Philadelphia 76ers: Breaking Down the Sixers' GM Candidates

The Philadelphia 76ers sent the face of their franchise, Andre Iguodala, to Denver in the four-team blockbuster that brought in Andrew Bynum. And, they did it all without a general manager.

The Sixers are still searching for a replacement for Ed Stefanski, who joined the Toronto Raptors as executive vice president of basketball operations and former team president Rod Thorn.

The new GM will be charged with rebranding and rebuilding Philadelphia into an Eastern Conference contender, without Iguodala.

Stefanski’s firing came at an interesting time. The Sixers made it to the playoffs, with a 35-31 record, knocked off top-seeded Chicago and came within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Sixers have four candidates for the vacant position including, recently announced, Sam Hinkie, Mike Zarren and Jeff Bower.

Who are these guys and what makes them qualified to take over in the city of Brotherly Love?

Sam Hinkie

Most Recent Position: Houston Rockets executive vice president of basketball operations (current)

Hinkie is known throughout the sports world for his analytical approach to the game.

He has advised NFL teams on draft strategies and embraces the importance of statistics in outcomes.

With the Rockets, Hinkie is second in command. He has helped the Rockets become more involved in the growing application of analytics.

He has also managed the team’s salary cap.

He has been with the Rockets for the last five seasons.

Mike Zarren

Most Recent Position: Boston Celtics Assistant General Manager (Current)

Mike Zarren, like Hinkie, is a major player in the importance of analytics in basketball.

Zarren was called Boston general manager Danny Ainge’s “secret weapon,” due to his statistical analysis and number-crunching abilities.

With sabermetrics becoming increasingly popular in sports, having an expert in the field seems to be a must for front offices.

Zarren oversees the Celtics' salary cap and is called an expert in the collective bargaining agreement.

As a Harvard Law grad, he is also well-versed in law, which could be a major bonus in Philly.

Jeff Bower

Most Recent Position: New Orleans Hornets General Manager (2005-2010)

Jeff Bower has coached and been a general manager in the NBA before. That experience could give him an upper hand in the Sixers' search.

Bower was responsible for bringing Chris Paul to the Hornets, selecting him in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Bower’s work in 2005 earned him votes for the Sporting News’ NBA Executive of the Year Award, which eventually went to Boston’s Ainge.

As a coach, Bower filled in after the firing of Byron Scott in 2009. He went 34-39 that season, stepped down as coach and returned to his GM position.

Bower is the only one of the candidates who has NBA coaching and general managing experience.

Breaking It All Down

Two of the three candidates for the vacant Sixers GM job are very similar candidates.

Zarren and Hinkie are both big advocates for sabermetrics and statistical analysis as a way to improve teams. These two are more of the numbers guys, while Bower seems to be more of a basketball mind.

This situation is a bit like the one with the Oakland A’s of MLB. The Sixers could become the subject of the next “Moneyball.”

Billy Beane in Oakland has developed a team that has one of the lowest payrolls in the MLB. He finds bargain players other teams won’t take a chance on and plugs them into his system.

His system is working again this season. The A’s are 5.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West and would be a playoff team if the postseason ended today.

The Sixers would be in a similar situation. With powers like the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the Sixers would have to find a way to compete, with a different approach.

Zarren and Hinkie could be the guys that bring the Sixers into a similar analytical system. They’re great business guys, as well, which would be a big plus as Philly looks to rebuild without Iguodala.

On the other hand, Bower is the basketball mind. He’s coached. He’s been at the helm of a rebuilding franchise, like New Orleans, and he’s been successful at it.

Bower is the only one of the three candidates that isn’t fully immersed in statistics. He has proven he can be an effective team builder, when given the resources.

Thaddeus Young, Kwame Brown, Jrue Holliday and recently acquired Andrew Bynum give Philadelphia a solid core to work around, but they are still missing pieces.

The Sixers will have to figure out if they want their franchise to be built on analytics or on x’s and o’s.

Both systems have proven their worth in professional sports, but will they work in Philadelphia?