The Philadelphia 76ers are having one of their worst seasons of the Joel Embiid era. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games, and again, out of the play-in position. While playing in the East allows for such stretches, they still need to win games. The next stretch of nine games will be absolutely crucial to see where the team is. If things go horribly wrong, the Sixers might consider tanking to keep their top-six protected draft pick.
Tank or Fight For Play-In? The Sixers Have Two Weeks to Decide
The Sixers might be living their absolute worst-case scenario. In the summer, they were the big winners of free agency. They signed Paul George to add to their core of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. On paper, they had arguably the best trio in the league. But then, things went sideways. Each of their three stars have missed significant time. The first time all three shared the court was on November 20 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Even that one was short-lived because a knee injury forced George to leave the game. Embiid has played in only 13 games this season.
During the next stretch of nine games, the Sixers have no lackluster opponents. There is not a single easy winnable game during that stretch. They have three back-to-back sets during that period, and we know George and Embiid rarely play them.
Here is the full schedule: at Indiana, at Milwaukee, at Denver, home against Cleveland, at Chicago, home against the Lakers, home against Sacramento, home against Denver, and home against Boston. Only the Bulls are an under-.500 team.
Is It Time to Give Up?
The Sixers are nine games under .500 at this point. They have been awful, and currently, they are two games behind the 10th position. The Bulls sit there, which will make the Sixers vs. Bulls game a must-win for Philadelphia.
The Sixers owe their 2025 first-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The pick is top-six protected. As it stands right now, on January 17, the 76ers will pick eighth in the 2025 NBA Draft. That means they will lose their pick.
Can the Sixers Get a Top 6 Draft Pick?
Looking at the standings, the Sixers have two or three teams that they can catch up for a higher draft pick. One is the Brooklyn Nets, a team that has one fewer win than the Sixers, but three more losses. Then, there are the Toronto Raptors at 10-31, and the Portland Trail Blazers at 13-27. The next stretch of nine games, five of which are at home, will be extremely important for the Sixers.
That stretch will end just a few days before the trade deadline. If the Sixers lose six or seven of those games, there will be huge pressure on the organization to figure things out. Daryl Morey has been one of the most active general managers, and he is not afraid to make a trade. But can the Sixers salvage the season? The next several games will give a clearer answer.
If not, they can do what Dallas did a few years ago, when they secured a top-10 pick and drafted Derick Lively II. With all the injuries they have suffered this season, a top-six draft pick will be a good consolation price for the Sixers.
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