“Trust the process” has become a popular phrase around the sports world over the last couple of years after the Philadelphia 76ers adopted it as a mantra during a long rebuilding project.
Among those who used the phrase was Broncos coach Vance Joseph, who uttered the words during the eight-game losing streak that sank their 2017 season. As part of their effort to avoid another dismal finish, Joseph, General Manager John Elway and others in the building got a chance to talk to the guy who began the process in Philly.
Sam Hinkie was the 76ers General Manager when they dismantled their roster and pinned their hopes on coming up with stars in the draft that would provide the foundation for a winning team. Hinkie left the team in April 2016, so he wasn’t around when the plan started bearing fruit this season.
Hinkie put the pieces in place, though, so the Broncos picked his brain this week, however. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports Hinkie spoke to members of the scouting, analytics, football administration and conditioning departments about “how to best use the influx of data” that teams collect in order to see benefits in all areas of the organization.
The Sixers spent five years out of the playoffs as they put their trust in a process that ultimately yielded phenoms Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and this season’s 52-30 record. The Broncos would surely prefer it doesn’t take that long to get back on the right track.