Within the 2013-14 season, the Philadelphia 76ers started their so-called “Course of,” a scheme designed to ultimately gather championship-level expertise. Although supporters of the “Course of” typically described this as a genius-level solution to construct a crew, it was actually nothing new.

The 76ers have been dangerous on objective for 4 straight seasons, collected as many first-round draft picks as they might and ended up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons because the cornerstones of their franchise.

And now, will probably be remembered a failure.

The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t beat the Atlanta Hawks in a Recreation 7 at dwelling on Sunday night time. They couldn’t do it despite the fact that Hawks star Trae Younger had one of many worst taking pictures video games of his profession, making simply 5-of-23 from the ground. In actual fact, they couldn’t do it in opposition to a jump-shooting crew that didn’t really shoot notably effectively for your complete collection.

They couldn’t do it in entrance of their very own followers, which that they had earned as a result of that they had the most effective file within the Japanese Convention. They couldn’t do it with the jaws of alternative vast open on this most uncommon NBA season the place not one of the remaining groups has a championship pedigree. They couldn’t do it despite the fact that many of the Hawks’ main gamers lacked any playoff expertise in any way coming into this season.

They couldn’t do it as a result of the tip results of all these years of dropping was a collection of poor decisions that now places Simmons on the fulcrum of the place the 76ers go from right here.

How dangerous is that this for the 76ers? Within the eight years it took them to get to the purpose of no return, the Atlanta Hawks have made the Japanese Convention finals with an overachieving roster, tore it down, briefly dipped to the underside of the league and returned with a totally new crew that went into Philadelphia and gained thrice during the last two weeks, together with a 103-96 victory in Recreation 7 that few noticed coming.

The snapshot Sixers followers will bear in mind above all others from this night time occurred with 3 minutes, 29 seconds remaining. That’s when the Hawks, making an attempt to guard an 88-86 lead, made a defensive mistake that left Simmons underneath the basket vast open for a dunk that may have tied the sport.

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For some purpose – most likely as a result of his foul taking pictures woes in these playoffs have been firmly implanted in his mind – Simmons selected to not settle for the reward from Atlanta. He as a substitute flicked a cross to Matisse Thybulle, who was fouled and made 1-of-2 from the road. From that time on, the 76ers by no means had a shot within the air the remainder of the sport that may have both tied or taken the lead.

“I will be sincere,” Embiid stated. “I believed the turning level was once we – I do not know the best way to say it – is once we had an open shot and we made one free throw.”

Embiid wasn’t the one one to passive-aggressively take a shot at Simmons. When requested after the sport if he may very well be the purpose guard on a championship crew, 76ers coach Doc Rivers – who has been pumping up Simmons within the media all season – stated “I don’t know the reply to that proper now.”

The pile-on isn’t unwarranted. Simmons was a zero on offense for the Sixers, and in seven video games in opposition to the Hawks he took three whole discipline objectives in fourth quarters and was typically on the bench in crunch time as a result of the 76ers could not danger him being fouled. For a former No. 1 total choose who will make about $146 million over the following 4 seasons, that isn’t adequate.

And but, as a lot because the 76ers would possibly need to pull the plug on this roster and reboot with a unique level guard, there’s no apparent path to a commerce that takes the 76ers to a different stage given Simmons’ contract and the way badly his inventory tanked on this collection.

If nothing else, the NBA has proven us again and again over the previous couple of years that playoff video games are gained by guys who can create pictures in opposition to nice protection in tense moments. With Simmons opting out of the offense in crunch time, the 76ers have only one participant who can do it – and he is a 7-foot middle whose fourth quarter effectiveness goes to relaxation on his skill to make fadeaway 18-foot jumpers whereas drained.

“Offensively we have been simply dangerous,” Rivers stated.

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No one anticipated the Hawks to be within the Japanese Convention finals, however the way in which they gained this collection exhibits that you do not have to be terrible for half a decade to construct a very good crew. In actual fact, one of many Hawks’ issues was that after they determined to rebuild following the Paul Millsap-Al Horford-Jeff Teague-Kyle Korver run, they by no means fairly bought dangerous sufficient to get in nice place for the No. 1 total choose.

However what Atlanta normal supervisor Travis Schlenk did do, apart from getting Younger, was choosing John Collins and Kevin Huerter in back-to-back years with the No. 19 draft choose. On an evening when Younger struggled to make pictures, these two mixed for 41 factors and 23 rebounds and have seemed all through the Hawks’ run like guys you win with within the playoffs regardless of not being premium draft picks.

“It’s been an extended couple years,” stated Huerter, who made 10-of-18 discipline objectives. “It’s solely my third yr, but it surely’s been an extended two years of being on the backside of the East and all you hear is improvement and guys getting higher and getting ready for the longer term. And this yr making an attempt to flip a change, our complete mindset modified and the event course of was over.”

Certainly, when Hawks majority proprietor Tony Ressler determined to spend free-agent cash this previous offseason, there have been loads of critics who stated Atlanta was dashing their very own course of and that an possession mandate to start out successful video games was irrational.

It may need seemed that means in early March when the Hawks have been 14-20, however a training change from Lloyd Pierce to Nate McMillan and the subsequence toughness that grew inside this crew in enjoying shut video games has validated every part about how Atlanta selected to rebuild.

Almost a decade into the “Course of,” Philadelphia’s franchise has by no means felt extra aimless. Atlanta’s future has by no means appeared extra promising. And now within the Japanese Convention finals, the current isn’t half dangerous, both.

Comply with USA TODAY Sports activities’ Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken.

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Sixers’ ‘Course of’ to draft Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons was a failure