NBA Tank Rankings: Lakers ascend to the pinnacle

<p>Savor this one, Philly fans. It might be the last time this season when the Sixers escape the basement.</p> <p>Brett Brown and his team notched their first victory of the season this week, outlasting the Lakers by a 103-91 margin, and that is grounds for celebration in itself. However, Philadelphia is playing better in general right now, to the point where the Sixers actually have a positive net rating over the last three games despite losses to the Knicks and Grizzlies on the road.</p> <p>From a talent perspective, this is the worst team in the NBA by a comfortable margin, but as we’ve said on numerous occasions, Philadelphia has a real advantage with Brown as the head coach, and that helps to bridge some gaps. The Sixers have been freed from the basement. For now.</p>. (1-19). Previous: . Philadelphia 76ers. 2. team. 93

<p>To be honest, I don’t care that the Lakers beat the Wizards this week. A loss to the Sixers (by 12 points!) is enough to land you in the “top” spot, and Los Angeles is bad enough where it is wholly justifiable.</p> <p>The Lakers don’t have the worst record in the league, but a 3-16 mark is nothing special by any stretch, and Los Angeles is now quickly closing in on Philly for the league’s worst net rating at -10.3 points per 100 possessions. For stretches, Byron Scott’s team can look competitive, as they displayed against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, but the lows are <em>very</em> low, and with every heave from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers get closer to keeping their lightly protected 2016 first round pick.</p> <p>In a vacuum, the Sixers are worse, but L.A. owns the top spot for at least one week.</p>. (3-16). Previous: . Los Angeles Lakers. 1. team. 20