The Sixers are in one of the most unenviable positions in the league right now. Not only has the Bryan Colangelo saga damaged the credibility of the front office and raised some serious doubts, but it’s also ripped the wallpaper down in what was previously one of the most appealing free agency landing rooms in the house. The stars, potential and stability have once again been stripped from this franchise, but what the team does next will define the offseason. If they are going to replace Colangelo, it has to be the right guy. It just so happens that a perfect candidate is lurking in the distance.
David Griffin.
Here are five reasons why Griffin would be the perfect replacement for Bryan Colangelo.
The LeBron connection:
Let’s get to the Elephant in the room. There aren’t many attractive landing spots for LeBron and the Sixers, even in their complete disarray, remain the top option. Houston would bring back shades of what happened the last time LeBron opted to join a friend, the Lakers have the ‘Ball saga’ and not many can take on the weight of his projected contract. While teams will line up to acquire his services, a hiring like this could really swing momentum.
Griffin doesn’t just know LeBron well, but he had a fantastic relationship with the four-time MVP. With LeBron already represented by the same body as Ben Simmons, another dot to connect could be the perfect fit for this move to become a reality.
Griffin, who currently works for NBA TV, spent three and a half years as the Cavaliers GM, eventually taking them all the way to a Championship in 2016 after leading them to three consecutive NBA finals.
If he can handle Cleveland…:
Dan Gilbert was never really the Apple of LeBron’s eye and for good reason. Horrific parting letter aside after LeBron went to South Beach, Gilbert consistently made life difficult for his coaches and staff with a strain of unpredictable decisions and actions that came back to haunt the team like a damaging boomerang. Sound familiar, Sixers fans?
Griffin not only drafted Andrew Wiggins back in 2014 and helped bring LeBron back to Akron, but acquired All-Star forward, Kevin Love, from the Minnesota Timberwolves by flipping Wiggins. Looking back on the trade, Wiggins has really struggled to become the star many seemed certain he would become, while Love has blossomed into LeBron’s right-hand man.
Blockbuster trade aside, the former runner up in the NBA Executive of the Year Award handled some chaotic winds with a certain level of calmness that simply has to be commended. If he can keep the lightning of Dan Gilbert in a bottle, handling the Fultz shooting woes and constant injury shockers should be relatively simple.
Ripping apart the nepotism:
There’s no real evidence for nepotism, but whenever a Father and Son enter business, it’s usually going to be a tight relationship. If Colangelo somehow doesn’t get fired for his bizarre social media actions, it says a lot about the leadership from the top down. Should Colangelo get away with that, it doesn’t set a good tone for the rest of the organization.
Colangelo has been impressive during his time as GM, apart from this scandal. Rebuilding the medical department, the analytics department and scouting staff on top of acquiring some veteran talent, Colangelo has righted the Sixers ship before he let off a cannon that faced the wrong way.
Stabilizing a ship full of stars and passionate staff should be easy, but it would take someone of Griffin’s stature, who has no problem sticking to his guns and making the gutsy call, to override Jerry Colangelo…and that’s frankly what the team needs after a severe lack of trust will tarnish the Colangelo name.
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
