The 76ers yesterday "officially named" Bryan Colangelo President of Basketball Operations, four days after Sam Hinkie "abruptly resigned" from the same position, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNPHILLY.com. In addition to announcing Bryan Colangelo's hiring, the 76ers "also revealed that his father Jerry has relinquished his role" as Chair of Basketball Operations and "instead will assume an advisory role." When the 76ers hired Jerry last December, speculation "immediately followed about whether Bryan would soon follow." 76ers Managing Owner Josh Harris said that the club "began having discussions with Bryan at the beginning of the year but also explained that Jerry was not involved in the hiring process." Camerato reported one of the "key themes" of yesterday's press conference "concerned optics -- and Harris' trying to discount perception and explain reality." Harris: “I understand the optics of it, but the reality is Bryan was head and shoulders above every other candidate. ... It just so happens that Bryan was the best fit guy for the job, and we also had his Hall of Fame dad along in the organization. I made the decision that it was worth managing those optics to get such a talented guy in our organization.” Bryan Colangelo "emphasized the team is going to move forward with plan Hinkie had in place." He said, "This is not about a departure from a process, a departure from a strategy. This is a moving forward with everything that’s already been established" (CSNPHILLY.com, 4/10).
TRUST THE PROCESS? The AP's Dan Gelston noted Harris and Bryan Colangelo "both expressed disappointment that Hinkie would not stick around and continue to help rebuild the team." Colangelo said he considers the team's rebuilding process a "success," as the club is at a "jumping off point now." He said, "The organization is poised to take a major leap forward because of what's transpired over this last few years of what I'm going to call, a measured rebuilding process" (AP, 4/10). In Philadelphia, David Murphy writes the "greatest benefit of the job" for Colangelo is that it will be "nearly impossible to fail." If the 76ers "continue to struggle," it will "serve only to underscore the fool's errand Sam Hinkie embarked on with his 'Process.'" If the 76ers "return to competitiveness, it will underscore the necessity of the change" that Harris "effectively made when he began discussing a spot in the front office with the younger Colangelo at the beginning of this year" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 4/11). Also in Philadelphia, Bob Brookover notes in "just a few words," Colangelo "offered a better defense of 'The Process' than Hinkie could in 7,000 words and 13 pages." Therein "lies the main reason the future of the 76ers is in better hands today than it was a week ago when Hinkie was still the organizational front man" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/11).
IN THE LINE OF FIRE: In Philadelphia, John Smallwood writes Harris yesterday "had jumped into a pool of media sharks searching for the bloody how and why things in the organization had devolved to this level, and he immediately was the uneasy chum." Harris "was fine reading from a prepared opening statement." However, when the questions started and "there was no script, he stumbled." Like any "good lieutenant recognizing his general was targeted," Colangelo "threw himself into the line of fire." Smallwood: "To be fair to Harris, he did not shy away from the fire. But on those times when things clearly got too hot, Colangelo slid onto the barbecue spit" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 4/11). CSNPHILLY.com's John Gonzalez noted the question essentially put to Harris was "how could you make those moves and seriously say afterward that you’re surprised that Hinkie resigned?" Additionally, after "promising no radical changes would be made, doesn’t this shift in front office structure represent radical change?" Harris "didn’t answer the questions." Gonzalez: "Not really. Instead, he launched into a prepackaged answer thinking maybe he could lose people with some verbal loops along the way" (CSNPHILLY.com, 4/10).
