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The Philadelphia 76ers have been a tanking inspiration on multiple occasions.
“The Process” is long gone, as the Sixers churned out many playoff runs after turning tanking seasons into franchise cornerstones such as the MVP-winning Joel Embiid and the former three-time All-Star Ben Simmons.
But the Sixers knew they were headed nowhere in 2024-2025. It was a lost season, which included two max players (Joel Embiid, Paul George) struggling to get on the floor before the third (Tyrese Maxey) suffered a notable injury of his own later.
With their 2025 first-round pick protected within the top six, Philly started looking at the odds that their selection would stay with them, rather than get sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder. There was a chance to retain it, as long as the tank was brought out. They kept the pick—and even better—they won No. 3.
As the former Baylor star VJ Edgecombe flashes future stardom throughout his rookie season, the Sixers’ latest tank job is reportedly becoming an inspiration for teams with a lousy record, staring at a stacked draft.
“Just as fresh in the memory for many teams is what Philadelphia did last season: The Sixers tanked so hard — in the face of considerable skepticism that they actually could lose to the degree that they did to go from 20-29 to 24-58 — that Philly turned its 4-29 finish into the lottery pick that became V.J. Edgecombe at No. 3,” NBA Insider Marc Stein wrote on Monday. “The prospect of recreating that scenario is what tends to resonate [with teams].”
Sure, the No. 1 pick doesn’t tend to land with a team holding the highest odds of getting it all the time, but when the incoming pool of players is top-heavy, teams can comfortably live with the results.
You’ll have a hard time finding a team disappointed with their rookies within that top six range from last season. Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Ace Bailey, and Tre Johnson are all thriving in their own way.
Fast forward to Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybansta, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler, and NBA teams should be thrilled landing one through six, giving some of those Play-In outsiders an incentive for missing the cut.
For a moment last season, the Sixers thought they might try to make the push in the postseason direction. You’ll have a hard time finding someone to say they made the wrong choice.
The Sixers are back in the playoff picture with a 30-22 record this year, placing them sixth in the Eastern Conference. The reward for last year is a young standout who has started 48 games, averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.
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