It could be time for the 76ers to call things off like Allen Iverson’s wife. This (playoff) ship has not sailed, and because of that, it’s time to sink it to the bottom of the Delaware River. Start from scratch. Surrender the season. Call off the dogs. Start over.
It's time to lose to get better.
With the Sixers digging themselves into a deeper hole with each passing game it could be time to stop trying for a playoff run and start trying for a lottery pick.
You get what we’re saying.
Philly’s pro team (kind of) is a disaster area, currently crumbling at a dismal 22-38. In one of the more entertaining/pathetic races at the end of the regular season, the Sick-sers are chasing the Wizards (21-37), Knicks (21-39), Pistons (21-40), and Pacers (20-41) for second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference and an upper-echelon draft pick.
The New Jersey Nets already pretty much have the No. 1 overall spot in the NBA Draft lottery all but locked up, currently at a disgusting 6-54.
Now you’re probably asking yourself, “Why quit? Since when does Philadelphia quit? Rocky didn’t quit! What gives?”
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Here’s what gives:
There seems to be a trend developing in the NBA. The trend being that terrible teams “earn” themselves extremely high draft picks by quitting, which translate to monumental turnarounds in the future. Just ask San Antonio Spurs fans how it feels to have Tim Duncan in silver and black.
The Sixers, who have been a middle-of-the-road franchise since their 2001 NBA Finals appearance, haven’t made a substantial first-round pick in the NBA Draft since 2004 when they selected Andre Iguodala.
Sure, Thaddeus Young (2007) and Jrue Holiday (2009) have potential to be great role players, but it’s pretty clear that they are not ready to enter the NBA’s elite, and the NBA’s next superstar is what Philly needs.
Instead, Sixers fans sit back and watch the rest of the league get better every year, playing against young up-and-comers that other teams have decided to build around after terrible seasons. Franchise faces like Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat), Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Mavericks), Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Kevin Durant (Seattle Sonics/Oklahoma City Thunder). All of these names come with success stories, and all of these names were embraced by their respective cities after landing a high lottery pick.
It’s almost certain that the mess piled up around the Sixers will not be sorted out in this off-season alone, but damage control needs to start on April 15.
The Philadelphia 76ers need a savior, and the only way to win one is to lose now.
