Is it time for the Sixers to tank? Here’s what fans think.
The Sixers snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday — the team’s first win since the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
If it wasn’t for appearances from Sixers greats Julius Erving, Allen Iverson and Clint Richardson during Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, fans may have mistaken the Wells Fargo Center for the Chase Center. Warriors jerseys filled the arena and cheers could be heard after every Golden State three-pointer.
While that advantage couldn’t stop the Sixers from capturing a 126-119 win, it was apparent fans are being haunted by three ghosts: the ghost of Sixers past, the ghost of Sixers present, and the ghost of Sixers future.
As fans suffer through a 21-38 season, they can’t help but revisit the past of the struggling era of “The Process.”
“It’s not the season I was expecting,” said South Jersey native Jacob Schneider. “This is actually my first season being a season ticket holder. We’ve been doing excellent the past few seasons so I thought all right, cool. I want to go to every game and see this team succeed, especially after the Paul George signing. But because of the injuries and the inconsistencies, it has not been what I have expected… It kind of gives those [Process] vibes a little bit.”
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And with the announcement on Friday that Joel Embiid will be out for the remainder of the season, uncertainty surrounds the future of the team. The Sixers are currently sitting outside of the play-in tournament, at the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference. With some luck, the Sixers could still make a last-minute push for the final spot.
But some Sixers fans are already preparing for next season. When asked if the team should tank, Sixers fan Terrell Watkins responded “for sure.”
“Start building for next year,” Watkins said. “I mean, I don’t want to see them lose games and I want to see them be competitive but if we win, we lose and if we lose, we win. You got to do what you got to do. You have to look towards the future.”
Pushing for a team that included NBA MVP Embiid and nine-time All-Star Paul George to tank isn’t something fans expected heading into this season. After acquiring George, championship aspirations hit Philly.
“It’s tough being a Sixers fan,” said 34-year-old West Philly native Brian Marshall. “I definitely expected a lot more. I had high hopes for Paul George coming in. They had a pretty solid bench this season. And then obviously getting the news about Embiid. Needless to say, I’m a little bit disappointed and this is not what I expected.”
The Sixers currently have the NBA’s sixth-worst record and a less than 50% chance of keeping their top-6 protected first-round pick. The main question surrounding the team now is whether or not they continue to maximize their chances of keeping the pick or try to chase a play-in spot. Some fans think it’s time to hang it up.
“I think they are actively tanking without trying to,” said 28-year-old fan Joe Sweeney. “This season didn’t look like they were going to be competitive in the playoffs for a while now … I think the first-round pick is important if they don’t end up making the playoffs. Maybe get lucky with the lottery ball, but they don’t have a lot of financial flexibility. They need to make the moves they can make, draft well, and run it back next year.”
Most fans who spoke with The Inquirer at Saturday’s game followed a similar train of thought. Although Marshall also doesn’t believe the playoffs are in the Sixers' future, the Philly native still wants to see the team compete — not tank.
“I don’t think we’re going to make the playoffs unfortunately,” Marshall said. “But they can still show a lot of heart because that’s what Philly is all about. All about playing with heart regardless of what the outcome is.”
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But not everyone was so pessimistic, including 21-year-old Brayden Kolodziuj. “I don’t think we should tank,” Kolodziuj said. “I think we got a chance to make the play-in and do something.”
But no matter the outcome, there will still be a wide swath of fans who are hopeful for next year.
“I think [the future’s] bright,” Marshall said. “I think it’s definitely bright. Just with Embiid’s injury, if he can come back from that strong next season, then we have a solid — Jared McCain, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. I think it will be a pretty fun season next time.”