NBA Commissioner Not A Fan Of Philadelphia 76ers Strategy

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is not a very big fan of the strategy that the Philadelphia 76ers have been using to rebuild their team over the last few years, according to CBS Sports.

“On the other hand, because of the strategy they were following, there was an extremely small margin for error. So it’s a combination of their strategy and of bad luck. But bad luck is something that has to be factored in as well. Am I fan of that strategy? Put it this way: No. But does that mean that it’s not acceptable under the league rules? It is, and it’s partly why I had proposed to change the odds of the draft lottery.”

For those that are not aware, the Sixers have been fielding rosters that are not very competitive. That way, they can get a high selection in the NBA Draft and hopefully find a new star.

That strategy has not exactly worked out all that well for Philadelphia. As Silver stated, there is a lot of bad luck involved with some of the choices and decisions they have made.

In the 2015 NBA Draft, the 76ers selected Jahlil Okafor. The 19-year-old former Duke Blue Devils center has looked good thus far but has also gotten in trouble off the court.

Joel Embiid was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft. Injuries have prevented him from getting on the court. He does have the potential to be a franchise player, though.

Elfrid Payton was also selected in the same draft, but the Sixers traded him away for future resources. He is now a starter for the Orlando Magic, so the team missed out there.

Michael Carter Williams was chosen by Philadelphia in the 2013 NBA Draft. He won Rookie of the Yeard in 2014, but the 76ers decided to trade him away to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Even though the San Antonio Spurs have proven time and time again that they can find contributors, no team in the NBA is going to have a perfect track record in the draft.

If Joel Embiid becomes a dominant center and franchise player, the Sixers’ strategy is still going to be questioned. They will have lost a lot of games, fans, and money during that stretch.

There are reports floating around that Adam Silver was the person that convinced Philadelphia to change their strategy. The NBA Commission is, of course, denying those rumors.

Silver stated that Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris came up with the decision on his own. He knew that the strategy was not working, so he needed to try something new.

The first move that Harris did was universally praised by the NBA. He brought in Jerry Colangelo to be the new Sixers chairman. Colangelo is well respected around the league.

When he was running the show with the Phoenix Suns, the team was able to field a very competitive team that made the NBA Playoffs. Steve Nash blossomed into a star.

Not only did Jerry do well with the Suns, his skills were then utilized to help repair the issues that was plaguing the Men’s National Basketball Team. Not really an easy feat.

Mike D’Antoni was the second smart hiring that Philadelphia made recently. He is widely regarded as an offensive guru. As an assistant coach, he can really help Brett Brown.

The hiring of Colangelo and D’Antoni isn’t going to magically solve all of the problems overnight. However, these two guys are steps in the right direction for the Sixers.

Philadelphia is a very key market for the NBA, so all of the owners in the league need them to be more successful so everyone can generate more revenue.

[Featured Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images]