T.J. McConnell, Nik Stauskas Want to Triple Win Total From Last Year
By Josh Wilson
Philadelphia 76ers players T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas expressed that getting to 30 wins is a goal for the Sixers, which would triple last year’s total.
As of Tuesday morning, nine games remain for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. They currently sit at 27 wins. If they win 33 percent or more of their remaining games, going 3-6 overall in the last 9, they will reach 30 wins. So far this season, the team has won 36.99 percent of their games.
30 wins would not only be a landmark because it gets them out of the 20s, but it also signifies something huge compared to their final win total last year.
Last year, the Sixers won a measly 10 wins, just one game better than the worst record all-time in the NBA. If they got to 30, they would triple that win total, something, according to T.J. McConnell, no other team has ever been able to do.
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Speaking with Nik Stauskas on the latest episode of the Sauce and Co. Podcast, here’s what McConnell had to say on the goal going into the last several games of the season:
"“Being a part of last year, only winning 10 games, and having the month of January that we did, the positive side of that, and then having Joel and Ben go down, which was a negative… There’s been ups and downs this season. You know, me and you [Stauskas] have talked about it, we want to get to 30 wins ’cause no team in the NBA has ever tripled their win total from the year before.”"
That really shows us what the tone is like in the Sixers locker room. While they’re virtually removed from the playoff race, and could start focusing more on next year and forget about what remains this year, they don’t have that attitude. They want to look at what’s right in front of them and conquer it.
Tripling a win total would really show the league what a difference a year made for the Sixers. While they were one of the worst teams of all-time last year, and quite unwatchable at times, in just one year they made additions and adjustments that turned them into winners. There were plenty of occasions where they were keeping up with teams they had no business keeping up with. There were even times where they threatened teams like the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, and the defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors.
30 wins may be a reality for Philly. They play the Brooklyn Nets twice in the last nine games, which could be wins for them. They also play the Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, and Bulls, all teams that the Sixers have defeated this season.
30 wins seemed unrealistic when the season began. It may be more attainable than we realize it is.