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NBA history does not bode well for Bucks, 76ers as championship hopes dwindle

The Bucks and 76ers look to defy the odds and get back into the NBA championship conversation after their slow starts.

By Zachary Rotman

Nov 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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The Eastern Conference, with the exception of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, has been a trainwreck. Only one other team, the Orlando Magic (who are without Paolo Banchero) is over .500 as of this writing. 11 of the 15 teams in the conference sit under the .500 mark. Only six Western Conference teams are under .500, showing how these conferences are polar opposites right now.

A big reason why the Eastern Conference looks so bad right now is because several teams that were expected to be competitive have not been early on this season. The New York Knicks are a .500 team after barely finding a way to beat the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets. The Indiana Pacers are under .500 one year removed from an Eastern Conference Finals berth. Perhaps most alarmingly, though, the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers have been the two most disappointing teams in the NBA thus far.

The two teams are a combined 6-19 on the season. The Bucks are 4-9, and the Sixers are 2-10. If the season ended today, both teams would miss the playoffs.

As disappointing as their starts have been, there's reason to believe that both teams can bounce back. The Bucks might be 4-9, but Khris Middleton has yet to suit up for Milwaukee. The Sixers are 2-10, but their three best players - Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, - have all missed time due to injury and a suspension. That trio has not played a single game together.

While there's reason to believe they can turn things around, these two teams entered the season with championship expectations. NBA history suggests that those same aspirations might be unrealistic now.

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NBA history suggests Bucks and Sixers might not have a chance to win championship

The Bucks just lost their ninth game on Saturday in 13 tries. Only six teams in professional basketball history have lost nine of their first 20 games and gone on to win the NBA Championship. That's alarming in it of itself, and the Bucks have lost nine times in 13 tries. The Sixers have lost 10 times already.

There are reasons to have hope. When both of these teams are healthy, they're among the most talented in the Eastern Conference. With how bad the conference is as a whole, they've still got very decent shots at making it to the playoffs. Even at 2-10, the Sixers are just 2.5 games back of the final Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference. They won't be high seeds in the East, but if they get in, they can be a threat.

Still, everything is going to have to go right for these teams to pull off some sort of miracle and go on a deep playoff run, and nothing is going right for these teams right now. Even if they turn their season around to the point where they make the playoffs, history suggests that their run in the playoffs won't be long.

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