulls team, it’s time to shut it down. Embiid should get knee surgery, George should sit, and the young guys should play. Hopefully, they lose enough to secure a high draft pick. Next year is do-or-die for Embiid. If they fail again, it’s time to move on for good. My favorite player, whom I have supported through it all, needs to rest and return with his legacy on the line. "The Process" was a failure, bringing nothing but pain and heartbreak to this fanbase. I sometimes wish I never went on this journey, but now is the time to make the right decisions and fix this team. I just hope the organization sees it the same way.