SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 30. Philadelphia 76ers

+Philadelphia 76ers  Overall Win/Loss Record: 34-48, tied fourth place Atlantic Division	Last Season’s Rank 21	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 30
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 93.2 (30th) Points Allowed: 96.5 (9th) Team FG%: .444 (22nd) Opponent’s FG%: .454 (16th) Team FT%: .729 (25th) Team Three Point FG%: .360 (13th) Rebounds per game: 41.3 (20th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.0 (26th) Turnovers per game: 12.6 (2nd) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.8 (19th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Thaddeus Young (14.8) Rebounds per game:  Thaddeus Young (7.5) Minutes per game: Evan Turner (35.3) Assists per game:  Evan Turner (4.3) Field Goal Percentage: Thaddeus Young (.531) Free Throw Percentage: Spencer Hawes (.780)   Three Point FG Percentage: Evan Turner (.365) Steals per game: Thaddeus Young (1.8) Blocked Shots per game: Spencer Hawes (1.4)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. Spencer Hawes PF. Thaddeus Yong SF. Evan Turner SG. Jason Richardson PG. Michael Carter-Williams	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: F/C. Lavoy Allen F/C. Arnett Moultrie F. Royce White G. Tony Wroten C. Kwame Brown
Analysis: There certainly will be no brotherly love showered on the 76ers and their fans as they both come in with a rather weak team and very poor prospects for the 2014 season.  Philly will be entering the 2014 +NBA season with a ramshackle team where its three best players probably would not even start for a team, let alone be a primary option.  Thaddeus Young would be at best a third or fourth option on a good NBA team as he is rather small to play the power forward position, yet neither has the range or the handle to play small forward in this league.  Although Evan Turner has shown some improvement, he still has yet to show that he has the goods to have been selected second overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.  And at 32 years old, Jason Richardson is no longer the explosive athlete that he once was when he first entered the league as injuries and the ravages of Father Time have both taken their toll on him. The rest of the team is not any better as it consists of no names and players who would not even make an NBA D-League team let alone on a regular NBA roster.  Spencer Hawes, the team's starting center, would be a backup on most team as his skills are quite limited, he is not quite athletic, and offers little if anything other than a mid range jumper.  The team's starting point guard position seems to be up in the air as there is virtually no one that has the experience nor the capability to actually run an NBA offense.  As for the bench, it contains the saddest groups of misfits, rejects and team pariahs that probably has ever been assembled--one of which include a player that has been blessed with so much talent and skill, but whose head is so screwed up that he can not bring them all together.  Afflicted with more phobias and mental issues that even Sigmund Freud himself could handle, Royce White's career did not even have a chance to start as he was quickly jettisoned by the team that drafted him, the +Houston Rockets and now he will join a 76er team that has even less stability than he himself has. From what was mentioned here, it seems as if this upcoming season will be an absolute disaster for the Philadelphia 76ers--a team that was supposed to be entering a new winning era. Unfortunately things did not turn out as anticipated as one of the major pieces of that revival, +Andrew Bynum, who the Sixers received in last season mega deal that sent +Dwight Howard to the +Los Angeles Lakers, was a complete no show.  Not only did Bynum miss all of last season recovering from an injury, but once the season was over, he jumped ship leaving as a free agent signing with the +Cleveland Cavaliers leaving the 76ers with empty hand and nothing to show for a deal that cost them a first round pick and millions of dollars.  Fearing the absolute worst, Sixers management also chose to tear the team down and start from scratch trade away another corner stone in +Jrue Holiday, trading the All Star point guard to the +New Orleans Pelicans in return for their first round pick, the + University of Kentucky's +Nerlens Noel.  Noel, who missed a bulk of his sole college season because of injury, will probably not be ready to play for Philly until at earliest December and it is doubtful that he will contribute greatly to the Sixers' cause due to his slight frame and his limited offensive ability. So this is where the 76ers stand--they enter the season with no point guard, a ramshackle roster with little or no one to speak of, and looking down the barrel of a very long and painful season. There is no deception or delusion given by the either team and its officials--they both know and fully admit that the 2014 NBA season is essentially a lost cause and they are simply hoping to be in a good place to acquire the number one overall pick in next draft.  Most certainly, the 76ers will probably finish the with the worst record in the league; however, at least they can hold solace to the fact that despite being terrible, they will never be as terrible as they were in 1973 when they won a league worst nine games. Now the bar has been set even lower thanks to the +Charlotte Bobcats as they currently hold the record for fewest wins in an NBA season at just seven so Philly fans can take comfort to the fact that no matter how bad things will become, they will never be as terrible as they were once before. In a season where the is virtually nothing to look forward to, it is hard for Sixers fans to be excited for as their team's fate has already been sealed and the only encouragement they have to look forward to is the chance to get the first overall pick in the draft, which is not a certainty by any means.  Losing only increases the percentage of the number of the balls being popped out in the lottery thus the Sixers can still get the shaft upon entering the draft. Fortunately for them, however, at least the lowest they can fall in the draft if they manage to finish with the league's worst record is at number two, but that will certainly not take the sting of losing--not by a long shot.   With so many teams in the East having improved and vying for a playoff berth, it is a forgone conclusion that Philly essentially will have a huge target on its back to be the league's whipping boy for the upcoming season.  So it will be wise for Sixers fans to prepare themselves to witness their team get crushed losing by rather huge margins and finishing dead last in the league in every statistical category. Nonetheless, despite the gloom and doom project, every dark cloud does have a silver lining and that is is certainly the case for Evan Turner, a player who has yet to live up to being picked second overall in the 2010 Draft.  Thus far, he has been less than impressive, but with little or no talent on his team, he will certainly be called upon and given the green light to take as many shots attempts as he wants.  This can be a great opportunity for him to pad his stats and with him entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, he will be eligible to sign a possible long term extension from the team.   Depending on how well he plays, he can be looking forward to make a whole lot of money and all he has to do is essentially jack up as many shots as he can which he will certainly have an opportunity to do so.  With Philly in shambles and with no one really capable of putting up very big numbers, watch for Turner to turn tragedy into opportunity as he has the potential to give the downtrodden 76er fans at least some glimmer of hope.