There was a time when the Philadelphia 76ers were the losers of 17-straight games to begin the season. A time when the Sixers were undoubtedly the laughing stock of the NBA and public enemy No. 1 in the NBA for the constant uncertainty that was their easily exchangeable roster and apparent lack of will to win from management.
But things have been changing a bit as Philly has now won two straight and three of their last four, and the thrilling fashion in which they’re finding ways to come out on top points to this youthful roster built on potential finally learning how to win.
As you can expect, this come as a tremendous sign of optimism for a team that’s been seen as the bottom-feeder of the NBA since Sam Hinkie tore down what little foundation was in place and started shipping key pieces off, beginning with Jrue Holiday during the 2013 NBA Draft. Over the course of countless losses and numerous trades, there finally seems to be a rotation in line that’s producing at a competitive level, and as of late, that consistent effort to just compete is paying off.
"“We just play together, man,” Tony Wroten said. “We play hard, regardless, and we never give up.”"
Wroten stated that after a thrilling, final-second 93-92 win over the Indiana Pacers at home on Saturday, but it’s not just the Sixers that are gaining confidence and starting to see some progress in the rebuilding process.
"“They’re shooting the ball better and they’re just growing,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “You can see they’re putting in the work. Coach Brown is doing a great job with them and they’re improving, both in their play and their confidence.”"
This came after the Sixers’ third win in six days, which gives them a record of 7-29 on the season. These aren’t necessarily the kind of numbers that speak volumes for a young team learning to come together and find ways to win, but considering Philly is overcoming the adversity that had stumped them early on in the season and finding a way to finish the job, there’s certainly signs of some solid steps in the right direction.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
Early on in the season, the Sixers fell to the Orlando Magic after a Tobias Harris buzzer-beater, couldn’t complete a comeback against the Chicago Bulls and lost by three, and even had the Houston Rockets on their heels before giving up a go-ahead bucket and looking on as Michael Carter-Williams clanked a potential game-winning jumper off the rim.
But as of late, each of the Sixers’ three recent wins have come from behind with Philadelphia taking control in the final 10 seconds. In a huge comeback against the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers, Tony Wroten did what he does so often and attacked the basket to take the lead with 9.1 seconds remaining. In Brooklyn, a back-and-forth game became Philly’s after a Nerlens Noel jam with 3.2 seconds to play.
And against Indiana, the same became the case when MCW took the game into his own hands and connected on a running layup with 9.9 seconds remaining.
"“They find a way to compete. They represent the city of Philadelphia and they represent themselves with a level of spirit and toughness most nights, and I’m proud of them for that,” said head coach Brett Brown.”"
This isn’t likely going to be a trend that continues on and builds until the Sixers are winning more often than losing. They simply don’t have the quality and depth of talent to do so yet. But one thing that’s been evident as this Sixers team is coming together is they leave everything on the court and are playing with a greater sense of confidence. If you don’t think so, just go look at the highlights from their win over the Pacers.
Throwing ally-oops off the backboard isn’t something you see from a team that isn’t gaining confidence and having fun in the process.
Philadelphia is entering a tough stretch of their schedule, which includes Atlanta, Toronto, Washington and Memphis, so wins will again be hard to come by for the time being. On the bright side for Philly, there’s still 46 games left on the schedule and plenty of time to continue showing why the rebuilding process Hinkie has put into place may actually be worth the wait.
All quotes courtesy of ESPN.com