The Philadelphia 76ers had a fantastic chance of getting their first win of the season against the Houston Rockets Friday night, but squandered it in hilarious fashion. It's not the first time they were close to notching the first W this season. They had close games against the Magic and the Bulls but victory eluded them. So on top of not being very good, the Sixers don't have a lot of luck. And that combination could result in a record-breaking start of the year.
When will the 76ers finally win a game?
The Sixers are 0-9 at the moment and are clearly the least-talented team in the league. So can they avoid getting the record for most consecutive losses to start a season?
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The record for most consecutive losses to start a season belongs to the Nets, who went 0-18 in the beginning of the 2009-10 season. Before that, the record belonged to the 1988-89 Clippers and the 1999 Heat, which both lost their first 17 games. The Sixers now stand at 0-9 and they have a few tough match-ups in the next nine game. So let's look at the schedule and see what their best shots of winning a game are:
November 19 vs. Boston Celtics
The Celtics are not actually that terrible of a team. They have Rajon Rondo orchestrating things, Avery Bradley hounding ball handlers, Jeff Green providing a scoring punch from the wing and a surprisingly-competent duo of young bigs in Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynik which gives them versatility. But they play fast, just like Philadelphia, and they can't hit a three-point field goal to save their lives.
The Sixers aren’t much better from outside but they let them fly anyway. A hot shooting night could open up driving lanes, exposing the Cs lack of rim protection and potentially leading to the upset.
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November 22 at New York Knicks
The Knicks are the second-worst team in the East. If there’s a game in which the Sixers shouldn’t be considered a huge underdog, it’s this one. Unfortunately, the scheduling gods have not smiled upon Philadelphia. The Sixers will be on a back-to-back while the Knicks will be playing after two days off. And Jose Calderon should be back by then, which could help stabilize a sometimes clueless offense.
Yet the Knicks are so bad at defense and play at such a slow pace (last in the league) they could be surprised by a quick Sixers attack. If Philadelphia can set the rhythm at which the game is played and exploit the Knicks’ foul happy ways on their way to some easy points, they could realistically steal this one.
November 26 vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Sixers would have two things going for them here. First, they would definitely get up for this game since a loss would likely mean tying the Clippers and Heat for second worst start of a season. After this game, they play the Mavericks and Spurs, so a win is unlikely. And second, Brooklyn is having trouble winning on the road and this game is in the tail end of a three-game road trip for them.
There is no comparing the proven talent between these two teams. The Nets are much better. So the Sixers would have to want it more, run like crazy and defend the three-point line much better than they have so far. Philadelphia should have the unique motivation only desperation can provide, which the Nets’ veterans would have no reason to match on a random October game. And that could help breach the talent gap.
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December 3 at Minnesota Timberwolves
If the Sixers haven’t won at this point, this is it. This is the game they have to win to avoid tying the 2009 Nets’ record.
Ricky Rubio will still be out by then, which means the Wolves will rely on Mo Williams and Zach LaVine to man the point guard spot. That's not a recipe for success. Minnesota has lost four straight. If the losses keep on piling, the veterans might mentally check out or be involved in trade rumors. So without a floor general and with everyone looking out for themselves the Wolves could succumb to reckless gunning. At least that's what the Sixers have to hope for.
In a way it would be fitting if the team the Sixers traded Thaddeus Young to was the one to doom them to the embarrassing section of the history books. But the Sixers should at least be on this game. The Wolves are not lacking in talent but lack cohesiveness just like Philadelphia.
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The Sixers don't mind losing, so they are probably not fretting over this record. Something tells me they would be fine with losing 20 straight if it meant automatically getting the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. And the NBA is unpredictable. After all, no one thought Philadelphia had a shot at beating the Rockets and they were on the brink. But these seem like the best shots Philly and Sam Hinkie have of winning one of their first 18 games and avoiding even more scrutiny for their tanking ways.
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