Hinkie’s Gamble On The Future Could Destroy Itself

The Sixer’s long term team rebuilding strategy has the NBA up in arms and looks set to introduce some reforms to combat this “embarrassing” tactic of tanking.

Whilst Joseph Schumpeter wasn’t the first to coin the term, nor even outline its principle causes and results, the theory of “creative destruction” has been, since the 1950s, most often associated with the Austrian-American economist rather than either Sombart or Marx. it is even, on occasion, referred to as Schumpeter’s Gate, the theory being that innovation results in and necessarily requires the destruction of that that it seeks to replace or improve upon.

Reformers May Get NBA Vote

• Hinkie strategy remains mobile betting NBA won’t reform

• Owner Harris backs him

• Rest of the league want reform now

His paper Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, written in 1942, whilst a carefully argued prediction that unfettered capitalism would destroy itself, has become a strangely pseudo-religious document to the free-market idealists who see it justifying the downsizing of corporate entities in the pursuit of higher efficiencies, and thus better results. The term, it would seem, is omni-applicable, which may be why Mao also used it in justification of all sorts of things.

Sam Hinkie, General Manager of the Philadelphia 76s, is, of course, no Chairman Mao, but when it comes to creative destruction you couldn’t set a finer example than his, trading away your entire team and rebuilding from the court-side scorch marks up. This is a gutsy move from the thirty six year old and it has won him no fans amongst the other teams as the Sixers have, for want of a better word, simply tanked as a result of young inexperienced players replacing the old hands.

Hinkie has made no secret of his rebuilding strategy being radical and based on losing, at least for the time being. Starting with an inexperienced team of players that are yet to hit entirely professional levels of play might seem an overly long game plan, but in the NBA the team that finishes bottom has a hugely better chance of getting good players come the draft. The Sixers, have, in effect, thrown the season to get a better bunch of picks and do better next time round.

To Tank Or Not To Tank, That Is The Question

This is, of course, entirely within the rules of the game, but unfortunately is far, far away from the spirit of it and that has been reflected in the reaction to this blatant pursuit of the best talent from the rest of the league. Whilst the Philadelphia 76s’ owners stand square behind Hinkie the other teams have been up in arms about the strategy, and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver was questioned about it after former Orlando head coast Stan Van Gundy called it “embarrassing”.

Mr. Silver at the time, perhaps with vague echos of our man Schumpeter, described it as “Appropriate rebuilding which every organization goes through and not just in sports.” But that was back in March and since then, well, the league has started to cry foul with a growing voice of unity. In fact so unanimous in their adversity to this purposeful tanking by the Sixers are they that they’re proposing to change the rules… now.

The reform of the draft pick system has long been mooted but with so many conflicting interests between the teams it had never got anywhere, and the various schemes put forward had attracted more than their fair share of critics. These critics have, largely, now been silenced by the sheer full-frontal nature of Hinkie’s approach, and the team’s differences of opinion have melted away. Take a vote today on draft pick rule reform and it would almost certainly come out 29-1 in favor.

The Sixers, of course, are livid at this and are gambling news of the change will upset fans, but Sixers fans have already been pretty upset so it could just tough luck for them. The NBA Board Of Governors is likely to vote on the matter later this month and given the hostility towards Hinkie and his very mercenary attitude there’s every possibility that the reform will pass, which may leave Hinkie’s plans with no where to go.

Reform Gains Overwhelming Support

The rule changes are based around an adjustment in the number of teams that will have similar odds in their chances of getting first round picks. In the system as it stands at present the worst team in the league has a 25% chance, the second worst (or seed) 19.9%, the third 15.6% and so on in a cascading scale at that means the 13th worst team in the league has a 0.6% chance of a first round pick in the draft come the end of the season.

Under the new proposals the worst four teams would each get a 12% chance, the fifth an 11.5% chance, the sixth a straight 10% shot and so on down the line, with that 13th team getting an even 1% chance of a first round pick. The reformed system would also determine the top six rather than merely top three picks which would add increased mobility of teams within the league year on year. The support for this reform is at this point, overwhelming.

In their 17th month of rebuild Hinkie doesn’t need the rug pulled out from under him “We’re all competitive, me especially,” he said. “I tell people, ‘Where’s your self-worth come from?’ Like, do you need people every day telling you you’re doing well? Do you need the masses every day telling you that they agree with you? Or do you have some higher purpose in life? Was it hard? For sure. We had lots of long nights and worked our tails off trying to do what we could in this phase that we’re in.”

Which although an admirable sentiment is unlikely to sway opinion amongst the rest of the league and, should the vote go ahead, expect it to go against the Sixers and have a far reaching effect on the game as a whole. The fluidity it could bring may open up the odds given by online gambling sites in the US and around the world and make it a far more interesting league to wager upon. The vote may also, in the short term, just create the destruction of the Sixer’s long-term strategic plan. If you listen closely you might just be able to hear Schumpeter’s Gate slamming shut on someone’s fingers.