What we've had with Colangelo is a failure to communicate | Bob Cooney
Sixers president a sharp contrast to his open and honest head coach
WHETHER this coming 76ers season is the end of The Process or just a continuation of it is really in the eyes of those who have believed in it and those who have practiced skepticism since Sam Hinkie became general manager four years ago.
But that talk doesn't really matter, in the long run, as the blueprints for this offseason must be drawn as far as draft picks, potential free agents and possible trades. Players must get - and stay - healthy, and young players must develop.
But as much as getting Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the floor together and figuring out who best to team with those two and with Dario Saric is paramount in what is undeniably the most important season of this reconstruction, it is just as imperative that coach Brett Brown and president Bryan Colangelo are on the same page with all of this.
During the season, there were reasons to wonder about the relationship between the new president and the coach - who was given a two-year extension about four months before Colangelo arrived last April.
Brown is as honest as the day is long, which has caused a stir amid the organization during his tenure; others' method has been to be less than forthcoming when it comes to communication, and then their coach would reveal the truth. For example, the team cited knee soreness in sitting Jahlil Okafor for a game in February, only to have Brown reveal pregame that the organization was close to trading him and that playing him wasn't ideal. Or recently, when it was repeatedly mentioned that Saric would get limited minutes because of a sore heel, Brown revealed plantar fasciitis actually was causing the rookie's pain.
Brown believes in what he is doing, in how he is running the team, in his players' progress. And when you truly believe and are fully invested, truth flows easily.
Colangelo has had some trouble in this area since arriving in Philadelphia. He preached transparency in his opening news conference, consciously trying to distance himself from the secluded Hinkie, who soon departed.
But that openness didn't come about, and when medical updates were sketchy - and, in a few cases, false - the doubters of the new overseer of The Process became more boisterous.
Even Friday, when he and Brown separately met with the media for season-ending news conferences, Colangelo was asked to explain, yet again, a clouded medical report. Earlier this week, Embiid told ESPN.com he went into his March 26 meniscus surgery thinking the tear in his knee was complete and would sideline him for six months, at least. That was different from the "minor tear" label the team had stamped on Embiid's injury.
Friday, Colangelo humbly tried to explain what had happened - that there was some miscommunication and that MRIs had shown different things, and so on and so forth.
Most likely, his explanation didn't endear him to fans, and understandably so. But he did seem remorseful. Perhaps seeing how his head coach handles situations is starting to rub off on the president.
Colangelo's transparency about injuries, trades and other team happenings doesn't have to rule his day when it comes to the media. But this fan base sniffs out blatant miscommunication more quickly than it does a dud draft pick. And when he explained the recent misunderstanding concerning Embiid's surgery, he did it as if he were a kid coming clean with his parents on a misdeed, with the understanding assurance it wouldn't happen again.
Whether they know it or not, Colangelo and Brown appeared to come closer Friday in their partnership to make this organization a perennial contender, at least to those on the outside looking in.
"What we're looking for is championship DNA," Colangelo said during his 45-minute session. "I'm going to put it in coach's order: defend, pace and space. We're looking for players that check those boxes in every decision that we make. You're never going to find a perfect player that fits everything, but that's what our goal is and that's what we strive for."
"Brett is a tireless worker. He is fully committed to growing this program and making players at all levels of the roster better. He's not just focused on the top-flight guys. From 1 through 15, he's trying to make them better in terms of focus on player development and care of coaching. I think that the way we play is a good reflection of who he is and what he brings to the table in terms of his desire to win and succeed."
"Again, I can't overlook or talk about the commitment that this guy's made to this program over the past four seasons. It's incredible what he's gone through to get to this point. I'm excited for him to be on the cusp of really being able to turn the corner."
The corner was remote before this season, and the future was a seemingly endless ride through a straight, dark tunnel. But now there's the possibility of two high draft picks in June (should the Lakers fall out of the top three), the anticipation of both Embiid and Simmons (foot) being healthy, and a style of play that certainly would seem to benefit the kind of talent Brown and Colangelo have and are looking to gather.
The jury is still out on Colangelo, and this summer will sway the verdict one way or another. The Okafor dilemma still needs to be addressed. The draft picks at his disposal will have to be right on. If there is a free agent signing or two, they will have to be mindbogglingly good.
The president took a step in improving his image Friday. Now the real work begins.
@BobCooney76
Blog: philly.com/Sixersblog