Sixers better off missing the playoffs?
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Sixers better off missing the playoffs?
John Mitchell, Inquirer Staff Writer
So, your 76ers have seven games left in which to salvage the season. But is this season really one deserving of resuscitation?
Everywhere I go, whenever the Sixers become the subject of conversation, most fans of the team have completely reversed field on wanting them to make the playoffs. They want to see the Sixers “lose out.”
This, of course, is a complete reversal of field from the consensus regarding this team when it stood atop the Atlantic Division with a 20-9 record and looked like it was headed for home court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
No doubt, 19 losses in the last 31 games can change that outlook for a rabid fan base (pat yourselves on the back for notching a league-best 19 percent increase in attendance at Wells Fargo Center this season) that the Sixers took riding in a rocket, gave it a star and then dropped it back down to this cold, cold world, but the bottom line is that a trip to the playoffs – even if it means inevitable elimination by Chicago or Miami – is better overall for the franchise than landing in the lottery and hoping the Sixers can jump way up near the top of the draft.
But I want to know what the fans think. Are you so turned off by this bunch that you would rather see them in the lottery rather than a playoff series that conventional wisdoms says they can’t win? I don’t know how much wisdom there is in that when you consider that this team has so many young players on the roster that would benefit from the experience gained from participating in the postseason.
Only one team is going to walk off with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, and I don’t believe that anyone thought that team was going to be the Sixers even when they were the hottest thing in the league two months ago.
So, Sixer faithful, what do you think? Playoffs or no?
Contact staff writer John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmitchellInquirer
I think it would be beneficial to the rookies, but what happens after the season is more important. 2-3 of the starters need to be wearing other uniforms next year. Attitude changes needs to happen.— quentin1978- In my opinion, it's nearly impossible to win without first losing. Didn't Boston throw a season or two so they could improve? The Sixers have been stuck in NBA purgatory for more than a decade, and I don't think there's any other way out. You can acquire a player who's a 7 or 7.5, but you won't get a 9 or 10, and that's what's needed. To win in the NBA, you've got have two or three top-tier players.
- Better to make the playoffs. Then get rid of dead veteran weight and start fresh next year.— ericthered1
- Of course you try to make the playoffs...anything else is BS. When the season's over (and we all know when that'll be), trades, and free agency should come into play heavily as well as the draft... (obviously, if the deals could get done prior to the draft, specific needs would be addressed better in the draft)....The 2012 draft, after Anthony Davis, is pretty well stocked in power forward prospects throughout, but does not possess true game changers...The Sixers have various needs...athletic physicality on the frontline (missed out last year on Faried,duh), three point sniper, and natural point guard...Expecting Iggy to get dealt (Al Jefferson,Nene,Pau Gasol?), and the possibility of sending EB on his way opens avenues to a Javale McGee,Ryan Anderson,Goran Dragic, or Steve Novak.— bearsfriend
- It's hard to root for this team. Bunch of poor attitude, poor bball IQ guys that whine about Doug Collins who has forgotten more about bball than any of them will ever know. This team has 3 factions , the anti- Collins group ( they would be whatever idiots went crying to Kate Fagan about how "rough" Collins is on them) ; the group that could go either way, and the group that likes Collins. In the offseason, the key will be to get rid of the anti Collins group, that would leave the guys that can go either way, with the group that likes Collins. That group would be a more competitive group with more heart even if you lose some "talent" , like Iggy.— drbob1
- At this point this teams flaws are obvious to everyone, opponents, fans, and most importantly the front office. So there's little sense in having them even further exposed in a playoff series. It's best to simply move forward with the changes that inevitably have to be made to the roster.— T-Money
- John and Ericthered1, if they do make the playoffs and show some "potential" then the dead veteran weight will stick around like it has for years. Look at our track record: In 2005 we played the Pistons and won 1 game. Everyone thought we had potential. In 2008 we played the Pistons and were up 2-1 and lost. However, everyone said we had potential. In 2009, we were up 2-1 to the Magic and lost. Everyone raved about our potential. In 2010 that potentially good team won 27 games. Now in 2011 we did the same against the Heat. Keep in mind we were never higher than a 6th seed and never over .500 as a team with this core.
Therefore, if you think making the playoffs and giving the owners any reason to think this core that has gone through 4 coaches is going to suddenly become great...you are kidding yourself. Also, there are almost 4 teams that might finish with a record better than us and still not make the playoffs. That will put us at the 9th potential pick and who knows what could happen.— The Villain ET - No i'm not turned off by this group, I"m turned off by doug collins. Hopefully if the Sixers miss the playoffs he gets fired, we get a top flight player and we move forward with a team that is ready to relinquish its dead weight. Losing out and going towards the lottery helps the team get better. But first thing the team has to do to get better is fire Doug Moe.— Zeru
- o yeah..i guess that's the problem. And in 2010, Eddie Jordan was the problem..and in 2009 it was Tony DiLeo or maybe it was Mo Cheeks..or Jim O'Brien or Chris Ford or Randy Ayers. Seeing a pattern? The NBA is about talent..not as much coaching. Doc Rivers wasn't a great coach, but he has a ring. Who's the OKC coach? They win because they have Durant and Westbrook. A good coach makes good talent better. A good coach and bad talent gets you no where. — PhillyFanSince86
- The point that the Sixers are better off making the playoffs because of the "experience" that it will bring the young players is just about the dumbest and ridiculous argument that I continue to hear over and over again. How did that "experience" help last season when they made the playoffs? How about that "experience" in the 2008 season? Or 2007 season? Making the playoffs is useless if they don't have the talent. They need to miss the playoffs. They need a high draft pick in a year when the talent is high coming out of college. The problem is talent. Not experience.— PhillyFanSince86
- Lose out and blow this team up. Say goodbye to Brand, Iguadola, Hawes, Meeks, Holiday - get Austin Rivers, in the draft then be aggressive in free agency sign Philly - South Jersey guys - Bynum, Jameer Nelson, Jason Thompson.— bsmart
- They would have been better off missing the playoffs if they played this season on a developmental basis. However, they played this year trying to win as many as possible, development be damned. If you are going to play to win at the expense of development, you better make the playoffs.— blah
- I hope we miss the playoffs & get lucky in the draft. This team is a mess & mass changes need to be made. Iggy, Brand, & Thorn need to go at the minimum. They can all go actually, I don't see anyone worth building around.— buy_me_toys!
- The rotten luck last year of getting the 2nd overall pick and only being able to get another point guard on a team that has 2 already. They are too small and they have no clutch scorer. If a playoff berth means another year announcing Brand and Igoudala in the starting lineup, bleccchhh!— TongueWagger
- This team will be slightly above mediocrity to slightly below mediocrity for years to come. There may or may not be a franchise type player in this year's draft but it's better for the 76ers to at least have a chance to get him with a lottery pick. No playoffs would be a good thing for Team Titanic.— ManU63
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
