We’ve reached the twenty first Century’s quarter pole, a perfect time to evaluate an NBA group’s fortunes over the previous 25 years. And the Sixers could be summed up as follows:
Meh.
Their regular-season win-loss document for the century is 960-1,071. They’ve made 15 playoff appearances, solely one in every of which prolonged previous the second spherical. There have been 11 profitable seasons, 12 dropping seasons and two break-even seasons.
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There have been 11 head coaches (together with interims) and numerous gamers. Gold star should you keep in mind Derrick McKey enjoying for the Sixers in 2001-02. Similar should you recall Corliss Williamson passing by means of city in ’04-05. Or {that a} second Bobby Jones was on the roster in ‘06-07.
There was the parade of mediocrity (to be charitable) throughout The Course of years, when the Sixers employed Henry Sims, Casper Ware, Alexey Shved and lots of, many others. And there have been the frustrations surrounding things like the taking pictures capability of Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz and the well being of Joel Embiid. Maybe you’ve heard.
By my rely Embiid has missed time with over a dozen completely different afflictions. Now that he’s north of age 30, it’s unlikely that that state of affairs will enhance markedly.
What follows is my try and rank the 25 groups of the final 25 years. You possibly can in all probability guess which groups rank highest and lowest, however in between there’s a entire lotta meh.
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25. ’15-16 (10-72)
Fairly straightforward name. The one NBA group to ever compile a worse 82-game document was that ’72-73 Sixers bunch, which went 9-73. However that group was very possible higher than this one. I imply, the long-ago membership had a Corridor of Famer in Hal Greer – a Corridor of Famer who seldom performed that 12 months, however a Corridor of Famer nonetheless – and a handful of others who have been All-Stars sooner or later of their careers. The ’15-16ers have been led in scoring by Jahlil Okafor. ‘Nuff stated.
(Additionally, the Colangelos arrived in December 2015, starting the downward spiral towards Burnergate.)
(Embiid harm: stress fracture, proper foot; DNP.)
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24. ’24-25 (24-58)
The season started with championship hopes. It ended with hopes solely of retaining a lottery choose. That mission was achieved, and perhaps VJ Edgecombe will probably be price all the difficulty. Or perhaps it received’t matter, contemplating the infirmities of Embiid and Paul George.
(Embiid accidents: left knee rehab; sinus fracture; performed 19 video games.)
23. ’14-15 (18-64)
Tony Wroten was an all-over-the-place kinda guard, somebody who would attempt something and stay with the outcomes. As coach Brett Brown put it on the time, Wroten was “not gonna die questioning.” Wroten, 22 on the time, was averaging a team-best 16.9 factors a sport when he blew out a knee in January 2015. He performed eight extra NBA video games in ’15-16, and has since performed abroad, most lately in Iceland.
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(Embiid harm: stress fracture, proper foot; DNP)
22. ’13-14 (19-63)
It’s onerous to recollect now, however the Sixers truly began out 3-0, with the primary of these victories over the defending-champion Warmth. That additionally occurred to be Michael Carter-Williams‘ debut, and he performed what was nearly actually the perfect sport of his profession: 22 factors, 12 assists, seven rebounds and 9 steals. MCW wound up the Rookie of the 12 months, however due to accidents by no means approached these heights once more throughout a nine-year NBA run. Now he’s dabbling in boxing.
21. ’09-10 (27-55)
On media day, new coach Eddie Jordan arrayed a bunch of media dweebs on the ground at PCOM to show the Princeton offense popularized by the legendary Pete Carril. One way or the other Inquirer beat author Kate Fagan, who had performed Division I ball, wasn’t amongst them. At any price, the offense that day didn’t look all that a lot worse than the one the Sixers ran in the course of the season, and Jordan was gone quickly after.
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20. ’12-13 (34-48)
On the finish of the season, departing coach Doug Collins admitted he had checked out round Christmas time. Beautiful. Additionally, famous bowler Andrew Bynum will certainly be ramping up any day now.
19. ’03-04 (33-49)
Cameos throughout this season. By Randy Ayers, who lasted 52 video games as head coach, by no means to imagine such a place within the NBA once more. By Chris Ford, who succeeded Ayers; it was the final of 10 seasons he was a head coach within the Affiliation. And by Glenn Robinson, who was one other in a protracted line of Allen Iverson sidekicks. Over 42 video games the Large Canine averaged 16.6 factors in his solely season in Philadelphia, a profession low to that time, and was out of the league after enjoying 9 video games for San Antonio in ’04-05.
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18. ’06-07 (35-47)
From afar, it was at all times evident that Andre Miller was a very good participant. But it surely wasn’t till the Sixers acquired him in change for Iverson in December 2006 that the total extent of his skills turned evident. How he had one of many nice old-man video games of all time, augmented by one of many nice on-court IQs of all time. “As a participant his mind and understanding of the sport is above and past – the best,” Jim Lynam, then an assistant and now a broadcaster, informed me two years in the past. There wasn’t a lot else occurring with this group, however Miller was a revelation.
17. ’05-06 (38-44)
Maurice Cheeks was a Corridor of Fame level guard and has been a long-time NBA assistant. However he was not a very good head coach, going 305-315 whereas heading three groups over 9 seasons, together with 122-147 in three-plus years because the Sixers’ boss. And he by no means appeared fairly so defeated as he did when Iverson and Chris Webber confirmed up lower than an hour earlier than the group’s ultimate residence sport this season – Fan Appreciation Night time. Cheeks stammered out some half-answers when requested about their tardiness, then slumped in his workplace chair because the media pack dispersed, having informed everybody, “I’m achieved.” (Footnote: In a bigger sense he was not, lasting two-plus seasons past this one within the job. However Iverson and Webber have been jettisoned early in ’06-07.)
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16. ’07-08 (40-42)
One way or the other this group constructed a two-games-to-one lead over a 59-win Detroit outfit in a first-round collection. Then the Pistons obtained severe, profitable the final three video games by a mixed 49 factors.
15. ’08-09 (41-41)
Seasons like this are the perfect argument for The Course of. Sure, the Sixers performed higher after Tony DiLeo changed Cheeks early on, going 32-27 underneath the interim boss. But it surely was apparent they have been by no means going anyplace. And certainly they fell in six video games to Orlando within the first spherical. Yawn.
14. ’10-11 (41-41)
Began 3-13 earlier than discovering their footing. Elton Model, who had come over as a free agent two years earlier, loved his finest season in Philadelphia – 15 ppg, 8.3 rpg – however it was clear he was removed from the 20-and-10 man he had been earlier in his profession, having suffered an Achilles tear his ultimate season with the Clippers (’07-08).
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13. ’19-20 (43-30)
The season, already wonky due to COVID, lurched to a conclusion within the Bubble, with a first-round sweep by Boston. And to this present day, it’s honest to surprise if Al Horford was a double-agent despatched by the Ghost of Crimson Auerbach.
(Embiid harm: sprained left shoulder; torn ligament, left ring finger; performed 51 video games)
12. ’01-02 (43-39)
The post-Finals hangover was appreciable. Iverson and Aaron McKie delayed offseason surgical procedures till shortly earlier than coaching camp and missed some video games out of the gate, resulting in an 0-5 begin for a group that had opened the earlier season with 10 straight victories. The Sixers have been eradicated by Boston within the first spherical, however at the least AI blessed us along with his memorable “apply” rant when it was throughout.
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11. ’04-05 (43-39)
This was the primary of Andre Iguodala‘s 19 seasons within the league, and given what occurred later in his profession – i.e., 4 titles with Golden State as a complementary participant to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and (briefly) Kevin Durant – he may be a Corridor of Famer. My very own .02 is that he is without doubt one of the finest perimeter defenders I’ve ever seen, a man who due to his athleticism and smarts held his personal towards the Kobe Bryants and Paul Pierces of the world.
10. ’16-17 (28-54)
The primary glimpse we had of Embiid was a 31-game cameo this season, and he didn’t disappoint. All of a sudden the group gave the impression to be on an upward trajectory. All of a sudden The Course of gave the impression to be Processing, which is why I might rank this group above some that completed with superior data. Additionally, keep in mind how all of us thought Dario Saric was gonna be a franchise pillar? Good occasions. (Footnote: He truly completed second in Rookie of the 12 months voting this season, one spot forward of Embiid.)
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(Embiid harm: torn meniscus, left knee.)
9. ’02-03 (48-34)
This was the final of six seasons Larry Brown coached in Philadelphia – the longest he coached anyplace – and it’s notable that he coaxed 48 victories out of this bunch. Iverson (“the little child,” in Brownspeak) was nearly as good as ever, and one way or the other the Sixers obtained by with Derrick Coleman masquerading as a middle. However then once more, Brown was at all times a giant DC man.
8. ’17-18 (52-30)
Ultimately, the Man Bun prevailed. You would possibly do not forget that the closing sport of a second-round collection towards Boston ended with the ball in Embiid’s palms on the left block. All that stood between him and the game-tying basket was Aron Baynes, a 6-10, 260-pound New Zealander who Embiid derided as “Man Bun” due to his hairdo. With the clock ticking down they hammered away at one another, and Baynes in all probability obtained away with a foul as Embiid rose to fireplace. His shot spilled out. No whistle. Sixers lose. Drive residence safely, should you drove.
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(Embiid harm: fractured left orbital bone; concussion; performed 63 video games.)
7. ’11-12 (35-31)
Took benefit of Chicago’s accidents to win a first-round collection, and if not for some clutch 3-point sniping by Rajon Rondo (?) in Sport 7 may need stolen a convention semifinal collection from Boston. The group teardown commenced afterward, however what are we to make of the 4 rings Iguodala has since received, or the 2 received by Jrue Vacation? Or that Nikola Vucevic (who one way or the other fell behind Lavoy Allen on the depth chart this season) has since change into a double-double machine whereas enjoying for Orlando and Chicago? Is it not doable there was extra right here than met the attention?
6. ’23-24 (47-35)
Tobias Harris‘ stat line in Sport 6 of the first-round ouster towards the Knicks nonetheless boggles the thoughts: two pictures and 0 factors in 29:20. Sure, the Sixers obtained hosed on the finish of Sport 2. And sure, Embiid’s on-court conduct, as when he tackled Mitchell Robinson, invitations scrutiny. However goodness, how is Tobias such a whole no-show in a closeout sport? It’s one factor should you miss pictures, fairly one other should you don’t even hassle to aim them.
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(Embiid accidents: torn meniscus, left knee; Bell’s Palsy; performed 39 video games.)
5. ’21-22 (51-31)
The Jimmy Butler saga got here full circle this season, as he led the Warmth to a second-round victory over the Sixers, who by this level featured James Harden as Embiid’s main sidekick. Butler scored 32 within the clincher. Harden, acquired earlier within the season for Simmons, managed 11. “I’m positive since we obtained him, all people anticipated the Houston James Harden,” Embiid informed reporters afterward. “However that’s not who he’s anymore.”
(Embiid accidents: proper orbital fracture; delicate concussion; COVID; performed 68 video games.)
4. ’20-21 (49-23)
As all of us keep in mind, the season boiled all the way down to Simmons passing when he ought to have gone onerous to the rim, and the Sixers, the East’s high seed, dropping a winnable Sport 7 to Atlanta at residence – a sport, by the way in which, wherein Hawks star Trae Younger shot 5-for-23. Hey, however we’ll at all times have Simmons’ summer time exercise movies to cherish.
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(Embiid harm: torn meniscus, proper knee; bone bruise, left knee; performed 51 video games.)
3. ’22-23 (54-28)
Up 3-2 within the convention semis and enjoying a possible closeout sport towards Boston at residence, the Sixers absolutely Sixered. Jayson Tatum, 1-for-14 till late, warmed to the duty, and Philly missed 9 straight pictures in crunch time. And the much less stated about Sport 7, the higher. Embiid was named MVP, which was good, however by this level the fan base was anticipating extra from the group as an entire.
(Embiid harm: sprained left knee; sprained proper knee; performed 66 video games)
2. ’18-19 (51-31)
Featured the membership’s finest beginning 5 of the Millennium. However the bench? Yuck. Shoutout to Greg Monroe, who was one way or the other a minus-9 in 1:41 of Sport 7 of the Jap semis towards Toronto – i.e., the Kawhi Leonard sport. And for the collection, the Sixers have been plus-89 when Embiid was on the ground, minus-108 when he was not.
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(Embiid harm: tendinitis, left knee; sickness; performed 64 video games.)
1. ’00-01 (56-26)
Different groups on this record have been higher man for man, however none had Brown and Iverson, the perfect coach and participant the franchise have needed to supply up to now within the century. Nor has another membership been blessed with the identical sort of mojo. Then-Milwaukee coach George Karl referred to as these Sixers “a proud group” earlier than the Bucks met them within the Jap Convention Finals, and as Morgan Freeman has stated, “That’s goddamn proper.”
Get busy residing, or get busy dying? They did the previous till operating into Shaq and Kobe within the Finals. And even then they stole Sport 1, which got here to be recognized for one in every of AI’s signature moments. There’s been little to put in writing residence about since.
