10 most dysfunctional NBA franchises

Is dysfunction the best word to describe all that the Philadelphia 76ers have endured during The Process of former general manager Sam Hinkie? It’s not the definitive word to surmise all that has gone down in the 76ers organization the last three years, but it certainly is a start.

Nobody in the history of the NBA Draft Lottery (1985-present) has a team ever gone all in on intentionally tanking seasons to improve the organization’s draft stock quite like the Hinkie-led 76ers.

In a vacuum, what the 76ers were doing under Hinkie’s watch with owner Joshua Harris’ backing and head coach Brett Brown’s patience to rebuild in this drastic of a manner makes sense on paper. However, this holistic approach to hyper-tanking isn’t for the faint of heart and ownership pulled the plug on Hinkie’s experiment not even three years into The Process.

It’s not that intentionally tanking to potentially win the lottery is dysfunctional, it’s actually pragmatic, albeit excruciatingly painful for hardcore hoop fans, but here’s how Philadelphia became dysfunctional during The Process: 1.) Hinkie was reluctant to speak openly to the media about his rebuilding plans until midway through his third year on the job. 2.) Philadelphia didn’t make the most of its draft picks the last few drafts.

For as big of a rebuilding process Philadelphia was undertaking, it was doomed from the start when Hinkie was straight forward with the scathing Philadelphia media about how The Process worked.

The analytics could be justified, but the covert nature of the rebuild didn’t set well for long. Harris’ decision to hire both assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and executive Jerry Colangelo was the writing on the wall for the Hinkie era in Philadelphia. Hinkie resigned late in the 2015-16 NBA season and Colangelo’s son Bryan Colangelo has now replaced him as general manager.

As for the draft, Philadelphia hasn’t really hit any of their picks out of the park. Yes, former point guard Michael Carter-Williams won Rookie of the Year, but he is now with the Milwaukee Bucks and may find his way out of the league before far too long. Nerlens Noel is a strong defensive player, but missed his first season recovering from a knee injury suffered at Kentucky. He’s a potentially solid role player, but nothing more at this time.

Jahlil Okafor may have made All-Rookie First Team this past season, but his disgruntled nature and lack of defensive acumen may make him potentially on the trading block entering his second season. Joel Embiid has yet to play since being the No. 3 pick in 2014. Dario Saric will come stateside supposedly in 2016-17.

Overall, the decision to go with best player available in the last three drafts has created a front court log jam and arguably the worst back court in NBA history. This organization was unified behind The Process, but the perpetual losing was not without some inherent levels of dysfunctional behavior.

Next: 8. New Orleans Pelicans