The Philadelphia 76ers have officially begun their quest to keep their draft pick in the 2025 draft. Judging by their latest moves, the Sixers probably determined that this season is a lost one. They need to recuperate and try again next season. Their 2025 first-round pick is top-six protected. As of February, they are slotted to get the No.6 pick. A month ago the question whether the Philadelphia 76ers will tank or battle for a playoff spot was a valid one. Now, everything points toward tanking for the rest of the season.
Philadelphia 76ers Tankathon Officially Begins
The Sixers have lost one of their two crucial games this weekend. They lost to the Brooklyn Nets in a game they benched Joel Embiid. The former MVP played 31 minutes before getting benched in the fourth quarter. He shot 4-13, including 0-6 from the three-point line for only 14 points.
At this point, Philly might be better off sitting Embiid for the rest of the season. He has already talked about how he doesn’t feel as good as he felt a year ago. He said he probably needs rest and another surgery to get back to the shape he wants. Following a loss to the Celtics a few days ago, he said,
“The way I was playing a year ago, it’s not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks. But I believe…I probably need to fix the problem and then I’ll be back at that level, but it’s hard.”
Important Games Ahead
With the loss to the Nets Saturday night, the Sixers are now tied with Brooklyn 2-2 in the season series. That means if the season ended today, Philly will have a higher pick (unless ping pong balls bring the Nets luck). The Sixers have one more loss than Brooklyn, and one more than Chicago. They have two fewer wins than the Bulls.
So far this season, they are 2-0 against the Bulls. But if the Philadelphia 76ers want to tank for a higher draft pick, they have two more games against the Bulls. They cannot deliberately lose games, especially when the Bulls are seemingly trying to lose as well. Right now, the Bulls are on a six-game losing streak, while the Sixers have lost seven in a row.
The two teams will meet Monday night, before playing in what will be the last game of their season on April 13.
In March, the Sixers have two important games against lottery competitors. They play the Portland Trail Blazers on March 3, and then the Toronto Raptors on March 12.
Sixers Need a Helping Hand
There are two things Philly fans can be happy about. The Nets are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and the Portland Trail Blazers are 6-4. Those are two teams that were in front of Philly in the draft order two to three weeks ago. Here are some important games Sixers fans will want to see the outcome in March.
- Brooklyn plays the Blazers on February 28, Bulls on March 13, and the Raptors on March 26 and April 6.
- Chicago plays the Raptors on February 28 and April 1, and then the Blazers on April 5.
The Spurs Might Spoil Philadelphia 76ers Tank Plans
As we said before, the Sixers owe a top-six protected first round pick in the 2025 draft. If their pick falls outside of that range, they will have to send it to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With 26 games to the end of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers might finally go into tank mode to try and get a quality rotation player. The 2025 draft is dubbed as one of the best and deepest in recent years. If they can get someone like Jared McCain, a gem they found outside of the lottery last year, the Sixers will be delighted.
The bad news for the Sixers is that a new team has entered the tank race, and that is the San Antonio Spurs. Following the injury to Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have nothing to play for this season. They have their pick, and the lower they can go, the better. The Spurs are four games ahead of the Sixers in the standings, but without Wembanyama, their chances of competing are slimmer.
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