NBA Commissioner David Stern has given the thumbs down on the idea that the Philadelphia 76ers tank their season to increase their chances of winning the draft lottery and earning the top pick for next year's draft that features highly skilled prospect Andrew Wiggins of Kansas.
Tanking is a term for deliberately losing games and ending up with the worst record in the league, ultimately netting the best chance of winning the draft lottery and the number one pick in the subsequent draft.
When asked about the 76ers possibly tanking the 2013-14 season, the NBA commissioner was quoted by LibertyBallers.com as saying that: ""I hope they have a great season and don't have the chance for the No. 1 pick." Stern also said the odds of the Sixers winning the 2014 lottery are "so small."
The Sixers are undergoing a rebuilding year after having been competitive and playoff bound the past couple of years. Former All-Star Jrue Holiday has been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for rookie Nerlens Noel. Philadelphia had hoped former Lakers center Andrew Bynum would e the franchise player last year but he never played a single minute for the team. His contract was not renewed and was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Sixers have a new coach in Brett Brown who replaced former coach Doug Collins. Aside from Noel, there are two rookies on the team- Michael Carter-Williams and Arsalan Kazemi. With Holiday gone, the brunt of the offense of the team is now with erratic guard-forward Evan Turner.
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