After tomorrow night's game against the Knicks, the Sixers will only have one chance left to lose to one of the teams they're battling for lottery position. After the jump, we'll take a quick look at the matchups of the league's pitiful teams remaining on the schedule.
The important column in the standings right now is wins. Here's how the lottery shakes out currently:
10. Clippers (25)
8(t). Sixers (24)
8(t). Knicks (24)
6(t). Detroit (23)
6(t). Sacramento (23)
5. Indiana (22)
4. Washington (21)
And now the remaining games where someone has to win (plus any games left against the bottom three teams)
Clippers (25 wins now)
- Sacramento
- Golden State
- Knicks
- @ Sacramento
- Golden State
- Projected Wins: 30
Sixers (24 wins now)
- @ Knicks
- Detroit
- Projected Wins: 27
Knicks (24 wins now)
- Sixers
- @ Golden State
- @ LA Clippers
- @ Indiana
- Washington
- Projected Wins: 28
Detroit (23 wins now)
- @ Indiana
- Indiana
- @ New Jersey
- @ Philadelphia
- @ Minnesota
- Projected Wins: 27
Sacramento (23 wins now)
- @ LA Clippers
- @ New Jersey
- @ Indiana
- @ Minnesota
- LA Clippers
- Projected Wins: 26
Indiana (22 wins now)
- Detroit
- @ Detroit
- Washington
- Sacramento
- Knicks
- New Jersey
- @ Washinton
- Projected Wins: 26
Washington (21 wins now)
- @ Indiana
- New Jersey
- Golden State
- @ Knicks
- Indiana
- Projected Wins: 24
If the Sixers simply play to their record, meaning lose to every team they play with a better record than them, beat every team with a worse record, they would finish with 26 wins. They have the hardest remaining schedule of all the teams in this group, with only 2 games remaining against cellar-dwelling teams. Every other team has between 5 and 7 games against terrible teams, with Indy leading the way with 7.
The only thing that can stop Philly from improving their lottery standing is picking up a couple of meaningless wins against better teams in the league. Looking at the remaining schedule, I'd circle Chicago and one of the Orlando games, simply because Chicago is struggling and there is the potential for personal motivation against Orlando (plus, Orlando may have their seeding wrapped up when the teams meet on the final day of the season).
As difficult as our schedule is, i'm afraid the sixers are least likely to get to No.4 (which is huge because so far it looks like 2010 will be a 4 man draft). And the reason is simple: The Sixers are by far the most talented team of all these 7 teams (only the Clippers come close) and simply can't lose that many games.
Thanks for getting bringing the club down to this illustrious company EFJ!!! Only you could accomplish such a feat!!!
This whole thing comes crumbling down with any kind of a winning streak. Even three in a row completely screws your chances.
Now that Granger got a booboo on his noggin and is out indefinitely, Indy looks like they're serious about making a move to the bottom. Washington may never win another game. It's going to be tough, and EFJ is probably going to be trimming his rotations to get wins instead of expanding them to get guys like Meeks some minutes. Joker.
No SixersBeat show tonight. Sorry guys.
As I wrote earlier:
Ironically in a season full of losing and disappointment, the fans ultimate let down will be that the team fails to lose enough to be able to draft the type of franchise altering talent this team desperately needs.
-I hope they prove me wrong. But in the past the Sixers always sneaks up a few spots before the lottery. And given the current motivations of the GM, coach and players as compared to the competition, I don't see why this year should be any different.
Had they fired the sh!t-Ed's 3-4 months ago and committed to player development/evaluation then there is no doubt they would ender the lottery with a bottom 5 position. But "7 wins in 12 game package" before the All-Star break proves there motivation lies elsewhere.
I guess i just hope they draft the right player at #7-10 and will have to take it from there.
Bold prediction (I'd say 85% likelhood):
A team that wins a top 3 pick will be within 2 losses of the Sixers. Much like 3 years ago when the Sixers won 3 and 4 more games than the teams that ended up with the top 2 picks. And that was after a 18-7 closing run.
I'm not optimistic in the least. Going by record, they should finish 2-12 (even = win). Going by talent level, probably more like 5-9. I could see them finishing 7-7, though. I see that as more likely than 2-12.
This summarizes what I expect:
http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=996346#p22737675
But who knows, maybe against the odds they still get a top 3 pick. Stranger things have happened in the lottery. But I expect an 8th-10th pick. And it will not be because of failing to tank now- other teams will just tank worse.
It will be because of the run they made heading up to the All Star break. And the Ed's should have been fired before then.
Steph Curry is currently day to day
Winnable games:
Chicago (1-9 in last 10)
NY
Mil X2 (Due to cool off)
Char
Tor (2-8 in last 10)
Det (2-8 in last 10)
Miami X2
Memphis
Final Orl Game
So 11 games they have a decent shot to win, and 3 games that are unlikely. So I expect 4 or more wins. The wins would be best case.
IMO that puts them somewhere between a tie for 6th-9th. But most likely ending up with a pick in the 7th-9th range.
Meant "three wins would be best case"
Which team mails in the final game of the season worse? My guess is the Sixers.
Miami, Milwaukee and Toronto are all most likely playing for either playoff berths or seeding, same with Charlotte.
Only Memphis, NYK and DET truly have nothing to play for. I projected 3 wins from here on out, but like I said, up to 7 wouldn't surprise me.
I acn't say you are wrong or unreasonable. I guess Ive been conditioned to be more pessimistic (or would winning be considered optomistic?) than the original "Depressed Fan.
I expect no satisfaction from this years's team. And would love to be surprised. A 1/10 shot is not impossible, but that is where I see the odds at the Sixers ending up with anything higher than a #7 pick.
So you have the Sixers odds at top-ten pick at about 1/100? 1/10 they get to a 1/10 shot in the lottery.
I think all things considered they have about a 10% shot (probably 12.5% if I had to be precise) a getting a top 3 pick. That most equates to finishing with either the 7th or 8th worst record.
Salmons leaves, Chicago falls apart; Salmons arrives, Milwaukee prospers; a coincidence?
Yeah, I think Noah and Rose's injuries have meant more to CHI than losing Salmons did. He wasn't good in CHI this season.
Was listening to ESPN praise salmons during the bucks clippers game last night (seriously, ESPN went bucks and clippers?) - i almost threw up
Is it time to see how Jason and Elton can compliment each other for the future [wink,wink] and rest Sam a bit?
Of all the young players on the Sixers, I'm most convinced that Jason Smith will amount to nothing in this league. A 7-footer who rebounds as poorly as he does is useless, IMO, unless we're talking about a guy who can score at an unbelievable rate. Bargnani comes to mind, his scoring makes him almost average.
I'm also not sure why Smith stopped shooting threes. That was the only thing he was doing well early in the season.
But i was told pre season that Jason Smith was going to be good, i would see...i'm still waiting to see
http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions/blogs/intell_blogs/intell_blogs_details/article/634/2010/march/18/jordan-sixers-goal-to-go-3-1-this-week.html
The Sixers are 5-2 this season with the starting lineup of Holiday, Green, Iguodala, Brand and Dalembert.
They're also 6-3 the nine times all five starters have scored in double figures.
Who would've thought... All we needed was Green lol!!!
I think we are destined for the 8th pick and a 28 or 29 win finish. The Clippers are too far ahead at 26 wins i guess and the Knicks are actually playing for the wins, so i see them win most of these matchups at the very least. Which brings us to a fight for the 6th spot with Indiana and Detroit. We've seen teams win the lottery from the 6th spot so there just might be some hope for the franchise...
A team that starts willie greene lags in attendance.
If anyone is bored, Jrue's brother, Justin, is playing for Washington in the tourney. He's a little taller than Jrue (not as good obviously), but he's a nice player.
It is inconceivable to me how stupid this franchise is.
They leave Jordan in there coaching dead (I have to assume he is coaching dead since if they keep him over the summer they are not likely to sell any tickets at all) for the balance of the season coaching for what he thinks is to save his job and the result is he wins meaningless games and thus we get a draft pick that is likely to have little or no immediate impact.
Time to fire the whole management team and start over.
Time was probably about 3-4 months ago. had they acted at that time then I'm certain we would be in "development mode" and be on course for a bottom 4 record. And they might have even tried to get another pick at the deadline.
Hey guys, don't know if this has been posted or noted by anyone...
"And the 69-year-old Brown, in his record ninth NBA head coaching job, is always a threat to leave. While he has two years left on his contract, there have been reports linking him to jobs with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Brown's wife, Shelly, lives in Philadelphia with their kids.
"I don't want Larry to leave, but I cannot control and totally understand his relationship in terms of what Shelly feels in terms of a husband-wife scenario and what's best suited for their family," Jordan said. "Now I'll do whatever I can to keep him here and I want him here, but for family reasons, or Shelly's reasons, he feels like he needs to do something else, what else can I do?""
Press conference from MJ's ownership takeover...
Larry Brown back in Philly?? Man my heart started to race about the possibility but is this a long shot?
Do you have a link?
Here it is.
Sounds to me like there have been some discussions.
Someone please help Mr. Snider before LB pulls the wool over his eyes for a second time. This franchise does not need LB coaching it in the worst way. If all he can get out of CHA'a limited talent is around .500, that is surely all he will get out of even less talent here.
Now my desperate thoughts of shaking up this roster? LB just may be the guy for that indeed, but not coaching please.
You've got this backwards, Brown the personnel guy has no regard for things like the salary cap. He's 100% short-term. On the sidelines, he's a magician. In the front office he's a train wreck. I'd love to have him back coaching, because he'd get the most out of the young guys on the defensive end and he'd quickly weed out anyone who's never going to get it on that side of the ball.
If you give him full control, though, when he leaves you're going to be left with a bunch of overpaid journeymen on long contracts and a roster that isn't even competitive if he isn't the guy coaching it.
LB is a very good coach- but I never have really enjoyed his teams style of play. They reduce risk and grind out wins. Again- good BB but I rather watch old time Celtics/Lakers style ball where you win more off of your palyers' talents.
Man, I'd love it if the topic of conversation on this blog was winning pretty vs. winning ugly.
Fortunately, (regardless of press ignoring timing of comments) it seems that Brown coming back to Philadelphia is a dead issue now that Jordan has gotten approval from the NBA and Brown can do what he wants pretty much with a pushover owner with no spine.