Four-for-Four: The Claude Giroux Is Better Than You Edition

76ERS

A SECOND TO RANT

As the 76ers continue to pile up losses at a record rate, tweets from local beat writers looking a lot like the one I’m about to post have been popping up more and more.

First, Reuben Frank is one of my favorite writers in the city and this is, by no means, an attempt to discredit his stance on sports. It just happened to be the one I remember most recently. Roob has forgotten much more about Philadelphia sports than I could hope to know. That being said, these sentiments have been increasing in the recent weeks and it’s almost as if there is a sense of entitlement coming with those who don’t know what they’re watching.

The 76ers, from a talent standpoint, might be one of the worst squads to ever take an NBA floor. Realistically, the team has three players who could make the rotation of a decent team. Brett Brown, at least right now, is probably wishing he was parked next to Gregg Popovich coming off a win against the Heat and must be asking himself, ‘Why did I take this job?’. Sam Hinkie most likely won’t say another word to us for the rest of the season and falling behind the last place Milwaukee Bucks has become a real possibility. If anyone had any doubt what the organization wanted this year to end up as, the last couple of months should have erased any of those questions.

So with less than 25 games separating the 76ers organization from, hopefully, the most difficult year in franchise history and the preparations for a potentially franchise-altering draft class, all the sudden the purity of the game is under question. For all the holier than now haters trying to bash what the organization is doing, where were you praising what they’ve done since the early 2000s? Because what they’re doing right now is the complete opposite and thus, all of you should have been supporting them.

Technically, the 76ers are no closer to guaranteeing themselves the 1st overall pick in the upcoming draft than they were in years where they were toward the back of the lottery, such as last year. What they have guaranteed is that, for the first time in what seems like forever, they have a plan in place that they can follow until the end and know that, if things go their way to a certain extent, they can get the sort of results they want. In the past, some of the short-sighted plans that the organization tried to pawn off as legitimate title contending paths were laughable looking back on them. We all got excited when the team made acquisitions like Elton Brand and Chris Webber, but all they were really doing was putting a wet band-aid on a franchise splitting at the seems. Prior to this regime took over, I would argue the 76ers haven’t had a legitimate plan in place since Pat Croce was calling the shots.

The 76ers aren’t the first ‘worst team I’ve ever seen’ in NBA history. Even this season, the New York Knicks are two meaningless wins over their 15-game stretch from having a losing streak that matched the 76ers. What the Knicks don’t have is a 2014 1st round pick, salary cap space, and a coach they have confidence in moving forward. Would all of these people prefer to be fans of that train wreck? I know I wouldn’t.

This year was never going to be fun for the 76ers. The first few games of the season were fun, the draft was fun, and the trade deadline was somewhat exciting. Everything around that was going to be trying to focus on the few intriguing storylines the team had to offer and ride out the season. The level of engagement with the team last year, when they had 34 wins by season’s end, was just as disinterested as it is this year. Only difference was that this team might actually have a future where they contend for a title in a few seasons. The team that took the floor last season under the coach for which they did would not win a title in this league ever.

NBA’S DREAM

As it stands; the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers all have bottom-five records in the NBA. Once one gets over the shock of the fact that two of these teams have won NBA titles in the last five years (I won’t say which ones), one has to think new NBA commissioner Adam Silver is salivating over the prospect of a franchise-caliber draft prospect suiting up for each one of these three teams at the start of next season.

Organizations such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers have provided for excitement this season, but every day the NBA’s meat market teams aren’t drawing top billing is considered a loss for the league. One would have to think that if the league could somehow ensure that Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins both play in the same division, something that would happen if the Celtics and 76ers ended up with the premiere prospects. If the Lakers end up scoring a top-notch player of their own, such as Dante Exum out of Australia, the anticipation for the faceoffs with the NBA’s three top rookies on three of its marquee franchises would reach a fever pitch. As long as it did not end up with the 76ers winning the proverbial bronze in the situation, I would have no issue with the NBA rigging its lottery just once more to allow that to happen.

THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE 76ERS LAST WIN

The 76ers last win was a January 29th 95-94 win over the Celtics, a game won by an Evan Turner buzzer beater. Here are some notable events that have happened since that faithful night.

1. The NHL’s Olympic Break started and ended with Canada winning the gold medal

2. Cole Hamels announced his initial injury, then he was fine, then he wasn’t.

3. Villanova basketball went 9-1 and won their first Big East Title since 1982.

4. CEO Josh Harris, who also owns the Devils, helped the Flyers hated rival get their first round draft pick back.

5. The Seattle Seahawks Beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII 43-8

Should it be deemed necessary, we will continue to track down notable events that have happened since that fateful evening.