Tom Sunnergren

Author's details

Name: Tom Sunnergren
Date registered: 2 February, 2013

Latest posts

  1. Lucky No. 11? — 21 May, 2013
  2. Doug Collins’ final insult — 20 May, 2013
  3. You’re a star, you’re a star, you’re a bright shining star — 20 May, 2013
  4. We have the technology…but we don’t want to spend a lot of money — 18 May, 2013
  5. Sam Hinkie loves scouts — 13 May, 2013

Most commented posts

  1. Fiasco: The Philadelphia Adventure with Evan Turner — 10 comments
  2. Sixers sleep through deadline…so here comes Bynum? — 9 comments
  3. Andrew Bynum and sunk costs — 9 comments
  4. Doug Collins vs. Science — 7 comments
  5. Sixers play worst team in the NBA, are worse than them — 7 comments

Author's posts listings

May 21 2013

Lucky No. 11?

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Notes

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webber1_627

Reggie Miller was drafted No. 11. So…there’s that.

webber1_627In 1993, the 41-41 Orlando Magic entered lottery night with the 11th best chance of winning the draft’s No. 1 overall pick. They made history. Despite impossibly long odds, the Magic secured the right to the top selection; a pick they ultimately used on Chris Webber, who they flipped to Golden State on draft day for Penny Hardway.

Led by Hardway and Shaq–the No. 1 overall pick from the previous year’s draft–Orlando won nearly 70 percent of its games over the next three seasons, a run that crested with an appearance in … Read the rest

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May 20 2013

Doug Collins’ final insult

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Notes

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Philadelphia 76ers v Portland Trail Blazers

Philadelphia 76ers v Portland Trail BlazersOn March 10, after a 99-91 loss to the Magic, the 76ers record sat at 23-39–a mark that was good for last place in the Atlantic Division and put them a slim 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who then held the third-worst record in the NBA. The team had lost 12 of 13 and appeared headed for a top seed in the lottery, the lone silver lining in a terrible season. Help, at least it seemed, was on the way.

But with 21 to play, the 76ers rallied. Galvanized by pride, and the never-say-die attitude of their fiery … Read the rest

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May 20 2013

You’re a star, you’re a star, you’re a bright shining star

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Analysis

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boogie-nights

The 76ers need a superstar. How do they get one?

boogie-nightsOstensibly, the biggest question facing Sam Hinkie at the moment is whether the Sixers should tank in 2013-14. By Hinkie’s own admission though, this isn’t precisely the right question. The right question is this: how do the Sixers land a superstar?

“Superstar” is a well-worn buzzword these days, used to the point of cliche. (The same can be said of “buzzword” actually. Cliche too. Sorry. Like most people who watch a lot of television, my vocabulary is limited.) You need a superstar to compete. You can’t win without a superstar, … Read the rest

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May 18 2013

We have the technology…but we don’t want to spend a lot of money

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Analysis

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sixmilliondollarman

Three great reads to kick off the second Saturday of the Sam Hinkie era.

sixmilliondollarmanThe Hinkie effect is already being felt. Over at TrueHoop, Brad Stenger writes about a conversation he had with 76ers’ strength coach Jesse Wright at the NBA combine, during which Wright confessed that his new boss has increased his technology budget. Specifically, the increase was from “no technology budget” to “you now have a technology budget.” But how to spend it? Stenger went on to outline some of the most cutting-edge sports tech that’s at the combine trade show this year. 

Sam Hinkie is a … Read the rest

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May 13 2013

Sam Hinkie loves scouts

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Analysis

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Sam-Hinkie_headshot_rd

Sam-Hinkie_headshot_rdStats guys don’t care about scouting, and don’t even watch games, and probably don’t even realize the game is played on a court with a round ball because facts like that–the kind of facts you can only learn with your guts and your eyeballs, and maybe a little thing called heart–don’t show up in fancy spreadsheets.

I take this as axiomatic. So I thought it was interesting that, when I stumbled across some obscure internet sports journal called “Grantland,” I found noted stat geek Sam Hinkie lauding the importance of scouting. What?

(Cue record screeching to a stop. Actually, … Read the rest

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May 10 2013

BREAKING: Sixers do something smart

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Analysis

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The team has reportedly signed Rockets assistant general manager Sam Hinkie to serve as president and general manager.

This afternoon, I was preparing an article savaging Sixers brass for shopping for a head coach before they hired a general manager–arguing that it pointed to a general backwardness in the organization. And then they went and did this.

It’s hard to overstate how consequential this is. Hinkie is, by many indications, one of the smartest … Read the rest

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