The Philadelphia 76ers entered the season with renewed expectations after shaking up their roster in the offseason. However, after seven straight playoff appearances, the Sixers are in jeopardy of missing the postseason amid one of the team’s most disappointing stretches in recent memory. It’s been hard not to notice the downfall of the 15-26 Sixers, who were once expected to compete with the best in the Eastern Conference.
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Brian Windhorst spoke about Philadelphia’s recent losing streak, which now has the team sitting outside of a Play-In Tournament spot. “[The Sixers] lost again, they’ve lost five in a row, they’ve lost eight out of ten,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. “This is on the horizon of being one of the worst disasters for a season in the modern NBA.”
Windy underlined his shock at the Sixers’ disastrous season, recalling that the franchise was dubbed “the champion of the offseason”. The longtime sportswriter remembered how Philadelphia was once expected to compete with the reigning champion Boston Celtics, but is now worried about the fate of their own top-6 protected pick.
After being lauded as the top signing of the summer, Paul George’s short tenure in Philadelphia has been disappointing, to say the least. The 34-year-old has struggled to stay on the court during his first season in Philly, but even when he has suited up, it’s become clear that George is no longer the superstar he once was. The nine-time All-Star is posting just 17.2 points on 42.3% shooting, two of the worst marks of his career.
With George’s underwhelming production and Joel Embiid’s continued injury struggles, the franchise may be forced to pivot its priorities just over halfway through the campaign.
Windhorst explained why the Sixers may give up on the season
While the Sixers are still firmly in playoff contention in the weaker Eastern Conference, the team’s current play doesn’t exactly draw optimism for their possible postseason performance. Even if Philly can claw their way to the playoffs, Windhorst underlined why the team may not even want to.
If the team’s first-round pick falls outside of the top 6, it will be sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who already boast a treasure trove of draft picks. The Sixers, on the other hand, can’t afford to part with a lottery pick in what has already been an awful season.
So, while the team only trails the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls by two games, it may be in the team’s best interest to bottom out this season in order to secure their chances at a top pick. With Joel Embiid supposedly sidelined for the foreseeable future, Philadelphia could opt to take the tanking route sooner rather than later.
