Adam Silver confirms he's not a fan of Sixers' tanking strategy

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You may have heard this before, but someone is not happy with the Sixers' tanking strategy.

It just so happens this unhappy person is the most powerful person in the NBA, commissioner Adam Silver.

The second-year commissioner appeared on fivethirtyeight.com's "Hot Takedown" podcast on Monday to discuss a number of topics, including what is going on with Sixers president and general manager Sam Hinkie and, as Silver put it, the "resetting" Sixers.

When asked about that "resetting" and the team's habit of signing younger, cheaper players rather than seasoned, serviceable veterans, Silver responded, "Am I a fan of that strategy? Put it this way: No. But does that mean it's not acceptable under league rules? It doesn't."

Silver also denied reports that he directly intervened in the Sixers' operations and forced the recent hiring of chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, a Basketball Hall of Famer with decades of NBA experience.

"Those reports are not correct," Silver said. "Josh Harris, who’s the principal owner of the 76ers, decided on his own that he needed to change course. He and I had many conversations along the way about the utility of the strategy that he was following. And he came to the conclusion once this season began, and he saw how his team was performing on the floor, that he needed to change his strategy."

Harris is only the proud owner of the first team in NBA history to lose 28 of its first 29 games in a season. What in the world could possibly make him feel he needed to change his strategy?

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