Three words: "Trust the Process."
It was the strategy implemented by former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie before the start of the 2013-14 season. Former Sixers guard Tony Wroten birthed the three-word mantra in a story that appeared in ESPN The Magazine's Analytics Issue on March 2, 2015.
The Process was Hinkie's plan to turn around the franchise. Hinkle's strategy was simple: Trade away key players, stockpile draft picks and use those picks to build a winner. The strategy led to the organization drafting eventual NBA MVP Joel Embiid with the third pick in 2014. It also resulted in the team trudging through two of the worst seasons in league history.
Philadelphia lost its first 17 games during the 2014-15 season en route to finishing with an 18-64 record. The Sixers followed that with an 18-game losing streak at the start of the 2015-16 campaign and a 10-72 finish.
Hinkie resigned in April 2016.
Here is a look at the most consecutive losses to start a season in NBA history:
18 - 2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers (final record: 10-72)
18 - 2009-10 New Jersey Nets (12-70)
17 - 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers (18-64)
17 - 1999-00 Los Angeles Clippers (9-41)
17 - 1988-89 Miami Heat (15-67)
16 - 1994-95 Los Angeles Clippers (17-65)
15 - 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73)
15 - 1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers (15-67)
15 - 1949-50 Denver Nuggets (11-51)
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