NBA Tank Rankings: 76ers reach familiar territory
By Brad Rowland
#2 – Los Angeles Lakers
Byron Scott is actively presiding over a train wreck. The Lakers have lost four straight games to fall to a 1-8 mark on the year, and LA’s defense has been unwatchable throughout the season. Beyond that, though, Scott is yanking rookie point guard (and number two overall pick) D’Angelo Russell on and off the floor as if the Lakers were playing highly meaningful games in November, and that doesn’t even begin to describe the circus that is Kobe Bryant playing basketball in 2015.
The Lakers have a lot more talent than a couple of teams on this list, but Scott is brutal and the pieces don’t fit together in Los Angeles. I can’t imagine that the Lakers will be this bad for the entirety of the 2015-2016 season, but it is rough at the moment for one of the league’s flagship franchises.
#1 – Philadelphia 76ers
There is just one team left “standing” without a victory at this point in the season, and to the surprise of no one, that squad is the Philadelphia 76ers. Coming into the year, expectations were (again) quite high when it comes to Philadelphia’s ability to tank at the highest level, but as injuries have taken a toll on an already depleted rotation, things have gotten ugly for the Sixers to the tune of a -14.2 net rating in nine games.
Brett Brown is a good coach, the Sixers actually do have some talent with Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Robert Covington and others, but that does not mean that Philadelphia will be winning many games anytime soon. The Sixers are invested in “trusting the process”, and that process means another brutal season is on the horizon.