Last year the NBA saw all the cellar dwelling teams battle it out for the leagues worst record in order to have a shot at drafting one of the top tier rookies in what was touted as the greatest class in the last decade. Everyone was "Riggin for Wiggins" the crowned jewel of the latest draft class. In order to be in contention for this rare commodity it resulted in some of the ugliest basketball I've ever witnessed in my life. Teams were, without officially coming out and saying it, doing their best to lose as much as possible. And even with some of the most despicable records in history, none of these teams got their prize; as the rigged Draft Lottery afforded Cleveland with its third #1 overall pick in the last 4 years, despite only having a 1.7% chance of winning the pick.
This years class is not as highly touted, so its not a surprise to see teams back in the business of trying to win games; well, most teams. Which brings us to the Philadelphia 76ers. What was once one of the leagues proudest organizations, they now are the laughing stock of the league, topped off with a recent 50 point loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The teams "star" second year point guard Michael Carter Williams has vehemently disputed all allegations of tanking, yet was seen arguing with his coach about not hustling on defense by pointing at the scoreboard as if to say "we have no chance to win, why should we keep trying."
At an abysmal 0-9 with little hope of getting their first win anytime soon, questions continue to be raised about the direction of this organization. To me, it all starts in the front office. This isn't a team strapped for cash and just putting out the only players they can get. They are $20 Million under the salary cap yet continue to bring in no name guys with minimal talent as they stockpile draft picks. That wouldn't even be a bad strategy if they were turning the draft picks into key contributors, but instead they have drafted very poorly. Last year they drafted Nerlens Noel who missed the entire season, this year they drafted Joel Embiid and traded for the rights of Dario Saric. On paper this sounds like a great draft, but then you see that Embiid is out for the year and Saric is stuck in a contract for a team in Turkey.
Investing in guys who cannot help you win is foolish. And with the ludicrous draft lottery, having the worst record doesn't guarantee them a top pick in next years draft. This effort for mediocrity is an embarrassment for the team and its fans, but now it has stretched from the court to the wallets of owners around the league. They have become such an ugly team to watch that when they go on the road, fans don't want to spend the money to go to the games. Perennial playoff teams that average sellouts like the Dallas Mavericks have been struck by this problem of having to host Philly.
The NBA should take up the rules of the Barclays Premier League, which allows for the worst teams to be sent down to a lower league to keep the league competitive. That needs to happen to the 76ers immediately, or better yet, disband the team as a whole. The NBA is already an joke of a league with top heavy rosters, one or two fewer teams and a shortened season would only help bring back fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment