The Philadelphia 76ers were a playoff team a couple years ago. This franchise appeared to be on the rise with Doug Collins as their head coach as the team established an identity of playing tough defense and scrapping for four quarters. Something changed before last season that really ruined the 2012-13 season for Philadelphia. The 76ers decided to move Andre Iguodala and put all their hopes on the shoulders of oft-injured Andrew Bynum. We all know how that worked out. Bynum never played a game for the team, and now he is a Cleveland Cavalier.

Doug Collins resigned last April, and the team has gone in a different direction. The futures is looking very bright for the 76ers, although there undoubtedly will be some growing pains this season. Sam Hinkie is the new general manager for this team, and he has made it clear that he is ready to tear this team down and undergo a major rebuilding phase. What does this move mean for the team in the year ahead?

Hired Former Spurs Assistant Brett Brown

Brett Brown was named the team’s new coach in the offseason. Brown has a long history as an assistant with San Antonio. Brown hasn’t proven himself as a head coach just yet, but anyone who has worked closely with Gregg Poppovich for many years has a good chance of turning into a quality coach.

Brown will employ a strategy of having two primary assistants: one who is in charge of the offense and one who is in charge of the defense. Most teams just have one lead assistant, but Brown is going to try to change it up a bit here. Brown wants his team getting to the basket more and settling for three-point shots less. He believes the best way to create a winning team in Philadelphia is to create a winning foundation from day one.

Offseason Player Moves

The biggest move of the offseason for Philadelphia was shipping Jrue Holiday to New Orleans in order to draft Nerlens Noel in the 2013 NBA Draft. Noel was seen by quite a few people as the top player in this year’s draft, so you can’t argue with the value they get on him. He might not be 100 percent from the beginning of the season, but Noel has a bright future with his athleticism. Michael Carter-Williams was the other guy selected by the 76ers in the first round of the draft. Carter-Williams will get a chance to show what he’s made of early on since the 76ers are very thin at the point guard position.

Other than the draft, the Sixers did virtually nothing in the offseason when it comes to bringing in free agents. Charles Jenkins, Dorrell Wright, and Nick Young joined Bynum as players who the team let walk away in free agency. Philadelphia acquired Royce White from Houston in an offseason acquisition. They have to hope that he’ll be able to fulfill his potential after a difficult season last year in Houston. James Anderson was also brought in, and I believe he does have the chance to improve quite a bit in this system.

Tanking?

The prevailing wisdom among experts around the NBA is that Philadelphia is attempting to tear the team down in order to get a high draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. While that process is always painful for fans of the franchise, it might actually not be a bad idea for the 76ers. This team is in real need of a star player to build around, and the upcoming draft class appears to have several of those guys.

The team will clearly never admit to tanking the season and looking to get into the lottery, but by reading the tea leaves we can see that this is definitely a real possibility. Keep an eye on the 76ers as the season moves along. They might be trying to get rid of some of their better players to get younger and move down in the standings. It wouldn’t be a shock if Thaddeus Young or Evan Turner are moved during the season.

Free NBA Picks: Philadelphia 76ers Futures Odds

Bovada lists the 76ers at 300/1 to win the NBA title this season. BetOnline lists Philadelphia at +20,000 to win the Eastern Conference. Let’s just go ahead and write both of those off right away; this team isn’t even going to sniff the playoffs.

Philadelphia is going to lose a ton of games this year. Maybe that is what they are hoping to do in the larger picture, but it isn’t going to be pretty this season. Brown should end up being a good hire, but he just doesn’t have enough talent to work with this year. Look for the 76ers to be cellar-dwellers in the Atlantic Division in the 2013-14 season.

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