NBA Commissioner Adam Silver yesterday reiterated the 76ers' move to hire Jerry Colangelo as Chair of Basketball Operations was "entirely" the decision of team Managing Owner Josh Harris and noted there was "no arm-twisting" from the league. Appearing on SI.com's "Open Floor" podcast, Silver said, "The role I played was to make the introduction from Josh to Jerry and Jerry back to Josh. ... There were no other owners calling the league office and saying you need to force Josh to do anything." He continued, "Josh and I talk frequently, and Josh came to the conclusion that he needed assistance in operating the team. He asked me if I had names that I could suggest and add to a list that he already had of people who he thought could be helpful, and Jerry was one of those names." Silver said a franchise's culture "means a lot." He said, "It’s not just about wins and losses, but it’s how your organization overall is run, and the details really matter. I think just from the outside, based on what I was reading, I was just worried generally about the lack of that sense of togetherness and culture with that team." More Silver: "My sense was another voice would be helpful for the team. I don’t think that was lost at all on Josh Harris. I think, certainly, Josh recognized that he needed another voice, especially someone who had a lot of experience" ("Open Floor," SI.com, 12/15).
TRUST THE ... OH, FORGET IT: In Philadelphia, Keith Pompey wrote "The Process" that 76ers fans have "come to know is over." The 1-25 team will continue to lose "at a high rate" and they will "still have a chance to get four first-round picks" in the '16 draft. However, having talks "with someone who has a coaching resumé" like Mike D'Antoni's "is something the Sixers front office under [GM Sam Hinkie] avoided." D'Antoni is rumored to join the 76ers as an associate head coach. Now that Colangelo is on board, the team "wants to get more coaches with NBA experience in the mix." It will be "interesting to see whether Hinkie will still have his strong in-game influence," but adding experience to the bench "has led some to believe the organization is ready to focus more on teaching the game than player development" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/13). In Boston, Gary Washburn wrote it was "about time the 76ers sought some help to foster their rebuilding process." Hinkie has been "mostly responsible for the demolition of the 76ers, as the organizational philosophy has been to strip the roster of talent, draft well, and eventually improve" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/13).
