By 2012, the Philadelphia 76ers became known as a middling playoff team, that normally got a bottom seed and lost in the first round. This was the post-Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala-led squads. Those teams were fun to watch, but not built to last.
The Sixers chose to dismantle it, sacrificing their immediate future to build a solid team. Philly drafted Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz. These pieces became the core and were trades for some big names.
Now, the Sixers are coming off consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time in a generation, and nearly beat the eventual-champion Toronto Raptors, in the playoffs. Coming into this season, the Sixers are expected to be contenders. Tonight, they lost a winnable, close, game to the tanking OKC Thunder, and all Twitter has to say is #firebrettbrown, the Sixers’ GM and coach.
