Fansided

NBA Tank Rankings: Why won’t it stop?

By Matt Rutkowski

Mar 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 21, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo watch a game against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 110-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo watch a game against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 110-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Philadelphia 76ers

The next “ties aren’t allowed” Golden Corral Buffet coupon is the 76ers beating the Los Angeles Lakers. That noise that sounds like cheering is actually someone’s car radiator about to explode.

After going 1-7 since the end of February, Dario Saric and Jahil “The Jahcess” Okafor had 52 points to carry the casket of the 76ers to a 12-point victory.

These are games one needs to avoid winning. Having swap rights with Sacramento is nice and all, but you can’t depend on other teams to lose for you. Not everyone is that generous. I’m certainly not, and I’m great at losing things. Ask me where my cell phone charger is. Go on. Do it.

There’s still a future here, provided things don’t rot from within and injuries don’t tear it from Philadelphia’s grasp by the tendon. Simmons is still probably the best No. 1 pick from last year’s class. Embiid’s 31 games are still hard to wrap one’s head around statistically. Saric is actually fashioning a comfy little hovel for a potential Rookie of the Year award. For a while, it looked like it wouldn’t get a real home.

Now they might add another huge piece to the pizza because maybe that’s how pizza operates. It’s just not going to be a fun last few games getting to that point. The promise of this year being entertaining is gone. The trade deadline passed with a firework exploding in Colangelo’s clammy hands. Maybe just close your eyes. I’ll wake you up when something interesting happens.

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