The Sixer Sense
Fansided

NBA Tanking Teams WIll Complicate Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Draft

By Bret Stuter

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

With a rapidly improving Philadelphia 76ers team, it will not surprise if they pull ahead of the languishing Los Angeles Lakers. But could teams like the Phoenix Suns sink too? What about the Brooklyn Nets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, or even the Sacramento Kings? Could this be one more year of  the Philadelphia 76ers 2016 draft finding the team picking at three?

The Philadelphia 76ers started the season at 1-30. Nothing was certain for the team then. Could the team win ten games? Would the team win five games? Could the team find any hope of success when it seemed as though introductions would be needed throughout the year just to familiarize returning Philadelphia 76er players with the shell of a roster. For the early part of this season, the present was so dismally dark that even the bright hope for the future was dimming.

And then…

You know the story. Well, maybe you do but then again may you don’t. A picture is needed here, one that is worth a thousand words:

Since the arrival of Jerry Colangelo, Ish Smith, Mike D’Antoni, success – albeit in moderate portions – success has followed along behind.  Success breeds success. While it’s a phenomenon that is not quite familiar to the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, they were as prepared as any fan-base for the trials and tribulations of the rebuild.  In fact, former players of the team even were in support of it.  Julius “Dr. J.” Erving was interviewed and described the plan as a seven year rebuild.   Normally outspoken Charles Barkley has never had much affection for “number guys” like Sam Hinkie, but he recently came out to project the Philadelphia 76ers – currently the worst team in the NBA – as a 2016 season playoff team.

More from Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers could be a team on the rise, they certainly have been patient enough.  And with a mid-season burst, they are now hopeful.  Improvement is not unexpected, and we’ve examined the layers of NBA draft safeguards the Philadelphia 76ers have built into this draft.  It’s not enough to eliminate any chance of bad luck, but it certainly would lessen the pain of improving just enough to lower their eventual chances in the upcoming draft.

Despite the light of hope, the Sixers fans have walked for years through the trials of a team years away from improving.  When a team is locked into high paying contracts, misses on draft picks or free agency deals, the NBA rolls on without them.   Teams who stumble in the NBA fall, and then fail.  Failure breeds a myriad of demons to the professional athlete. Consider this description of the D’Angelo Russell, the second pick just half way through his first NBA season.

Next: Lakers Lament