Sam Hinkie's foolhardy decision to hold out for more instead of dumping Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes back in December might cost the Sixers the worst record in the league this season, but a loss tonight will secure a spot in the record books. If Houston shows up even a little bit, Philadelphia will tie the Cavs with their 26th consecutive loss. That's one for the resumé!
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17 and counting. Tanking in professional sports has always been about the difficult balancing act between wanting to be bad enough to land a top draft pick while giving the appearance to your fans (and possibly the governing body of your league) that you're trying to win. It must be a revelation for Sam Hinkie and Josh Harris to embrace the first while disregarding the second. Two games separate the Sixers from the best odds at the #1 spot.
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Whenever a team challenges the 9-73 worst record ever in an NBA season there's always a pang of embarrassment. The Sixers set that mark before I was born, in a 17-team league led by the 68-win Celtics. They set that mark in a time when trying to lose never entered the conversation, in a time when wins were a more valuable commodity than second round draft picks and accumulated lottery balls. That team was better than this team, in fact, every team that's ever set foot on an NBA floor was better than the team Sam Hinkie is currently suiting up every night. Whether you think what he's done is good, bad or inconsequential, the Sixers have moved the bar.
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