Philadelphia 76ers Going Out Like A Lamb

In like a Lion, out like a Lamb. But this year, there hasn’t been much of a roar on the basketball court. The Philadelphia 76ers appear to be book-ending this season with long losing streaks.

It began with an eighteen game losing streak. It is ending with a ten game losing streak (so far). It’s clear that the Philadelphia 76ers are not worried about their record, but on the development of their players. At the beginning of the season, the Sixers tied the losing streak for the New Jersey Nets, a team that had gone on to finish with a 12-70 record. Currently at 8-53, the Sixers need to win four more games of the last 19 in order to tie that feat. Four games seems like a very optimistic number right now.

Unless something completely unforeseen happens, the Philadelphia 76ers will lock up the worst record in the NBA this season, a pre-requisite to being awarded the best chance of the first pick in the NBA draft. But that probability is a mere 25%, if the Sixers were limited to their own pick.  But they are also linked to the fortunes of the Sacramento Kings, whose own season’s struggles continues to add, however slightly, to the chance of the Sixers ending at the top pick in the draft.

But parking tomorrow’s draft aside momentarily, the team of Philadelphia 76ers has been regressing.  Yes, the team has been running with only 14 of the allowable 15 players on their roster since the trade deadline.  Yes the team has benched leading scorer Jahlil Okafor to aid his recovery from a right shin contusion.

The team has also had a rotation of minutes restrictions on various players, the latest being T.J. McConnell, Nik Stauskas, and Hollis Thompson :

So it seems, just as the season opened, the Sixers have become short-handed and are electing to ride out the storm with the players on the roster. Despite the short handedness, the team elected to keep point guard Kendall Marshall on the bench, his fourth straight benching after a solid performance against the Detroit Pistons.

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Isaiah Canaan was given his second start in a row due to the minutes restriction on Nik Stauskas. While he did respond with 17 points in 32 minutes of play, the scoring was almost entirely of the long ball – he sank four of ten three point shots. From closer range, he was only good for one of five shooting. But he was not alone. For the team, their three point shooting was 39.4% for the game, but merely 40% from the floor overall.

Next: Nerlens Noels Offensive Game Still Limited

If the team has been saving their players for the optimal time to benefit their fortunes, the next two games against the Miami Heat would be the time to unleash everything.  You see, the 76ers also own the first round draft pick of the Heat.  Right now that pick is likely to be on or about 22.  Should the Heat falter, that pick could occur at the top 20.  The Sixers could help their own team mightily by winning the next two games against the Heat.   Even one win would help the Sixers.

For the rest of the season, the out-manned Sixers will have an uphill climb to find another win.  Teams are gearing up for the playoffs, which the Sixers are gearing up for the off-season and the NBA draft.   I don’t know that I would consider the 2015-2016 season a failure, but it has certainly been underwhelming so far.  You see, I expected the team to start off slowly.   I never anticipated them finishing the season in a similar fashion.