By Sean Kennedy
With one of the more unabashed tanking seasons in NBA history winding down to an end and a history losing streak finally in the rear-view mirror, Sixers fans continue to trust in the long-term plan of the franchise. Short-term losses will lead to long-term success, or so the company line has been ever since Jrue Holiday was shipped out on draft night last summer. However, this certainly isn’t the first time a team has bottomed out in NBA history, so let’s take a look at past teams that went through historic losing streaks and examine how quickly they were able to turn things around.
1997-98 Denver Nuggets – 23 games (Final record: 11-71)
The Nuggets traded away second-leading scorer Antonio McDyess for three first-round draft picks (but tanking is a new problem in the league, right NBA media?). The result was one of the worst seasons in NBA history, but the lottery gods only saw fit to award the Nuggets the third overall pick, which they used on the immortal Raef LaFrentz. With one of their acquired draft picks, Denver selected Tyronn Lue later in the first round, and packaged Lue along with Tony Battie to the Lakers for Nick Van Exel. Whereas Lue would go to fulfill his destiny of getting crossed up and stepped over by Allen Iverson, Van Exel and McDyess, who was brought back as a free agent the next season, could never get Denver over the hump and into the playoffs. It wasn’t until Carmelo Anthony’s rookie season in 2003-04 that the Nuggets returned to the postseason.
2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers – 26 games (Final record: 19-63)
The Cavaliers had done a terrible job putting a competent supporting cast around superstar LeBron James, so when he took in talents to South Beach in the offseason, the result was the worst record in the league and a 26-game losing streak that was unmatched until the Sixers’ victory drought this year. Midway through the season, Cleveland traded away Mo Williams to the Clippers for a first-round draft pick and Baron Davis and his large contract (trading away a point guard for a first-round draft pick, sounds familiar). The Cavaliers amnestied Davis and he only played one more year in the league with the Knicks before retiring due to injuries, but Cleveland had the good fortune to beat the lottery odds with the Clippers pick awarding them the first overall pick. They used that selection on point guard Kyrie Irving and draft Tristan Thompson with their own pick at fourth overall. Still, with Thompson and subsequent early draft picks Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett failing to emerge as stars, the Cavaliers have languished along at 21, 24, and 31 wins (with 4 games yet to play), and have still yet to return to the postseason.
2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats – 23 games (Final record: 7-59)
In a lockout-shortened season, the Bobcats recorded the worst winning percentage in NBA history, losing their final 23 games of the season, a mark for losses to end a season many fans feared for a while there the Sixers would shatter. Sadly for Charlotte supporters, arguably the worst season ever did not guarantee them the first overall pick in a draft with one sure-fire blue-chipper in Anthony Davis. The Bobcats settled on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the second overall pick and went on to win just 21 games last season. This past offseason, management went out and signed free agent Al Jefferson, who has anchored the team offensively and propelled the Bobcats to a .500 record and a playoff berth in a weak Eastern Conference. Although a playoff berth two years later has to be seen as a success story among this list, no one would confuse the Bobcats with a title contender any time soon, and they might be stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity the Sixers were trying to get off of with Andre Iguodala and company.
The point of this exercise isn’t to say that I don’t believe in the plan Sam Hinkie and the rest of the franchise’s decision-makers have put in motion. I recognize they obtained a lottery player in Nerlens Noel who has sat out all season, and they’ll have two lottery picks in what is seen as a deep draft. However, hopefully I’ve shown that there’s no guarantees in this league, and sometimes when a team bottoms out, it just stays near the bottom. It will be up to Sixers management to continue drafting the right players, signing the proper free agents, and generally making solid decisions going forward. This current season is almost over, but the road to franchise redemption is just beginning.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
